National Parks and Oil and Gas

Oil and Gast Hold the Reins in the Wild West (Washington Post)
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National parks in budget turmoil (Deseret News)
Expires after 2 weeks

Utah parks feel pinch (Deseret News)
Expires after 2 weeks

A couple of recent headlines

EPA administrator to push relaxed rules for Nevada's Yucca Mountain

EPA administrator and former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt is preparing to waive another set of federal radiation rules to help the Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste dump open as planned in 2010.Salt Lake Tribune; 09/21/2004

Utah Senators fight to restore funding for downwinders

A Senate Committee slashed $72 million from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act trust fund, setting up a possible repeat performance of 2001 when the fund ran out of money and the government issued IOUs to sick uranium workers.Salt Lake Tribune; 09/24/2004

Air in summer has many S.L. kids gasping

Air in summer has many S.L. kids gasping
By Joe Baird
The Salt Lake Tribune

The hazy days of summer are making life increasingly tough for Salt Lake City area children.

A new report released Monday by the New York-based Environmental Defense ranks the Utah capital as the 37th-worst metropolitan area in terms of how summer air pollution impacts kids - particularly those who suffer from asthma.

According to the study, 8 percent of Salt Lake City's summer days during a three-year period (2001-03) worsened conditions for the area's estimated 34,374 children with asthma.

"Salt Lake City's pretty low on the list, comparatively speaking. But when you say 8 percent, you're still talking about a lot of kids," said study author John Balbus, director of Environmental Defense's health program. "Despite all of the talk about cleaner air, we're not there yet. There's still a fight that needs to be waged to keep our kids from being exposed to unhealthy levels of pollution."

Ironically, Salt Lake City just concluded a summer in which it recorded no bad-air days, a trend that Balbus says played out throughout the country. But he calls it the exception - not the rule.

"It was an anomaly because it was cool and it rained much more frequently, but this isn't a trend. It's not a solution to the problem based upon what we've seen over the last 20 years," he said. "If anything, it's gotten warmer and it's gotten drier. So, long term, we need to do something about the sources of air pollution. We can't depend on the weather."

To eliminate those pollution sources, the study advocates going beyond EPA standards for new diesel engines - which begin in 2007 - to include retrofitting existing diesel motors; reducing pollution levels from power plants; advocating for more and cleaner transportation options and finding alternatives to rush-hour commuting schedules.

And child advocates say that it's time to get serious about this for one very simple reason:

"Asthma is a dramatically increasing problem with kids, and the problem is, we don't know why," said Bill Barnes, a Primary Children's Medical Center spokesman.

Adds Terry Haven, a program coordinator for Utah Children: "There is a cost associated with all of this. Whether it's dollars, or school days missed or children simply not feeling well. This really does impact a child's quality of life, particularly if they're not insured and don't have access to a primary care physician. They aren't able to take preventative measures."

Governor Debate and Open Space Initiative

Last night I watched a gubernatorial debate between candidates Scott Matheson, Jr. and Jon Hunstman Jr. When asked if they supported Initiative 1, both of them said that they did, but both were a little worried about effects of a sales tax increase. Matheson said he wished the new policy would have gone through the state legislature.

According to many proponents of Initiative 1, the legistlature has had ample opportunity to legislate for clean water and open space.

The intiative is supported by a number of influential Utahns including Jake Garn and Alexander Morrison.

Here is a link to a list of prominent supporters: http://www.utahlands2004.org/docs/PUBLICENDORSEMENT.pdf

Utahns say yes to open space

By Erin StewartDeseret Morning News
Copyright 2004 Deseret Morning News

A majority of Utahns favor raising sales taxes to pay for preserving open space, a proposal that will be on November's ballot, according to a Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll conducted by Dan Jones & Associates.

If the election were held today, 65 percent of the 915 registered voters polled statewide would vote for Initiative 1, a $150 million bond that would pay to improve air and water quality, build parks and preserve open space through a .05-cent sales tax hike.

Only 28 percent of those surveyed said they would vote against the ballot item sponsored by Utahns for Clean Water, Clean Air & Quality Growth. The poll, conducted Sept. 6-9, has a 3 percent margin of error.

