Letters: Lands under attack

Published: Friday, March 15 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT

Stuart Johnson, Deseret News

Summary

The state motto for Utah is "Industry." Hence, it is no surprise the state wants to bring a lawsuit against the federal government for control of some of America's most scenic heritage.

The state motto for Utah is "Industry." Hence, it is no surprise the state wants to bring a lawsuit against the federal government for control of some of America's most scenic heritage. Utah covets 22 million acres of public wildlands located within the state. The oil and gas industry is salivating.

Enter Idaho, whose state motto implies "Forever." The Idaho Legislature wants to perpetuate the ravaging of our national forests and rangelands by drafting legislation that mimics Utah's land grab. Idaho wants 15 million acres of federally-owned land located within the state. The timber and ranching industry is drooling.

Utah and Idaho are two peas in a pod. The return of the Sagebrush Rebellion is upon us. Indeed, America's heritage and public wildlands are under threat from Western states and the corporations they serve. If it were up to me, I'd charge Idaho Gov. Butch Otter and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert with treason.

Brett Haverstick

Moscow, Idaho

Featured Comments

See all 16 comments »

Doug10

Roosevelt, UT

Utah cannot afford to maintain ist current land mass, why would anyone want to give it more land to mismanage?

8:51 a.m. March 15, 2013
Top comment

one old man

Ogden, UT

Brett, you just don't understand that to a conservative, nothing is more important than MONEY.

8:05 a.m. March 15, 2013
Top comment

Steve C. Warren

WEST VALLEY CITY, UT

Excellent letter, Brett. Some of the same people who are looking longingly at Utah's federal lands are also drooling over land currently occuppied by the state prison.

P.S. To Ben H: There's nothing wrong with being More..

9:16 a.m. March 15, 2013
Top comment

Comments