Redrock Headlines

Governor Herbert got it wrong: protecting wilderness helps Utah school children

Tuesday’s hearing in the House Natural Resources Committee regarding the Obama Administration’s Wild Lands policy generated more than its share of misinformation, misleading statements, and invented facts and figures.  Case in point: Utah Governor Gary Herbert, in a moment of exuberance, alleged that protecting wilderness could hurt school kids, to the tune of billions of dollars.  However, history does not support his assertion; in fact, quite the opposite, protecting wilderness may actually give Utah’s school kids a better shot at revenue generation. 

When Utah joined the Union it was gifted scattered tracts of trust land throughout the state (trust lands are shown in blue on this map).  Utah received lands that were blocked by cliffs, surrounded by deserts, and hidden in canyons and were often not accessible by any existing roads.  These lands were given for the benefit of school kids and Utah interprets that to mean that trust lands should generate revenue.  However, this pattern of land distribution has not lent itself to revenue maximization for the education budget.  When Gov. Herbert says wilderness will hurt school kids he is saying that these trust lands—which are often surrounded by federal lands worthy of wilderness designation—will be made inaccessible by protecting the surrounding public lands.[1]  Apparently, the Governor likes to imagine that these scattered tracts of land could be the panacea to Utah’s education budget needs.

However, this is unlikely to ever be the case.  Partly because school trust lands in Utah are so scattered and remote, they never generate much revenue.  In fact, they do not even contribute one percent of the yearly public education budget in Utah.  Indeed, if Utah were to liquidate all of the accrued assets from 115 years of school trust lands management, they would not even cover three months worth of the state education budget![2]  Despite the roaring 2000s, when school trust lands witnessed unprecedented levels of oil and gas development as well as a real estate market boom, school trust lands continue to be nothing more than the budgetary equivalent of loose coins under the couch cushions. 

Of course, every little bit can help when discussing funding for Utah’s cash-strapped schools.  But, 115 years of school trust land management show us what we can expect from Gov. Herbert’s pipe dream that these lands became the cash cow of education.  This is not going to happen.  Long before Congress passed the Wilderness Act, when the public lands were nothing but a free for all—even more so than now—geography and a lack of infrastructure, among other things, conspired to keep school trust lands as a minor footnote to the education budget.  Federal land protection did not do this then and it does not do this now.

In reality, increasing the amount of protected federal land is probably the best path for increasing the contributions from school trust lands.  The reason for this is because federal land protection spurs beneficial land consolidation, through exchanges with the federal government.  These land exchanges, which result from Congressional desire to protect sensitive areas, trade scattered trust land parcels in remote locations for blocks of federal lands near infrastructure or with development potential.  

The prime example of conservation on public lands benefiting Utah’s school kids was the land exchange motivated by the creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  This was possibly the single greatest revenue-generating act in the modern history of school trust lands management.  Utah’s school kids picked up numerous valuable blocks of land with significant oil and gas development potential as well as multiple coal leasing tracts.  In fact, one oil and gas parcel acquired by the state in this exchange provided 60% of all state trust land oil and gas revenue in 2006.  Furthermore, the United States essentially wrote Utah’s school kids a $50 million check.  Just recently, a desire to protect valuable and sensitive lands along the Colorado River led to a second example, the Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 2009.  In a trade for these special places, Utah gained trust lands in the Uinta Basin more appropriate, and more profitable, for development.  This was a win-win situation motivated by conserving public lands and its benefits have been loudly touted by the state. 

Historically, trust lands development on scattered, remote lands has put very little in education coffers.  Unfortunately, it often leads to significant environmental damage.  This path of futility is what Gov. Herbert championed at the hearing.  It is simply not worth the price; we do not benefit Utah’s school kids in giving away such treasures for pennies.  Furthermore, it prevents the state from following the path that history has shown to be the most beneficial for school kids and education budgets: protecting our wild public lands, thereby spurring beneficial land trades.

David Garbett
Staff Attorney
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

 

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[1] As a side note, this argument has no legal basis.  Federal courts have ruled that Utah always has access to its school trust lands, even if the surrounding land were protected as wilderness.

[2] Revenue from school trust lands is deposited in the Permanent School Fund, which is a savings fund where the principle is retained and the yearly interest is disbursed to schools.

