October Tricks / Treats ~~ Bear Essentials Oct. 24, 2019

Life in the Rural West

~~Possible Fallout from the "BIG Little Question" on Nov. Ballot

By Bill Keshlear

"However, any eventual change brought about in good faith across party lines could foster a sense of electoral fairness among all county residents – a crucial ingredient in bridging San Juan's monumental divide and successful governance. Democratic Party intransigence, real or perceived, could widen the divide even further than it already is."

"It's a countywide vote, and countywide votes don't go well for liberals in San Juan. The county remains deeply anti-monument and deeply conservative, even with a slight majority of Navajo residents (Here's an under-reported factoid: Navajos can be, and are, conservative and Mormon).

• Not one pro-Bears Ears National Monument candidate came even close to winning a majority of county votes in any race conducted across San Juan in November. For example, county voters handed pro-monument congressional candidate James Singer, a Navajo, a landslide loss. Same with Jenny Wilson versus Mitt Romney for U.S. Senate. Democrats didn't even field a candidate against Phil Lyman, the former county commissioner, in his bid for the Utah Legislature.
• Former commissioner Rebecca Benally, an anti-monument Navajo, lost a squeaker of a primary race last year to Kenneth Maryboy despite winning her district’s two Navajo majority precincts. Liberal voters in and around Bluff put him over the top.
• Tally up the total number of votes countywide that put Grayeyes and Maryboy on the commission. Those two pro-monument candidates got 2,022 votes; Kelly Laws and Bruce Adams got 2,354 (2,957 if you count the write-ins against Maryboy).
• The Aneth Chapter, the largest of the Utah Navajo chapters and the only one wholly within the state’s border, voted against monument designation. It also is closest to Bears Ears."

~~ The Real Question that Needs to be Asked in Presidential Debates:  What about the National Debt?

~~ Socialism has Failed in Every Country Where it's Been Tried

~~ Information ad In Navajo on KNDN  - Information on SJC Gov Study 

~~ County Citizens to Vote on Study Concerning Form of Government

~~ Whistle Blower Reinstated in Nevada Grazing Dispute

~~ Utah's Unemployment Rate Continues to Improve

~~ Judge Rules that Lyman Does Not Have to Increase Restitution Payments

"misdemeanor charge for illegal use of ATVs and conspiracy for organizing a 2014 protest ride through a canyon."

~~ People of All Faiths Invited to Show up for Sabbatt to Show Unity Against Hate 

~~BLM Speeds OIl And Gas Leasing Despite Concerns 

~~ ACLU Claims Navajos Aren't Informed Regarding Ballot Issue

    Ryan Benally disagrees with article: "The county was at every chapter meeting...With TWO Navajo liaisons describing the election. Back in SEPTEMBER...."  

~~ County Officials Considering Tax Increase  San Juan Record

"Despite the fact that San Juan County is already the highest-taxed county in the state by percentage, a property tax increase of 22.9 percent is being considered by three separate entities associated with San Juan County."

~~ Liberals of America Want Public Lands Protected Via More Monuments

                           This is what happened instead: Graffiti at Moki Dugway 

~~ Where are Funds Coming From to pay for False Publicity like this?

~~ How to Handle Overcrowding In National Parks

~~  Moab City Officials Disagree with NPS, Hope to keep ATV's out of Arches

"A recent order by Acting Regional Director of the National Park Service, Palmer “Chip” Jenkins, to allow off-highway vehicles such as ATVs and UTVs into Utah’s national parks is positioned to possibly stall out when it is scheduled to go into effect Nov. 1."

~~ Moab Sun Times Writer, B. Blosser,  Disagrees with ATV's in Nat'l Parks

~~ Public Land Workers Face Assaults and Threats/ Montana

~~ Studies on Arches Traffic May Last through 2020

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~~ Discussions / Decisions from Oct. 15  SJ Commission Meeting

 SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING ADMINISTRATION BUILDING - COMMISSION ROOM AGENDA
                                                      October 15, 2019

  9:00 A.M. Work Meeting

1. Public Hearing - Mexican Hat Special Service District
a. Public Hearing to receive input from the public with respect to the issuance of the Water Revenue Bonds for the Mexican Hat Special Service District and the potential economic impact that the improvement, facility, or property for which the Bonds will pay all or part of the cost will have on the private sector.
2. Economic Development & Tourism Update Regarding Economic Diversification Summit & Tourism Tour - Natalie Randall, San Juan County Economic Development & Visitor Services Director
3. School District Briefing on SITLA and what it does for the School District - Kyle Hosler, San Juan School District
4. Road Department Procurement Request for Spreader - Ben Musselman, San Juan County Public Works Director
5. Jared Kropf Property Reassessment - Greg Adams, San Juan County Assessor
6. Lisbon Valley Mine Property Tax Pay Off Proposal - Greg Adams, San Juan County Assessor
7. Briefing on Potential Property Tax Increases - John David Nielson, San Juan County Clerk
8. Discussion of At Your Leisure State Parks 360 Trail Mapping Project - Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
9. Proposed Manti-La Sal National Forest Plan Revision - Nick Sandberg, San Juan County Planning
10. Discussion of Utah Back Country Pilots Association Request - Nick Sandberg, San Juan County Planning
11. Public lands updates - Nick Sandberg, San Juan County Planning
12. Updates - Jerry McNeely, San Juan County Liaison

