Response to Theodore Roosevelt IV OP-ed in SL Tribune

Original article

Don't you just love how do-gooders know all the answers to rural America's problems!? I will respond to just one paragraph as I throw water on Mr. Roosevelt's Parade. Mr. Roosevelt said: "Tourism has been touted as the economic hope for the region. Right now, there are basically no amenities: no hotels, restaurants, signage, visitor centers. Low cost loans and funding need to be secured so that these communities can make necessary business and infrastructure investments and improve their lives accordingly."

#1 The only ones touting tourism as the "hope" for the region are environmental "pack and plays", who are grasping at straws, to convince Utahans that monuments are best for the state and for San Juan County. #2 There are motels, there are restaurants, there is signage, and Visitor Centers in both Blanding and Monticello. There are low cost loans, and funding available. What is missing is a desire to sell out to a philosophy that has ulterior motives.

What Mr. Do-Gooder fails to realize there is ALSO limited WATER in his high desert plateau. There are only so many "showers" for tourists nor is there lots of water for new housing/motel development in this area. Water is a gift from God and from the mountain, and some years we have it, and some years we don't. Thanks to wise stewardship of city councilmen in both Blanding and Monticello the past 80 years, we have used low interest loans to build reservoirs to hedge up against the years when there is not sufficient water, but that those resources do not allow for tens of thousands of new bodies, requiring pampering and cleanliness. This is situation not the result of climate change, but is based on historical evidence from hundreds of years of survival in this arid area.

Tourists who are not used to "roughing it", will likely find Bears Ears NM more wilderness than they bargained for. The real intent of this "green" imposed makeover of San Juan County and other western towns, seems to be destroying the foundations and history of local economies. The trade off for capitulation, is to offer a "mess of pottage" called tourism. This only gives away our sacred land connection and the birthright of thousands of Hispanic, Native, and Anglo residents who call San Juan County home. We only have to look 75 miles to the north and see Mr. Roosevelt's vision of what Tourism does to towns, i.e. Moab's Mob Mecca. We would counter that facts in the following research show that San Juan County is well ahead of Moab in many positive ways that we aren't willing to give up. Hyped up hyperbole and capitation is a lose-lose proposition for San Juan County Utah.
https://l.facebook.com/l.ph...

~~ Bear Essentials ~ June 4, 2017 ~~

“If only a small percentage of the dollars needed to create the Bears Ears Allotment were added to the local budgets for the local offices of the BLM and USFS that would provide adequate  ”boots” on the ground to protect the public lands encompassed within the boundaries of these agencies. . . The monument area is literally a magnificent garden, there is a saying that if you don’t continue to weed your garden then you soon find you have lost your garden. Please leave the area under a multiple use strategy so that the BLM and USFS, Term Grazing Permit holders, and others will still have the tools and management practices to maintain these natural resources. We again ask that you rescind this monument.”   Jimmie and Carol Forrest Monticello

~~~~~~~

Other Issues Affecting Bears Ears

n  Antiquities Review:  Top Five Reasons We Were Outnumbered

n  Pay attention to Utah Political Climate.  Who will replace Jason Chaffetz?

n  Biased Surveys Predetermine Outcome   by Devin B. Hancock  Results

n  Smoking them Out: Theft of the Environment and how to Take it back by Greg Walcher

Zinke Appauds Trump's Withdrawal from “America Last” Paris Climate Pact.

. . ."America's energy and economic destiny should be up to the United States, not the United Nations. Today the President took bold and decisive action to pull the U.S. out of the poorly-negotiated Paris Accord that would kill American jobs and manufacturing while doing little to protect the environment.  

"We all agree that clean air and clean water are top priorities, but this deal was an example of another give-away to foreign interests and locks America into a permanent competitive disadvantage. America has the resources and expertise to lead the world in responsible energy development and technology. To not use our resources to our advantage is simply wrong. The world is safer when America is strong.” Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke

n  Why liberals aren’t as tolerant as they think

                                                                                         

                                                              

Good News Bears

n  Former Forest Service Employee Warns of Monument Dangers

n  10 Circuit Court says BLM Must Redo OHV Routes on 6 Million acres

n  New Ag. Secretary Promises Balance in Forest Service Management

n  Are American Hunters the Last Great Hope for Conservation? Zooms in on Secretary Zinke.

n  Water battle pits City of Aspen against feds, enviros.” By Greg Walcher

n  Forestry 101: Log it, thin it, or watch it burn Idaho Statesman

n  Idaho BLM tries Balanced Approach to Grazing has Enviros shaking

n  Remembering the Blanding Rally  Not sure if I ever linked Marjorie’s recap

n  Great photos in this article: Paddle and Pedal the Bears Ears Monument

                                                                                           

  

Bad News Bears

n  Maffly claims Facts on Monument Acreages are Misleading

n  Entanglements between DOI agencies and Agenda driven Enviromentalists deepen the swamp  Part I Marjorie Haun

n  Back Country CEO Defends Bears Ears NM

n  Torrey, Utah asks for State Help on Water but doesn’t support drilling. Great quotes from Mike Noel in this article. 

n  SUP Magazine Supports Bears Ears NM

n  New Mexico AG’s Office Takes on unfair Cattle Industry Harming Family Ranches

n  Science Magazine worried about Dinosaurs in NM

n  Environmentalist Messaging Concerning BLM Flaring Rule is Mythology

n  Environmental Bias in Oregon has Ranchers Wary

n  10 Planks of American Socialism  Watching it happen in our life time.

