Reader comments
Oil drilling possible in wilderness study areas
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stevo | 6:51 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
e state should trade that land for another piece with equal mineral
opportunities...makes sense.
BobMarshall | 7:39 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
There is a bill that is offered in Congress routinely that would trade out the
most controversial of the SITLA parcels (those in wilderness study areas and
national park units) for land of comparable value elsewhere. It routinely
languishes, unpassed or not even brought to table. Passing it would allows us
to escape some of these headaches.
Comments continue below
Cringe Away Wackos | 8:31 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
I'm so sick of reporters always taking environmentalist side as if their
views are the penulitmate version of the way things "ought to be."
SITLA lands are and were always meant to be maximized for the profit of
Utah's Schoolchildren. They're PRIVATE lands -- not PUBLIC lands.
They belong to a TRUST. Not the BLM, Forest Service, or any other organ of
government. If the enviros hate the prospect of "Drilling Here, Drilling
now" to help solve our nation's energy crisis.... that helped lead to
the economic crisis we're now in - then maybe they can offer solutions to
the overburdened taxpayers of UTah in trying to adequately fund our public
Schools. If they want to buy SITLA lands at fair market value, then I'm
sure the SITLA board will entertain any serious offers.
Anonymous | 8:42 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
This money goes to our schools.
The feds have tied up much of the land in Utah and the little bit run by the Trustlands is all the school children of Utah are going to get.
When we have the most children and the lowest spending for education, this land has to be sold off from time to time.
If the environmental groups don't like it then they need to help petition the Feds for the money owed to Utah for the education of our children.
We should be reimbursed for all of the taxes the state could be collecting on any land run by the feds.
Something has to improve the education funding in Utah.
This is it.
The feds have tied up much of the land in Utah and the little bit run by the Trustlands is all the school children of Utah are going to get.
When we have the most children and the lowest spending for education, this land has to be sold off from time to time.
If the environmental groups don't like it then they need to help petition the Feds for the money owed to Utah for the education of our children.
We should be reimbursed for all of the taxes the state could be collecting on any land run by the feds.
Something has to improve the education funding in Utah.
This is it.
boblog | 8:56 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
Maybe our own SITLA will have the fortitude to do what the feds couldn't
this last go time. For the record, oil and gas exploration does not ruin
landscapes, vistas and tourism. Companies go to great expense to meet
requirements placed on them by government.
But now we have to watch out for the 'wolfs in sheeps' clothing - the bidders that can't and won't pay.
SITLA, our schools need extra revenue, our rural communities and, lest we forget we are in a recession, our states need the jobs that go with energy development. Stick with your plan.
Why should foreign countries get the jobs that go with energy - we need them!!
But now we have to watch out for the 'wolfs in sheeps' clothing - the bidders that can't and won't pay.
SITLA, our schools need extra revenue, our rural communities and, lest we forget we are in a recession, our states need the jobs that go with energy development. Stick with your plan.
Why should foreign countries get the jobs that go with energy - we need them!!
curious | 9:18 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
How bout the headline...
"Study areas might quell Utans' abillity to obtain their own resources..."
"Study areas might quell Utans' abillity to obtain their own resources..."
Anonymous | 9:22 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
What idiot sells low in a depressed market?
Get Going | 9:39 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
The parcels are outside of any protected areas. They are on the UNPROTECTED
side of the boundary, so lets get going.
Good thing these lands were preserved specifically for the purpose of development and natural resource utilization. If we hadn't protected these areas from the envirowhackos, what would we be doing now? We should protect much more land from envirowhackos and preserve development and extraction opportunities for our children. Otherwise, their quality of life will suffer greatly.
Good thing these lands were preserved specifically for the purpose of development and natural resource utilization. If we hadn't protected these areas from the envirowhackos, what would we be doing now? We should protect much more land from envirowhackos and preserve development and extraction opportunities for our children. Otherwise, their quality of life will suffer greatly.
To: Anonymous | 10:18 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
All kinds of idiots sell in a depressed stock market. Did you? Or do you have
still have your 401k in stocks?
But back to the current issue: Companies try to buy low - maybe there will be enough of them to bid the price up. And the auction isn't until April, and who knows what the energy markets will be like then.