11:00 A.M. Commission Meeting

1. Approval of minutes - August 6, 2019
2. Citizens' comments to the commission* (Please complete the request form - available at the door)
3. Recognition - Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
4. Approval of Jared Kropf Property Reassessment - Greg Adams, San Juan County Assessor
5. Approval of Lisbon Valley Mine Property Tax Pay Off Proposal - Greg Adams, San Juan County Assessor
6. Approval of Grant Application for County Road B127 La Sal Regarding Utah Federal Lands Access Program - Ben Musselman, San Juan County Public Works Director
7. Approval of Road Department Procurement Request for Spreader - Ben Musselman, San Juan County Public Works Director
8. Approval of proposed Manti-La Sal National Forest Plan Revisions - Nick Sandberg, San Juan County Planning
9. Ratify Approval of an Independent Contractor Agreement with Ricky Richardson for IT Repairs - John Fellmeth, San Juan County IT Director
10. Ratify Approval of the annual All Weather Inc. agreement for Aviation Support and Maintenance of Cal Black Memorial Airport - Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
11. Ratify Approval of a Google Street View 360 Mapping Agreement - Mack McDonald, San Juan County Administrator
12. Ratify Approval of Notice to Residents Regarding Potential Property Tax Changes - John David Nielson, San Juan County Clerk
13. Consideration and Adoption of A RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SAN JUAN COUNTY TO PROVIDE FISCAL AGENT SERVICES FOR THE OLJATO CHAPTER DROUGHT ASSISTANCE GRANT
14. Consideration and Adoption of A RESOLUTION APPROVING AND UPDATING THE REMAINING REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNTY MEETINGS AND MEETING LOCATIONS FOR THE 2019 ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULE PURSUANT TO SECTION 52-4-202 OF THE UTAH CODE.

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~~BEAR ESSENTIALS: August 7, 2018

In the News 

n  Wayne County Votes Consider Changing County Government from Three Member Commission

n  Bias Problem Plaguing Social Media Platforms

n  Intertribal Coalition Gathers at Bears Ears

n  MESA Plays Religion Card/ Letter to Chris Stewart About Environment

n  Democrats Don’t Fear Kavanaugh, They Fear the Constitution

   San Juan County Primary Election Still a Topic of Concern
         A Very Close Race Leaves Many Shaking Their Heads

n  Free Range Journalist Lassoed by Mustang Joe

Congratulations to Joel and Majorie on their wedding, and new life in La Sal as bonified San Juan County residents! Majorie is looking for a writing/or teaching job.  If you have any leads let her know.  marjoriehaun@yahoo.com

n  Stiles Dissects CNN’s Spin on the Bears Ears & SJ Resources

“. . .Thousands of CNN viewers came away thinking there were virtually no health care facilities on the reservation portion of San Juan County. That kind of disregard by CNN for the facts, by deliberately editing them out of the narrative, could be construed as its own form of bias and discrimination against the one Native American (Eva Ewald) in the van that had the facts right.”

Blanding Mayor talking politics with Jim Stiles

n  8 Minute Video Segment Doesn’t Do Justice to Complexity of Public Lands

n  For Serious Protestors: SUWA SUCKS REDROCK EDITION FB

n  Grazing Allotments and National Monuments Get Informed and Involved

Information for Ranchers: Here is a list of challenges that ranchers face when trying to graze on lands within national monuments. Not surprisingly these challenges have led to dramatic reductions in grazing:

1.      --You can’t use materials on the monument – this means you can’t cut cedar posts to repair fences from land nearby. -- must transport all materials from range improvements to your allotment, which leads to …

2.      --You can’t use mechanized equipment or motorized vehicles to fix water lines or fences. Even if you could…

3.      Infrastructure and roads are not maintained. --The gravel pits inside the monument were no longer available, and the Monument has never had workforce out maintaining roads.

4.      Land managers will use rules and regulations to try to squeeze out private landowners to acquire inholdings left in the monument.

5.      --You will likely be required to fence off riparian areas.

6.      --You will have to fight for your water rights.

7.      --You will have to fight to make any range improvements or to build facilities like bigger holding pens.

8.       

