Show LETTER TO THE TI-IE EDITOR EITOR Dear Editor Recently we members of the family rode by the site of our old camp in Manti Canyon What we found there was not a pretty sight The camp was burned down by the Forest Service over a year ago The trees around it are dying from the scorching they took and none of the charred rubbish rubbish rubbish rub rub- bish has been removed Under the pretext of cleaning up the forest the Forest Service has left an eyesore and a rubbish pile of a once clean camp That the pretext of forest forest forest for for- est cleanup is false I 1 cite the following the camp site has been left for over a year in ina a filthy mess of which even pigs would be ashamed only those camps and cabins in use have been thus destroyed only a mile from where our camp stood stands a cabin that has not been in use for many years and is in an ugly state of dilapidation Another false pretext that of guarding the rights of the general public has been advanced as a reason for lor the destruction of these camps To whom are the private camps campson on the mountain an offense We have only to call on the cattle and the fishermen fishermen fishermen fish fish- ermen and hunters and the riders out to testify to the worth of having a place to get out of a storm Most of the camps are kept in a clean condition and are pleasant pleasant pleasant pleas pleas- ant places to spend a day or night But says the Forest ice these camps are illegally on the forest Perhaps but why then refuse to grant permits permits permits per per- mits to those who petition for them Time and again a deaf ear has been turned to our offers to make our camp meet government standards and purchase a permit It seems to me that thereal the thereal thereal real purpose of destruction of the camps is the curtailment of public use of the forest land The forests are swiftly becoming the private property of an elite group of people who wear uniforms and ride in radio equipped trucks purchased purchased pur pur- chased with our tax money Cattle and are continually continually con con- being disappointed because because because be be- cause of range allotments Vacationers Vacationers Va- Va va vacationers do not find that their taxes build fit roads or even repair existing mountain roads Large areas such as around Fish Lake are being closed to camping WHY We Ve have been warned from the foundations foundation of this nation to be eternally vigilant that our freedoms be not snatched away It was never intended that liberty be an easy gift to obtain or to hold The holding holding holding hold hold- ing of our liberties is proving to be as difficult a job as the obtaining Now is the time to talk to think and to vote with willi understanding We must demand responsibility from those in public office We must wake up before the creeping policies of socialism and communism envelop us usI I invite you to ride into the canyon and see for yourself if what I have written is not true William C. C North Center American Fork Utah |