Show Aims of Colton Bill dill Explained I I George A. A Fisher pf Heber City has bas returned home from Washington Washing Washing- ton where he lie spent six weeks as representative of the people of Wasatch Wasatch Wasatch Wa- Wa satch county in support of the Colton Colton Colton Col- Col ton bill now pending in congress During Daring that time he appeared be before before before be- be fore the committee on public lands and presented the case together with Judge Will Vill R. R King of Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington D. D C. C who is counsel for the Wasatch county people Judge King was formerly a resident of Oregon where he served on the bench of the supreme court of that state and later was for seven seen years chief counsel counsel counsel coun coun- sel for the reclamation service with bead headquarters Quarters at Washington Discussing the matter relating to the bill in which he has bas appeared before before be be- fore congress and which provides I be-I that acres of land in Strawberry Strawberry Strawberry Straw Straw- berry valley be added to the Uinta Uintah national forest Mr Fisher said The purpose of ot this bill is pr primarily primarily marily to right a great wrong that tha has been done to the people of Wasatch Wa Wa- satch county by the act of ot withdrawal withdraw withdraw- al which cut them off from the us use of oC lands they have used all the their lives When the matter was presented presented presented pre pre- to Representative Colton w we were very pleased to find that h he readily recognized the great Injustice that had been done our people am and he be therefore took a minded broad and determined stand by introducing a bill to correct the wrong Judge Judg King and myself appeared before the committee on public lands land during a three day session and se set forth to them the facts connected with the case and I have every reason reason rea rea- son to believe that the measure will wil willbe wilbe be favorably reported by the committee committee com com- that It will pass pasa the house and become law We have attempted to show the committee that this matter is not a a. local one confined only to the people of or Wasatch but on the co contrary I It affects the interests of the entire state of or Utah as the land described in the bill is one of the few real outdoor outdoor out out- door dool playgrounds for the public I Ihas It has long been recognized as such and was designated as a state park I by statute until this reclamation with withdrawal withdrawal I seemed to nullify the statute Hundreds of Utah citizens find recreation recreation recreation here during the summer and ane it certainly is a sighted near-sighted public policy that would permit the acquisition acquisition acquisition acqui acqui- of oC these lands lunds b by a handful o ol of citizens who may regulate or forbid the use of oC them as the they see fit Peoples People's Benefit Desired Too much of that kind of ot law la labas has bas I already been applied to our public domain The government learned H u u that when they iney gave Coat island a at ai Niagara falls to some individual only to later buy It back at a fabulous fabulous lous ous price in order to restore it forthe for he the use of the people of or the United States without having to pay tribute to o any individual Colorado Springs has bas had bad the same expensive lesson And I dare say there is hardly an any state which has not suffered a similar similar simi- simi lar ar experience One of the objects of the bill bilI isto is iso isto to o avoid that kind of oC a calamity inthe Inthe in the he present case Of course the primary object of the bill bUI is to Insure in insure inure In- In sure ure government control over this tract of about acres of oC land landby landby landy by y adding it to the Uintah national forest orest We Ve are not seeking to dispossess dispossess dis- dis possess any rightful claimant of ot any title itle except the United States which nay may do with the lands as it sees fit It t is true that the tho water users under under un- un der ler the tho Strawberry project have hoped to secure these lands for tor themselves which of oC course would be a desirable addition to any business business busi- busi ness less concern Grazing Fees Excessive The lands have returned to the water vater users' users association a sum Imm in ex excess excess excess ex- ex cess of or by br reason of rentals rent rent- rentals als accruing from grazing leases held for tor the most part b by people of or ormy my county since the year 1907 During the last six years my mr grazing company alone has paid them over for tho the privilege of grazing lands which under any form of rea rea- they should have bave had haa for some reasonable sum We are ar still paying at the rate of over 1 a year ear and under present economic conditions this rental charge Is nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing short of oC ruinous to the livestock Interests The grazing company is composed composed com com- posed of citizens of Wasatch county who have banded themselves together er to try to protect their rights and with no Idea of profit These rental charges which we are compelled to pay to the water users make it necessary necessary necessary essary for to pay grazIng grazing grazing graz graz- ing fees ten times in excess of charges es upon owned government-owned lands such as national forests and state lands In fact the lands are perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps the highest priced grazing lands in the United States at this time and it has got to a point where we cannot longer survive under that kind of an arrangement Depend on Stock Raising In my county of ot Wasatch the people depend primarily on ve it ck production as a a means of ot livelihood livelihood Take that awa away from them d eJ might well follow the pr I Arab and fold up their tents and quietly slip away Our forefathers settled there with the idea of oC raising rais rats ing mg livestock and they grazed these lands in Qu question tion during all the years without interruption except as they made arrangements with the Indians until this withdrawal cams came and separated into two pieces the tha stock range they had always used We have han been Infinitely patient as step by step other portions of ot our county dwindled away until there is i 1 hardly anything left of It It was once an Inland empire reaching overto over OTer overto to the Colorado line and it is getting getting get get- ting down now to a point where itis Itis it itis is hardly possible to raise sufficient revenues to run a county govern govern- ment But even at that if it were felt that these lands were more nee nee- I essary to the happiness or prosperity of some some- other community or would serve some higher purpose I think this present measure would not have haye been initiated But that is not th the case Watershed Threatened The lands lauds were withdrawn ostensibly ostensibly osten- osten sibly for tor protection purposes to the Strawberry reservoir and they caa therefore serve sene their highest and best hest purpose by being added to the tha national forest which guarantees to he the water users under the project a regulated stream flow by the preservation pres pre preservation of a normal ground cover brought about by the forest service under their years of oC study of such matters Da It It is part o of their bu business ln In n fact it Is part o or of tile the organic law underlying the system of national forestry ores try No other civilian or Individual agency gency could hope to accomplish such uch matters as regulation of gras grai- graning grasing graing ing ng matters to prevent erosion and consequent destruction of the watershed watershed waterbed water- water shed bed as could the forest service OB Oa the he contrary It fl Is more than likely like Uke- ly Iy y that the lands under civilian control control con- con rol or ownership will continue to tobe tobe toe be e administered as they are and have lave been ever since their withdrawal withdrawal with- with with one single purpose and that tat is to squeeze money from them Such uch a plan Is defeating the very purpose of watershed protection for which the lands are supposed to have been een withdrawn Bill Offers Otters Cure And it will all be corrected by byle bythe I the le of the Colton bill because I thereby the water users will known their water supply is In safe hands I the 10 people who are and have been economically dependent upon the I territory for grazing purposes will know that their equities being In Inthe inthe I the hands of the forest service will receive such Buch consideration as their claims and conditions will warrant and last but by no means least the public will be insured the privilege of sojourning at their leisure upon these famous pleasure grounds without without without with with- out being barred or being compelled to pay tribute for a privilege which ought to be their right I |