The wide margin of support came as no surprise to Amanda Smith, head of the sponsoring group. She said land preservation and open space is something Utahns agree on.

"These numbers reflect our gut and what we've been seeing all along," Smith said. "This issue really activates people. They feel very strongly about it and are willing to dedicate their time and money to preserving open space."

But Randy Parker, CEO at the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, said the majority of Utahns say they are willing to open their wallets for the open space bond because it's a "feel-good initiative." What residents don't understand are the details of the initiative and the impact it will have on private property in Utah, he said.

The bond did not garner the needed approval in the Legislature this year, forcing Smith's group to organize and gather more than 76,000 signatures to earn the item a spot on this year's election ballot. The initiative just made the ballot in August, following an appeal by Smith's group to the Utah Supreme Court, leaving open-space activists in a time crunch to sell the proposal to voters already leery of more tax hikes.

Although support numbers are up for Initiative 1, Smith said her group will launch an advertising campaign to spread the message that the initiative is not just about open space but about ensuring a higher quality of life in Utah.

"We're talking about protecting the assets that we enjoy here in Utah in a responsible way," Smith said. "If people understand that they're getting these sort of public benefits, people overwhelmingly say that it is worth it and they're willing to pay."

Myles Rademan knows how willing people are to pay for preservation. As the public affairs officer in Park City, Rademan has seen his town support two $10 million bonds for open space with nearly 80 percent approval in the past five years.

When Park City officials started setting aside funds for open space, Rademan said Salt Lake residents and leaders laughed at the resort town for paying for free resources. Now, he said, the poll results show that other cities are catching on.

"I always hear the argument that we don't need more open space. Obviously, that's not the way 65 percent of the people feel," he said. "They want trails and nature out their back door. I do, too. So we opened our checkbook and paid for it."

Parker, however, sees a down side to the initiative. Currently, 78 percent of Utah land is government-owned. Pumping more money into government land acquisitions will only drive land prices up and pit private landowners against government officials with deep pockets, he said.

"For the future, a new generation of farmers and ranchers will be competing against tax dollars for these resources," Parker said.

The initiative nearly didn't make it on the ballot when state and local officials initially invalidated some signatures from Utah and Cache counties. But Smith's group appealed to the Utah Supreme Court, which ruled the signatures were valid.

Parker said the Farm Bureau is also opposed to Initiative 1 because it bypasses the regular legislative process. Without the compromise and information that stems from legislative debate, he said the initiative is simply a yes or no check-box on that ballot that voters do not truly understand.

That sentiment is echoed by state Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, and president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, who said the open-space initiative looks great on paper but is filled with provisions that citizens do not understand. Those misunderstandings, he said, are what led to the poll results showing support for the initiative.

"It sounds like motherhood and apple pie. We all love open space and clean air and clean water. We all do. But there is so much on the initiative that people do not know," Stephenson said.
Stephenson said he expects the initiative to fail at the voting booths in November after citizens get more information, which will mostly come from a press release and debate campaign that his organization will soon start. Making residents aware of the bond details in the short time before the election will be a difficult task now that two out of three residents already support the proposal, Stephenson said.

One such detail, he explained, is that $30 million of the $150 million bond will be set aside for municipal buildings, convention centers and parks. Those municipal buildings do not fall under the open space category that is being sold to voters, he said.

Another sticking point for Stephenson is that the money will be dispensed by the Utah Quality Growth Commission, a non-elected board.

"This is nothing short of pork-barrel politics," he said. "They will be able to identify the pork projects they want to be funded."

Not true, said John Bennett, project manager at the Commission. If the bond does pass, the Commission will grant money based on applications from a variety of preservation groups and individuals throughout the state, he said.

Although some money is set aside for particular projects, like the $16 million ear-marked for clean water and the $57 million for conservation, Bennett said the Commission will weigh each application fairly to determine who gets money.

"We've been the only source of land conservation funds for years. We know how to manage these funds and we're ready to step in and do it," he said.

