Having been born and raised in pastoral New Hampshire, the idea of retiring to another outdoor wonderland – Utah – made perfect sense. I have totally embraced my new home.
That being said, there are threats to Utah’s environment that beg for alarm to be voiced by people throughout the United States as the effects would likely be far-reaching and harmful to many.
There has been a trend initiated by extractive industries and congressmen in some Western states, Utah included, to demand that the federal Bureau of Land Management surrender management and control of public lands to the individual states.
These proposals are couched in language such as “states can do a better job” and that the state government has “a better sense of what their residents want and need.”
In states where leaders embrace the belief that government should be “of the people, by the people and for (all of) the people,” these proposals make sense.
Unfortunately, in Utah, “profits before people (and planet)” appears to be the driving force for much decision-making, particularly as it applies to the Public Lands Initiative.
Corporate profits from resource extraction of fossil fuels from public lands that benefit few and will adversely affect the health and well-being of many does not reflect a government “for the people” in my opinion.
Several weeks ago, I attended a public hearing in Salt Lake City that had been scheduled to discuss the so-called Public Lands Initiative. Four of Utah’s members of Congress (Orrin Hatch, Mike Lee, Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz) were invited and expected to attend this meeting. It was a well-advertised, standing-room-only meeting held at the University of Utah. To my shock and disappointment, not one of our congressmen attended this meeting with their constituents on a proposal that will affect each and every resident in the state.
It is important to understand the cultural, environmental and societal value of the public lands where many native peoples have lived for hundreds of years. They lived in harmony and with respect for the natural environment and recognized both the threats and opportunities that wilderness areas hold for generations to come.
These lands have provided residents and visitors alike with places for recreational activities such as hiking, camping, and off-road use for bicycling and motorized vehicles, as well as a place to experience solitude and reverence for the natural world.
Tourism is a huge part of Utah’s income each year, and the public lands play a big part in dispersing overcrowding of the state and national parks.
While living in Utah, I cannot recall any resident having anything but positive words to say about how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy our public lands.
Every day, anyone living or traveling through Utah observes the effects of corporate and state involvement in resource development: oil refineries releasing CO2 emissions and polluting the air we breathe; fracking on pristine public lands leased by extractive industries; roads built in wilderness areas breaking up wildlife corridors in order to transport toxic tar sands to refineries; tanker trucks and oil and gas pipelines moving fossil fuels to who knows where; and, of course, the predictable oil spills from pipeline leaks or overturned tankers spilling oil near and into drinking water supplies.
So, what does any of this have to do with New Hampshire, New England and the rest of the United States? Lots. I hope New Hampshire and the rest of the nation can help Utah’s legislators understand that our economic future does not depend on expansion and continued extraction of fossil fuels, an outdated and dying industry.
The future existence of our state, our country and our planet depends on our ability to decrease CO2 emissions, conserve energy and develop safe, healthy, renewable and sustainable energy sources that abound, especially here in the West.
Every state depends on economic growth to provide jobs and prosperity for its residents but it is so important for our future that development encouraged is healthy and safe as well.
There are many proposals being supported by the public, by the tourist industry, the outdoor recreation industry and environmental groups, as well as local businesses to preserve wilderness areas in Utah.
Projects such as proposing that President Obama designate Bears Ears wilderness area as a national monument and efforts to name the Wasatch Mountain front as a protected wilderness and stopping further environmental degradation in the Uinta Mountains are just a few.
Maybe there are those outside of Utah who can help influence the outdated thinking of Utah’s congressmen in ways that residents have been incapable of.
Until such time, sadly, it would be inappropriate and irresponsible to allow the state of Utah to manage its public lands.
(Beth Allen, a former Henniker resident, lives in Salt Lake City.)