Letter to the Editor: a Room Full Of Patsies

By BONNIE P. KEELE Ferron

I attended the Emery County Public Lands Council public meeting the night of Jan. 26.
The only land management issue discussed was national monument status, which was not advertised as the specific topic, so many of the audience were caught unaware.
Bruce Funk asked that a mail-out of some type be sent to all the county taxpayers before a decision was made. The request was denied.
We were told that they want President Bush to do this as an executive order. (Already the Sierra Club is saying it is not large enough. Should be at least one million acres.)
This designation does not solve the wilderness study area problems. They will still be there. The RS2477 roads right-of-way issue has never been resolved.
We were not told by Governor Leavitt, the county commissioners or the public lands council that 48 hours later Governor Leavitt was going to announce in his state of the state address that we’re going to be the San Rafael national monument. (With the stroke of a pen a monument can become a park.)
This decision was ramroded through. A room full of people were used as patsies, so the public lands council and county commissioners could say they took it to the people. This was a dog and pony show.
It may not have been illegal, but it was unethical and dishonorable.