Utah Wilderness News, March 2, 2011

 SUWA clearly knows how to make a difference in Washington

"SUWA’s petition here at Change.org asks Congress to pass ARRWA, granting permanent protection to these lands, perhaps the most unique in the country. If you think signing Congressional petitions is a waste of your time, think again – SUWA’s most recent email newsletter celebrates two other activist-driven Congressional victories. In the first, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) withdrew his amendment to defund the National Landscape Conservation System. And in the second, a bill to block presidential use of the historic Antiquities Act was defeated in the House, 213-209. A few months ago, the group as part of a large coalition of conservation groups scored a huge victory when the Obama administration repealed former President Bush's 'No More Wilderness' policy."  Read more - Change.org

Western Republicans misleading the public on "Wild Lands" policy

"The Republican leadership is beholden to special interests, as it always has been, and in the case of BLM policy, there’s a lot of oil industry lobbying money in play. The stated fear is that Obama and Salazar want to 'lock up' public lands, but they are being disingenuous and misleading. These are public federal lands, not the backyard playground of western rural communities, and they’re best managed according to the reasoned plan that Salazar proposed. That includes identifying tracts that have wilderness qualities, then soliciting input from all stakeholders, local and national, before making a decision."  Opinion - Summit County Citizens Voice

"Wild Lands" policy is a return to multiple use, not a land grab!

"While widespread concerns persist in the West that the Obama administration will use the policy to lock up public lands, BLM issued a final guidance Friday that suggests the agency intends to be flexible in its wild lands management.  'A wider range of actions and activities may be allowed in Wild Lands than can occur in Wilderness,' a BLM manual says."  Read more - The New York Times

"According to BLM data for western states, there is an average of 1 acre of wilderness land for every 42 leased for oil and gas drilling.  And of the land currently leased (which would not be effected by the new order) for oil and gas drilling, just over 1/3 is actually being used by the industry.  Returning to enforcing existing policy would only affect new land designations."  Opinion - The SideTrack

Salazar: "Wilderness is not a bad thing"

"Westerners understand, Salazar said today, that protected areas like national monuments, are 'economic generators' and that there is a direct connection between conserving land and economic development. 'We can tone down the rhetoric,' he said. 'We in the United States have some very special places — they are not Republican places, they are not Democratic places, they are not independent places, they belong to all of us.'"  Read more - The Wonk Room

Tell Congress to protect America's Redrock Wilderness

Tell Congress to protect America's redrock wilderness!

Dirty Devil proposed wilderness.  Photo by Ray Bloxham.

Over the past 29 years, there has been one major reason why protection for Utah's redrock wilderness areas has continued to move forward: YOU.  Because of redrock activists like you, over 5 million acres of public lands in Utah now have some form of protection.  But there is still more work to be done in order to ensure that Utah's stunning redrock landscape is preserved for future generations to enjoy.

America's Red Rock Wilderness Act has stood as the ultimate vision of redrock wilderness protection since its introduction by the late Utah Rep. Wayne Owens in 1989. Throughout the years, congressional support for the bill has increased as more and more Utah wilderness supporters have asked their members of Congress to become cosponsors.  In the the last Congress, 168 representatives and 23 senators signed on to the "redrock bill."  Now that we have begun a new Congress, we must build up that support once again.

Already this year, anti-wilderness forces in Congress have begun to attack policies that could increase protection for Utah wilderness.  This is why it is so important to demonstrate broad support for America's Red Rock Wilderness Act; the best defense against anti-wilderness attacks is a long list of senators and representatives ready and willing to speak out in support of providing longterm protection for the redrock.

Please ask your members of Congress to cosponsor America's Red Rock Wilderness Act today!

Thank you for taking action,

Jackie Feinberg

National Grassroots Organizer
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

Your help needed: Anti-wilderness attacks continue in Congress - Redrock Report February 2011

February 2011

Here's what is happening this month with the redrock:
1.  Help defend key tools for protecting wild places.
2.  Host a 127 Hours house party & educate your friends about Utah wilderness!
3.  Have you been to the Greater Canyonlands Region?  We're looking for photos.
4.  See our "Wild Utah" presentation this March!

Some key tools safe (for now), but wild lands protections still need your help!

Last week, over 2500 redrock activists and thousands of others across the country contacted their representatives to vote NO on the House Continuing Resolution for Appropriations bill and proposed amendments that would be devastating for public lands protection.  On a long list of bad environmental provisions in the bill, the worst for the redrock was language that would block the Bureau of Land Management’s "Wild Lands" policy – before it had even been finalized!  Unfortunately, there was little to be done about this provision since it was included in the original bill text.  However, the other two major threats to the redrock either failed or were withdrawn, thanks in part to your activism!