That said, your side would use any excuse it could find to delay the bidding. This is a little better one than 'it will ruin the pretty vistas." Which it won't.
But back to the current issue: Companies try to buy low - maybe there will be enough of them to bid the price up. And the auction isn't until April, and who knows what the energy markets will be like then.
That said, your side would use any excuse it could find to delay the bidding. This is a little better one than 'it will ruin the pretty vistas." Which it won't.
ah the web of the problem | 11:28 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
Here are some considerations on this matter: Utah has set up a way to pay for
some of its education of its youth. But they keep having too many kids for the
$$$ raised. Hmmmmmmmm. Less children means more per child, more children means
less per child. Hmmmmmmm.
Once you use up the oil and gas, you are... officially bankrupt.
It is wrong to think that oil and gas dev. anywhere in the world, let alone the us of a, will go to the us of a. Companies are not national, they are international businesses. What foolishness to think that any oil and gas reserve will come to us!
Think of the next 7 generations and then ask yourself what are we doing. It is the right thing to do: for the next 7 generations, not the next 7 months or years.
We are a greedy, ignorant lot, aren't we.
Once you use up the oil and gas, you are... officially bankrupt.
It is wrong to think that oil and gas dev. anywhere in the world, let alone the us of a, will go to the us of a. Companies are not national, they are international businesses. What foolishness to think that any oil and gas reserve will come to us!
Think of the next 7 generations and then ask yourself what are we doing. It is the right thing to do: for the next 7 generations, not the next 7 months or years.
We are a greedy, ignorant lot, aren't we.
What a surprise | 11:44 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
. . . that SUWA will oppose any development of these State trust land leases!
When has SUWA ever supported any reasonable and necessary development?
It should be noted that sales of these leases and royalties from any petroleum or minerals extracted will finance sorely needed projects in our educations system. Funny the article glossed over that, huh?
SUWA should be sued for its many RICO violations, it's miniscule assets seized, and then driven out of business.
Then, this alliance of a tiny number of vocal Back East carptebaggers, West Coast fruits and nuts, and East Bench elites should be relegated to its proper place -- a comic curiosity.
It's amazing that this organization consisting of a few dozen committed socialists and anarchists should be so often quoted in DesNews, particularly since reasoned rebuttal is seldom included in the articles. SUWA is always jaunty on the spot to give DesNews reporters a ready-packaged, if misleading, sound bite.
Too bad reporters are too lazy or biased to seek accurate unbiased information from those most likely to be affected by SUWA's socialist communitarian agenda.
When has SUWA ever supported any reasonable and necessary development?
It should be noted that sales of these leases and royalties from any petroleum or minerals extracted will finance sorely needed projects in our educations system. Funny the article glossed over that, huh?
SUWA should be sued for its many RICO violations, it's miniscule assets seized, and then driven out of business.
Then, this alliance of a tiny number of vocal Back East carptebaggers, West Coast fruits and nuts, and East Bench elites should be relegated to its proper place -- a comic curiosity.
It's amazing that this organization consisting of a few dozen committed socialists and anarchists should be so often quoted in DesNews, particularly since reasoned rebuttal is seldom included in the articles. SUWA is always jaunty on the spot to give DesNews reporters a ready-packaged, if misleading, sound bite.
Too bad reporters are too lazy or biased to seek accurate unbiased information from those most likely to be affected by SUWA's socialist communitarian agenda.
To: ah the web | 11:41 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
Your kind has been saying this kind of stuff for 50 years. How many
generations is that?
What have we to show for it? Nothing. Except a burgeoning dependence on foreign oil. Even you green guys ought to be thinking - maybe we should develop some of this stuff. I mean, we need some jobs, our state needs more public revenue, and we can always use the natural gas for heat and fuel.
I'm all for the wind, the geothermal, the solar, the coal, the oil and gas -- we need all of this to meet our energy demands.
What have we to show for it? Nothing. Except a burgeoning dependence on foreign oil. Even you green guys ought to be thinking - maybe we should develop some of this stuff. I mean, we need some jobs, our state needs more public revenue, and we can always use the natural gas for heat and fuel.