~~~~~~~

Follow Stewards of San Juan

~~~~~

http://beyondthebears.blogspot.com/

Documenting Bears Ears No Monument efforts since July 2016

~~ Bear Essentials ~ May 29, 2017 ~~

A Big Thank You to all who wrote letters as part of the DOI 14-day review.  Your thoughtful, fact-filled responses will hopefully carry more weight than the thousands of form letters from people who have never been to Bears Ears territory.  On June 10 Secretary Zinke is supposed to have recommendations ready for the President regarding National Monuments designated the past 21 years. Pray daily.

“A rich man’s playground should never come at the expense

of a working man’s livelihood” (and dream).  Senator Mike Lee

                            "Promoting tourism as landscape preservation is a complete farce."  Chris Baird 5/18/17

                   View:  A great collection of last year’s Bears Ears videos

                                                              

Good News Bears

n  Balanced Resources Group urges that Bears Ears be Rescinded  Their FB site contains lots of maps and additional resources.

n  Bears Ears Review garners 57,000 comments Las Vegas Review  KSL’s story on Review Comments

n  Heated Debate Over National Monuments: A good overview from Shake, Rattle, and Troll showing the impact on the U.S.  Includes this info on Utah specifically.  Great information.

n  San Juan County Commissioners forewarn of unintended consequences caused by monuments  SL Tribune; (subsequent comments belong in the Bad News Bears Section!)  Tribune commentators all need a “Be Nice” T-shirt!

n  Monument would do more harm than good, by Suzette Morris

n  Rescind Bears Ears National Monument by Ryan Benally

n  Four Corners Free Press-- a pretty balanced article about BENM

n  Ranchers Urge Zinke to Scale back Organ Mountain NM Designation

n  Rob Bishop aims to ensure federal, local land-use consultation

n  Oversight committee video discussing sue and settle problems

n  Rob Bishop Introduced Lawful Purposes/Self Defense Act

n  Plaintiff in Suit Against Chicken Farmer Fails to Cough up Evidence

n  Idaho Judge limits Tribe’s Water Rights to their Reservation

                                                                                           

Bad News Bears

n  Thousands of Form letters sent in during Antiquities Act Review

n  Suspicious Fire in remote area of Bears Ears Includes graphs related to BLM staffing

n  More Environmental Hysteria & Green Baloney: by John Stossel

n  More accusations Against Agent Dan Love

n  Trump Must Stop Prosecution of Property Owners

n  Forest Fires and lack of Management in Yellowstone

n  The Debate over National Monuments /Video

n  Kayenta Citizens oppose D. Filfred’s gun bill

~~~~~~~

 Should Animal Opinions Count Too!  

 

~~~~~~~~~~     

                       

Worth Watching: The Bundy Story and the Patriot Movement by PBS

Follow Stewards of San Juan

~~~~~

http://beyondthebears.blogspot.com/

Documenting Bears Ears No Monument efforts since July 2016

Bear Essentials ~~May 25, 2017~~

Q: Who manages lands more effectively, the federal government or Western states?

A: “Federal multiple-use lands have enormous potential to generate revenues for the public good. Yet the BLM and U.S. Forest Service lose taxpayers an average of nearly $2 billion per year. In comparison, states are controlling costs and generating substantial revenues from state trust lands. From 2009 to 2013, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico and Arizona earned a combined average of $14.51 for every dollar spent managing state trust lands. During that same period federal land agencies lost money, generating only 73 cents for each dollar spent. High costs and inefficiencies have contributed to the deferred maintenance backlog of almost $18 billion for the three largest federal land management agencies combined. This threatens the environment and very resources these federal agencies were created to protect.”  Sutherland Institute, who we support!

If you haven’t written so do immediately.  DOI Reviewends today! May 25

Use the quote above, if nothing else.

This Link takes you directly to the Review Comments page

                   Knowledge is Power, but Silence is Consent      
  

Thank you, everyone who wrote during this two week review period for the Antiquities Act.  That was one thing everyone could do, and Stewards of San Juan appreciates it. Continue to let your voice be heard. (Grumbling to your neighbors, doesn't count!)
n  A great collection of last year’s Bears Ears videos compiled by Sutherlands. 

n  Ironic twist of events: Conservationist Purchases Needles SILTA Land

n  Videos of Sec. Zinke’s visit

n  Shake, Rattle, and Troll: Tangled Web of Environmentalist Groups--Redo Article:  

                                                              

Good News Bears

n  Navajo Times: Rescind Bears Ears monument immediately by R. Benally, Second Letter down

n  Monument size a Concern as Feds Review Status Farmington Daily Times

n  Monument Status Likely to Damage Bears Ears by Jim Stiles

n  Natural Resource Laws Gone Astray  Panel focuses on three laws in particular: the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), the Wilderness Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). 

n  Balanced Resources A Facebook group with similar concerns: Gem State Patriots reprints Earlier NGO Article

n  Gem State Patriots reprints Earlier NGO Article

n  Thinning Forests (i.e. logging?) Initiated by Conservation Group?!

Map showing the distribution of Federal land in Utah: BLM, US Forest Service, reservations, Dept. of Reclamation, Wilderness, Defense, etc. Only 21% of Utah is private land, and in San Juan only 8% is private.  Yes, it’s time for a change!

  

  Bad News Bears

n  SITLA Hoping to Create a Win-Win Situation for Schools and Hunters  SL Tribune
n  Antiquities Review Endangers American Stories Can you tell they’re running scared?
n  Navajo Nation Services Lack Basics Like Running Water
n  Animal Rights or Chicken Feathers? Law Suit Against Chicken Farm in Colorado
n  Access for Dogs, top priority for National Conservation Lands?  Who cares about people!

Follow Stewards of San Juan

~~~~~

http://beyondthebears.blogspot.com/

Documenting Bears Ears No Monument efforts since July 2016