Open space picking up steam

Just as people 15 years ago couldn't conceive of drinking mostly bottled water as we do today, Myles Rademan says Utah residents need to get used to the idea of paying a little for open space.

For 15 years, Rademan has been close to Park City's conservation efforts as the city's public affairs director. Now he is offering support to a group called Utahns for Clean Water, Clean Air & Quality Growth, concerned citizens, civic leaders and conservation organizations that have officially launched a signature-gathering campaign to place a $150 million conservation bond on the November ballot.

"I wish them the best," he said of the initiative drive. "I know it's not an easy thing for people to tax themselves to buy open space, but it's sort of like planting a tree — you have to have hope in the future."

If voters approve the initiative, funds will be spent for statewide needs such as protecting and maintaining greenways, wetlands and sources of drinking water, critical wildlife habitat and historic landmarks, among other open spaces.

"This effort is really about protecting what makes Utah special," said Amanda Smith, president of the group. "That includes our wildlife, family farms and ranches and park lands, as well as the clean water and air that we want to pass on to our children."

The group will host a volunteers meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Anderson Foothill Library.

Now or never?

Nobody knows better than Evan Olsen how tough it is to sell a conservation tax.

A Republican state lawmaker until 2000, the dairy farmer from the Logan area tried a few times to get his colleagues at the Legislature to back conservation tax bills. He jockeyed and patched together compromises and even got the House of Representatives to pass his tax the last time.

"But the Senate was controlled by the real estate industry and developers, and they didn't want to hear it," said Olsen, now 72.

That bill would have allowed individual counties — with strong support and approval from the county governing body and a vote of the people — to raise the sales tax 1/8 of a cent to buy open space.

He chose the sales tax as the rail for his proposal because 15-20 percent of the increases would have been paid for by tourists. He's against property tax increases, and he's usually against bonding.

But something needs to be done, he said.