I'm all for the wind, the geothermal, the solar, the coal, the oil and gas -- we need all of this to meet our energy demands.
HEGW | 11:43 a.m. Dec. 27, 2008
I have a question? Are they actually buying the land or just buying the mineral
leases for a specified number of years? There is a big difference. I would
like to know.
What evironmentalists need to do | 12:22 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008
I myself don't mind drilling. But if I did, and didn't want it to
happen, I would take out my check book and write a check to the Utah Schools
Trust fund in lieu of the money the fund would have made from the sale of
oil.
Then to help make up for the lost oil hitting the market, I would not drive a car, heat my house with oil or natural gas, or fly in an airplane.
Thats just me, of course environmentalists do heat their house with products of oil and natural gas, they do drive cars, they do fly and they don't write checks to make up for lost money to the schools.
Then to help make up for the lost oil hitting the market, I would not drive a car, heat my house with oil or natural gas, or fly in an airplane.
Thats just me, of course environmentalists do heat their house with products of oil and natural gas, they do drive cars, they do fly and they don't write checks to make up for lost money to the schools.
to what a surprise | 12:36 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008
keep writing a little balance is needed, i get censored for saying things like
you did so keep it up while they let you
Marky | 12:56 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008
Lease, develop, grow. Just make sure that all bidders at the auction or sale
post a multi-million dollar bond prior to the start of the proceedings so no
more bogus bidders step in to screw up the process.
Johny Fairplay | 1:02 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008
^^^ Isn't seizing assets of an organization in order to drive them out of
business - just because you disagree with them - a socialist communitarian
undertaking?
Please accept membership in the East Bench elites cell comrade what a surprise.
Please accept membership in the East Bench elites cell comrade what a surprise.
Anonymous | 1:23 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008
I agree with the poster that said the feds should be paying us rent money for
the land in our state that they control.
It could be developed and taxes collected to pay for our schools.
We desperately need the money and they are robbing us blind!
It could be developed and taxes collected to pay for our schools.
We desperately need the money and they are robbing us blind!
@Anon 1:23 | 2:11 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008
And where do you think that rent money would come from? From your taxes. Duh!
falcon's beak | 3:20 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008
If an area is say 100,000 acres to be opened for drilling what per cent of the
land would be occupied by the oil wells and roads?
BobMarshall | 3:23 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008
A lot of ranting going on out there. To repeat, it seems like one thing that
could be done is to swap out the SITLA lands. In the past, some of the SITLA
one-square mile blocks have been inside of national park units; it made utter
sense to swap them out for an agreedl-upon-by-all parcel that had similar
economic value, and wasn't controversial. It's been done before; it
should be done again.
Now, back to the bickering.
Now, back to the bickering.
Anonymous | 5:16 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008
"All kinds of idiots sell in a depressed stock market. Did you? Or do you
have still have your 401k in stocks?"
I sold stock during the bubble. I saw the real estate bubble too. I find the stupidity show by conservatives to be funny. Conservatives just utter mantras. Oil is at $35 and you free market worshipers are selling.
Eighty-five percent of leases aren't being used. There's a oil glut and you are selling. :-)
I sold stock during the bubble. I saw the real estate bubble too. I find the stupidity show by conservatives to be funny. Conservatives just utter mantras. Oil is at $35 and you free market worshipers are selling.
Eighty-five percent of leases aren't being used. There's a oil glut and you are selling. :-)
Anonymous | 6:12 p.m. Dec. 27, 2008
That money would come from the NATION'S taxes as well as ours.
Any penny that goes towards our kids' education is money well spent.
Right now the Feds benefit while our state sits by and watches...
Any penny that goes towards our kids' education is money well spent.
Right now the Feds benefit while our state sits by and watches...
Sly O | 1:09 p.m. Dec. 29, 2008
Is anyone else tired of this story? I wish the media would report the news and
not attempt to make news by working the environmentalists up. EVERYONE knows
these sales occur quarterly, by law. Sometimes they get cancelled, when there
isn't enough interest, like the January 09 sale was.
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In reality, one puts the land up for sale, and an environmental groups buys it, over time or cash up front.
To destroy the priceless land for any price is the ultimate "mess in your nest." How shortsighted.
Who makes the money under the table?