One amendment, offered by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) and eventually withdrawn, would have defunded the National Landscape Conservation System – the department within the BLM that administers national monuments, wilderness study areas and other important conservation lands.  This would have effectively closed those places to the public since all funding for staff and management would cease. 

Reps. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Raul Labrador (R-ID) offered another terrible amendment to block the use of the Antiquities Act (the bill that allowed past presidents to protect such places as Arches, Zion, and Bryce) – and fortunately this one failed on a narrow 213-209 vote.  This is a major victory for our public lands on an otherwise environmentally destructive bill.  Click here to see how your representative voted and then thank him/her if your rep. voted NO.

As we move forward next week, we’re likely to see some more action on the "Wild Lands" policy as the House Committee on Natural Resources makes it the topic of its first oversight hearing.  We’re expecting Chairmen Doc Hastings (R-WA) and Bishop to stack the decks against supporters of the policy, so we will need your help!

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. If your rep. voted against the bad Antiquities Act amendment, please thank him/her!

2. Watch the "Wild Lands" policy hearing LIVE next Tuesday, March 1, at 2pm and comment about why it is important to protect wild places via Facebook.  You can do both at the same time on the Natural Resources Committee's webpage!

3. Tell the Natural Resources Committee to stop their attacks on the "Wild Lands" policy using Twitter.

 

Host a 127 Hours House Party to spread the word about Utah wilderness

It's not every day that an Oscar-nominated film features the redrock canyons of southern Utah.  127 Hours does just that in its portrayal of Aron Ralston's now famous story of getting trapped while hiking in Blue John Canyon.  If you haven't seen the film yet, or want to watch it again, the DVD release this March is a perfect opportunity to spread the word about protecting Utah wilderness.  One of the extra features on the DVD profiles Aron's volunteer work with SUWA and the Utah Wilderness Coalition in helping to gain support for redrock protection (work that we greatly appreciate!). 

What you can do:  If you host a house party to watch 127 Hours, SUWA's grassroots team will provide you with informational materials about the Utah wilderness campaign to share with friends, as well as postcards that you and your friends can sign and mail to key decision makers.  Please email our Outreach Director Deeda Seed at deeda@suwa.org if you are interested.  Everyone who participates will be put in a drawing for a signed version of Aron's book, Between a Rock and a Hard Place!

 

Calling all photographers and budding photographers!

The Greater Canyonlands region is one of the most spectacular and wildest sections of redrock canyon country.  If you've visited the area and have photos you are willing to share, we would love to incorporate them in an upcoming campaign.  We are looking for both landscape shots and photos of people enjoying the wilderness from either professional photographers or those of you who wish to share some images of your travels with other redrock activists.  Specifically, we are looking for photos of areas outside of and surrounding Canyonlands National Park, including places such as Upper Horseshoe Canyon, Sweetwater Reef, San Rafael River, Flat Tops, Horsetheif Point, Hatch Canyon, Lockhart Basin, Harts Point, Dead Horse Cliffs, Indian Creek, Bridger Jack Mesa, Demon's Playground, Butler Wash, Dark Canyon, Fortknocker Canyon, and Shay Mountain.

Please send all photo submissions to Diane Kelly at photographs@suwa.org.  Sending us your photo will indicate that you give SUWA permission to post the photo on our website and our social media networks.  All photos will be properly cited when posted publicly.

 

See our "Wild Utah" presentation this March!

This March, see our "Wild Utah: America's Redrock Wilderness" multimedia presentation in Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.  See the full winter/spring schedule on our website.

To host a slideshow or to recommend a hosting organization or venue, please contact:

In the East: Jackie Feinberg, jackie@suwa.org

In the Midwest: Clayton Daughenbaugh, clayton@suwa.org

In the West: Terri Martin, terri@suwa.org

 

TAKE ACTION: Sign the petition to protect America's Redrock Wilderness

 

House swings for the fences on public lands rollbacks…and hits a single

Now that the dust has settled on Capitol Hill and Members of Congress are well into their President’s Day work weeks, we are beginning to get a sense of where things are heading as the Senate prepares to take up the Continuing Appropriations Resolution next week.  But first, to recap what happened last week that led to the Continuing Resolution being dubbed "one of the worst environmental bills" to ever come under consideration in Congress:

On the list of bad public lands provisions in the bill, the worst for the redrock was language that would block the Bureau of Land Management’s ‘Wild Lands’ policy – before it had even been finalized!  Unfortunately, there was little to be done about this provision since it was included in the original bill text by anti-wilderness appropriations committee chairs.  However, the other two major threats to the redrock either failed or were withdrawn. 

