Show Regional Wilderness Meeting Was Educational Dear Editor My attendance at the Salt Lake Regional Wilderness meeting at the University of Utah was an educational educational educational experience A large and boisterous crowd was on hand to communicate their feelings to the governor and assembled Utah congressional congressional congressional con con- gressional delegation Amid much sound and fury speaker after speaker came to the podium to blast the delegation and express their support for a huge 57 million acre wilderness set Some voices quivered with emotion others boomed to splitting ear-splitting levels It soon became apparent that the content of the wilderness pro-wilderness comments comments comments com com- ments expressed but two sentiments 1 All lands not designated wilderness wilderness wilderness wilder wilder- ness would be destroyed forthwith 2 A proper wilderness experience could be had only on lands so It is abundantly clear that the first of these assertions is blatantly false Wilderness far from being limited and fragile is a durable and renewable renewable renewable renew renew- able resource This truth can be gleaned from the environmentalists environmentalist's own bible Wilderness on the Edge which contains dozens of references to once heavily impacted areas that are now being naturally reclaimed and again suitable for wilderness designation Natural forces will al always always always al- al ways take precedence over mans man's actions to restore the landscape to its equilibrium state stater The second implies that all non- non wilderness compatible users must be ejected for the benefit of the imagined imagined imagined im im- im- im needs of a special interest group This is plainly not acceptable in a society such as ours because it is elitist and discriminatory It seeks to ration a public resource on the basis of physical strength and ability Do Dowe Dowe Dowe we really want to reserve our most scenic lands for the benefit of a vocal minority who openly state they resent the intrusion of weaker individuals Instead of deeding the environmentalists environmentalists environmentalists environ environ- mentalists our priceless lands we should endeavor to teach them compassion compassion com corn passion so they might become more willing to share what belongs to us all And that in a nutshell is what the wilderness debate is all about Maria Von Van Vimar Major Unknown |