More information:
http://www.utahlands2004.org

http://www.utahtaxpayers.org/

http://utfb.fb.org/ (forthcoming)

Note from the Blogger

I keep publishing entire articles. I know that I may get in trouble, but I want you all to be able to know what is going on until I can summarize and analyze. I will remove the articles when I find time to look at them in greater depth.

Feds act to protect 3 Utah riverways

Feds act to protect 3 Utah riverways
The Denver Post (AP)
Sunday, September 12, 2004 -

Moab, Utah - Interior Secretary Gale Norton on Saturday officially withdrew nearly 200 miles of scenic riverways along the Green, Colorado and Dolores rivers in southeastern Utah from the exploration and location of new mining claims.

The order will provide protection for 20 years of 111,895 acres of public lands along 192 miles of river corridor.

The order also helps protect at least 161 prehistoric sites, habitat for six threatened and endangered species and 32 Bureau of Land Management recreation facilities constructed along the Colorado River.

"This order is an additional layer of protection for some of the most prized recreational riverways in the West," Norton said during Saturday's ceremony at Big Bend Campground, along the Colorado River east of Moab. "This will ensure that the scenic and natural character of these special places is sustained for years to come."

Maggie Wyatt, with the Moab BLM office, said the withdrawal "will help to maintain the outstanding scenery and outdoor recreational opportunities that are vital to the local economy."
River-related tourism is one of the main drivers of the economy in southeast Utah.

The BLM said interest and economic benefits from recreational use along the three rivers has far eclipsed former uranium and placer gold mining uses.

Dixie National Forest

I found this great picture from the Public Lands Information Center (http://www.publiclands.org/explore/UT.php)

Recent Environmental News

I just went through a couple of weeks of the Headwaters news here are some of the recent Utah environmental news items.

Three Utah riverways get federal protection
Denver Post; Sept. 12

Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced Saturday that more than 200 miles of riverways in southeastern Utah will be protected from mining exploration for the next 20 years.

Report: Utah park turns 40 in failing health
Deseret Morning News; Sept. 10

Canyonlands National Park in Utah has $36 million in backlogged maintenance projects, is under siege by invasive weed species and counts three of every five historic structures as needing repair, according to a National Parks Conservation Association report.

Drilling, development taking the wild out of the West
Christian Science Monitor; Sept. 9

The Bureau of Land Management's largest auction of oil and gas exploration leases, covering more than 360,000 acres of rugged back country in Utah, means diesel engines and drilling rigs may reign over solitude and wildlife.

Explosive growth challenges Utah County
Salt Lake Tribune; Sept. 7

In less than 10 years, Eagle Mountain and Sarasota Springs, Utah, have seen their populations grow from 250 residents to 9,584 and 6,377 respectively, overwhelming Utah County's transportation system and school districts.

Utah public lands leased at record rates
Salt Lake Tribune; 08/31/2004

Federal officials sold oil and gas leases on 281,000 acres of public land in Utah in June, a record likely to be broken by the next auction in September.

Report: Utah county residents want tougher OHV rules
Salt Lake Tribune; 08/30/2004

A local environmental group said a new federal report showed Grand County residents overwhelmingly support more restrictions on off-highway vehicle users.

Where to get Utah environmental news

Here are some good sources for Utah environmental news:

Statewide Newspapers
The Salt Lake Tribune
www.sltrib.com

The Deseret News
www.desnews.com

Local Newspapers
The Daily Herald
www.harktheherald.com

Northern County Newspapers
http://www.newutah.com/

Regional Services
Headwaters News
http://www.headwatersnews.org/

State and local newspapers carry environmental news subjects on a sporadic basis. Headwaters news culls items from a variety of sources, but readers will also have to sift through news related to other western states. Local newspapers generally report on environmental stories of local interest. You can also find planning and development news in local newspapers (in my town we have the Pleasant Grove Review). In general, many environmental issues fly under the radar in Utah, possibly because of the perception that there are greater concerns (i.e. moral issues), or possibly because of the demands of the predominant religion (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as the Mormon church or the LDS church). Environmental stewardship is taught in this faith. I will post more on this in the future.

Welcome!

This is a blog for thoughts related to environmental issues affecting the state of Utah and its local communities.