One amendment, offered by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) and eventually withdrawn, would have defunded the National Landscape Conservation System – the department within the BLM that administers national monuments, wilderness study areas and other important conservation lands.  This would have effectively closed those places to the public since all funding for staff and management would cease. 

Reps. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Raul Labrador (R-ID) offered another terrible amendment to block the use of the Antiquities Act (the bill that allowed past presidents to protect such places as Arches, Zion, and Bryce) – and fortunately this one failed on a narrow 213-209 vote.  This is a major victory for our public lands on an otherwise environmentally destructive bill.  Please see how your Member of Congress voted on the Heller amendment and if they voted “nay” (the good way), then please thank them by using our action center!

As we move forward next week, we’re likely to see some more action on the 'Wild Lands' policy as the House Committee on Natural Resources makes it the topic of its first oversight hearing.  We’re expecting Chairmen Doc Hastings (R-WA) and Bishop to stack the decks against supporters of the policy, so we need you to participate by watching the hearing on the committee’s website and engaging with our social media team to show widespread support for the Utah’s redrock.

Finally, as the Senate takes up Continuing Resolution, we’re glad to hear Senate leadership standing firm in their commitment to not allow any policy making on the bill (which includes the 'Wild Lands' policy provision), so their final product will likely look distinctly different from the House’s.  There is rampant speculation now about the coming week’s high stakes game of political chicken as funding runs out for the federal government – and we hope and will work to ensure that the 'Wild lands' policy is not a chip in any deals made to keep the lights on.

 

Richard Peterson-Cremer

Legislative Director
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

Utah Wilderness News, February 22, 2011

Republicans should read "America's Great Outdoors" report

"There was other damage the Senate must repair. One amendment would prevent the Bureau of Land Management from recommending permanent wilderness protections for public land. The president’s authority to designate new national monuments under the Antiquities Act survived by a slim margin, but some Republicans vowed to challenge that authority later this year.

In a perfect world this report would be required reading among House Republicans. Sadly, their headlong dash to weaken the nation’s environmental protections would appear to leave them little time for it."  Editorial - The New York Times

Republican assault on Antiquities Act is ideology run amok

"Squashing the Antiquities Act, an amazingly effective conservation law that presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to George W. Bush have used to protect great American treasures, has nothing to do with getting the federal government's fiscal house in order. The cost of studying, proposing, designating, and administering national monuments doesn't amount to a raindrop in a hurricane.

No, Labrador's proposal is simply reactionary ideology run amok. There is no room in such a barren view of the world for the traditional conservative ethic of saving America's heritage–cultural and natural–to respect what our ancestors set aside for us and to inspire, educate, and enlighten future generations."  Read more - The Green Conservative

No more national monuments?

"A stench of anti-environmental extremism hangs over the new Congress, particularly the U.S. House of Representatives.

This legislation must not pass. National forests and Bureau of Land Management lands are for compromising about, and allowing 'job-creating activities' that create far fewer jobs than outdoor recreation.

National parks and national monuments must remain inviolate."  Opinion - SeattlePI

A transparent approach to designating national monuments

"Now, whether it was in reaction to that criticism, or part of the plan all along, the topic of national monuments came up often during the 51 listening sessions the administration held last year to gather input for the resulting America's Great Outdoors report. According to that report, '(D)uring listening sessions, strong support was voiced for the designation of unique places as national monuments as an important way to preserve critical elements of the American landscape and cultural heritage.'"  Read more - National Parks Traveler

 

Utah Wilderness News, February 18, 2011

A "fat, aging man" on why he supports protecting wilderness

"Have we become so selfish and so greedy that we have to have everything right now, as cheap as possible, no matter the cost to the environment and to those who follow us? Can’t we choose to share not only the beauty of Utah’s wild places but their bounty with future generations?

I might be a fat, aging man. But I still think it’s a good idea to set aside as much wilderness as possible."  Read more - The Salt Lake Tribune

Really, Utah counties think these are roads?

"Here's some very brief legal background for the amusing photos which follow. A one-sentence provision of the Mining Law of 1866 (not a typo -- 145 years ago) allows for the 'right-of-way for the construction of highways across public lands.' This statute was later renamed RS2477. In 1976 it was repealed, but the repeal was subject to valid existing rights. Just what constitutes a valid existing right in this context is open to debate, as is the extent of this right. When rural western counties realized this could be a tool for sabotaging wilderness, they took a very extreme view as to what 'highways' existed as a result of RS2477."  Commentary - The Huffington Post

Who gives a crap about the opportunity for solitude?  Hey, we do!

