Robert Cassady: Keep Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument intact
Robert Cassady: Keep Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument intact
POSTED: 03/10/2017 07:10:10 PM MST
The Utah government recently passed a proposal to reduce the size of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by 74 percent. Although the new borders have been kept a secret, the plan is moving to the federal level. For several reasons, I believe this is a terrible idea. The monument contains some of the most iconic slot canyons, hoodoos, and desert scenery in the world. The monument’s Kaiparowits Plateau holds among the richest troves of Cretaceous fossils in the world. Tens of thousands of fossils have been found there including many new dinosaur species. A major reason for dismantling most of this monument is to enable construction of a massive coal mine on the plateau even while the nearby Navajo Generating Station just announced that it is closing soon. Shouldn’t we be looking to the 21st century rather than the 19th, with its many environmental consequences, to solve our energy needs? Polls show popular support for the monument in both Utah and nationally. In fact, the Utah tourism site itself states: “The allure of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) is phenomenal.” The monument supports numerous businesses and generates millions in economic benefit for local communities. Finally, the act of removing monument status to these lands sets a horrible new precedent and effectively makes national parks and monuments temporary constructs whose existence rides on the whims of whoever has political clout.
More:
http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_30847767/robert-cassady-keep-grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument
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