Note from Site Manager: “If you don’t engage in this process, you can be assured that those who don’t want you grazing these lands will be there every step of the way fighting against you. We’re here to help fight for you.” Benjamin Burr @ Rangeland Strategies.com  

 

n  Federal Judge Puts Greyeyes Back on November Ballot!

“Grayeyes lists an address on Piute Mesa near Navajo Mountain as his residence. He was born at the location and has argued that his umbilical cord, buried soon after his birth, establishes his residency according to Navajo tradition.”

n  Are Monticello Bike Trails the Beginning of the Bike Borg Invasion?

“In Moab when construction began on the multi-million dollar “elevated bikeway” in 2013, I contacted the BLM to ask about environmental assessments and efforts to involve the public in the process. The BLM’s Katie Stevens informed me that there had indeed been an EA and a public comment period—in 2004—more than eight years earlier, and that no one commented. No one. THAT’s how projects like this succeed. Apathy.”  . . .” Many issues in this county deserve serious scrutiny and analysis and discussion by the local media. All I did was to provide hard facts that very few people were previously aware of. Like I said in my reply to Mr Haven in 2014, “What the citizens of San Juan County do with that information is entirely up to them.”  Jim Stiles

n  Visitors to Zions Defy Rangers Warnings, Are Later Arrested

n  Conservation in the West Polls; Do these Questions seem slanted?  Check out each state, questions asked and results.

“The survey, conducted in eight western states, explores bi-partisan opinions in each state and for the Rocky Mountain West region concerning conservation, environment, energy, the role of government, trade-offs with economies, and citizen priorities.” 

Majorie Haun:  "Conservation in the West" survey is a propaganda tool to push an industrial recreation agenda.”

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n Read Past Editions of Bear Essentials at: http://beyondthebears.blogspot.com/

Documenting Bears Ears Controversy and Public Land Issues since July 2016

                                                                                                  

~~BEAR ESSENTIALS: July 20, 2018~~

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v San Juan Record Live: Focus on Pioneer days This weekend

v Pioneer Day Events/ Schedule

v Southern County Gully Washer July 13

v Follow San Juan Weather Guy for More San Juan Weather Activity

v SJC Favorite Phil Lyman Runs for State House of Representatives

v Help Phil Fight the Big Environmental Donors Trying to Defeat Him

v Attention Ranchers with Grazing Allotments:

Ranchers who maintain grazing allotments in the footprint of the previous Bears Ears National Monument or the new monuments, need to know about Rangeland Strategies. As the BLM and USFS update their management plans for these areas, we believe our consultants can help make sure that the interests of those with grazing allotments are protected.  (Benjamin Burr)  More information

v How do you Regulate Respectful Recreation? Outside Magazine

             State Senator David Hinkins. a Great Defender of San Juan County

n  Mike Lee Supports Bill to Protect Rural Utah from Abuses of Antiquities Act

n  Judge Blocks Reopening of Election Lawsuit

n  More Cattle on Rangeland Helps Mitigate Wildfires

n  President Trump Grants Clemency to the Hammonds

n  Hammonds Unjustly Imprisoned as Terrorists

n  Putting The Supreme Court’s Role into Perspective

n  Firing a Bad Federal Employee May Get a Little Easier

n  Senator Mike Lee on Tariffs, Congressional Disfunction, and New Supreme Court Judge

n  Updates from Sutherland Institute

n  “The Sentence” Screens at Capitol; Sen. Lee Comments

n  Diamond Rio Coming to San Juan County

n  Diamond Rio will headline the San Juan County Fair with a performance on Thursday, August 9 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the San Juan County Fairgrounds.

Advance tickets are $18 and can be purchased at BCL Distributing in Blanding (1261 South Main) or the San Juan Record in Monticello (49 South Main).

n  Most Recent Plans for New Bluff Elementary School SJ Record

 n  Charges Against Chilcoat Dropped!  Collusion in AG’s office?

--Did the State AG’s Office side with the defendants?

--Why did the AG’s Office bring unfounded charges against the lead deputy in the Chilcoat case just prior to the preliminary hearing?

--Why is it that the AG’s Office refused to assist the San Juan County Prosecutor due to a “conflict of interest,” and then agree to participate in the appeals hearing where all charges are dropped against Chilcoat, who is the client of an AG’s Office employee?  --Monte Wells

n  Lightening Strike Threatens Homes in Bluff

n  Fire in North Cottonwood Also Caused by Lightening

n  Fracking Can Make You Fat!!

n  LA Times: Bears Ears Awaits Ruling

n  Woman Treed by Wolves; Rescue Delayed

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n Read Past Editions of Bear Essentials at: http://beyondthebears.blogspot.com/

Documenting Bears Ears Controversy and Public Land Issues since July 2016