"Denunciation of Salazar’s proposal was the overwhelming sentiment during the Club 20 meeting, which was attended by about 45 people.

Kathy Hall, a former Club 20 chairwoman, called the designation an 'underhanded attempt to create wilderness' by administrative action instead of by an act of Congress.

One criteria for the designation of a wild land would be the opportunity afforded for solitude and personal reflection.

'What does that crap have to do with anything?' rancher Harry Peroulis said."  Read more - Grand Junction Sentinel

TAKE ACTION NOW - House debating anti-wilderness legislation today

Please tell your Representative to vote NO on the anti-wilderness Continuing Resolution!

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives is debating an Appropriations bill and possibly proposed amendments that could, if enacted, deal huge setbacks to the BLM's abilities to protect the spectacular places in Utah's redrock country.  Your voice does matter -- your Representative needs to hear that you don't want Congress to throw away the tools essential to protecting America's wild lands.  Even if you think you know how your member of Congress will vote on these issues, it is still important to let him/her know that constituents value protecting wilderness for future generations.

Please contact your Representative today and ask that he/she oppose any attempts to undermine the Bureau of Land Management’s "Wild Lands" Policy, remove the authority to designate national monuments under the Antiquities Act, or eliminate funding for the National Landscape Conservation System!

Thank you for taking action!

Jackie Feinberg

National Grassroots Organizer
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

URGENT - Tell your Rep. to vote NO on anti-wilderness Continuing Resolution

Today and tomorrow, the House of Representatives will be voting on the Continuing Appropriations Resolution and hundreds of amendments that have already been filed.  Please tell your Representative to oppose attacks on our wild lands!

The bill is a disaster for the environment – taking aim at safeguards for air, land, water and human health.  The underlying bill already includes an attempt to block implementation of the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Lands Policy that was announced at the end of last year.  This policy simply reinstates the BLM’s ability to inventory and protect lands that possess wilderness character, and does not usurp Congressional authority as opponents claim.

Additionally, an amendment has been offered to block the use of the Antiquities Act – the Presidential authority that is used to create national monuments.  This important authority has been used consistently for more than a century to protect some of the Colorado Plateau’s most stunning landscapes -- places like Arches, Bryce and Zion National Parks as well as the Grand Staircase-Escalante, Cedar Breaks and Natural Bridges National Monuments.  Scrapping this authority would tie the President's hands at a time when he needs this power most to protect large tracts of public land from the effects of climate change.

Another amendment would completely eliminate funding for the National Landscape Conservation System, which would be devastating to the over 800 BLM national monuments, wilderness areas, wilderness study areas, national conservation areas, and other BLM landscapes the Conservation System is charged to protect.

Please contact your Representative today and ask that he/she oppose any attempts to undermine the Bureau of Land Management’s "Wild Lands" Policy, remove the authority to designate national monuments under the Antiquities Act, or elimate funding for the National Landscape Conservation System!

Thank you for taking action,

Richard Peterson-Cremer

Legislative Director
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance

Utah Wilderness News, February 15, 2011

Legitimizing an illegal ATV trail would be "disastrous"

"If the Bureau of Land Management allows San Juan County to legitimize an illegal all-terrain-vehicle trail in Recapture Canyon, it might as well give up even a pretense of enforcing protections for scenic and archaeological treasures in other remote areas.

Making this trail that leads to ancient Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and relics a federally accepted trail would do irreversible damage to the environment in two ways. It would allow ATV users easy access to these particular ruins and put the artifacts at risk. And it would send an unmistakable message to other renegade ATVers: Hack an illegal trail on public land and there’s a good chance that trail will get the blessing of the BLM."  Editorial - The Salt Lake Tribune

Public lands are owned by all citizens of the United States

"As citizens, you and I, as well as those from New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Oregon and all our states and territories, own a share or piece of our public land treasures in these United States - Yellowstone, Zion, Cape Cod National Seashore, Allegheny National Forest, Dixie National Forest, Gettysburg National Military Park, The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, High Uintas Wilderness Area and hundreds of other public land areas in our nation. For our state legislators, such as Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, to propose state legislation that would require federal land managers to get state approval to carry out their mandates is stupid and at best is a complete lack of understanding of how public lands are managed and how citizens of this great nation have asked our elected leaders to shape and use our public lands."  Op-ed - The Spectrum