Comments about ‘SUWA lists its 10 most threatened places in Utah’

Mike Noel is also know for his claims climate change is a ‘conspiracy’ aimed at population control.

People in Southern Utah love their land and they want to preserve it. But, they want it to be done reasonably and fairly without outside interference and with opportunity for access for those who own it--the American people. SUWA is an elitist organization that is universally hated by almost everyone in Southern Utah. They want to close the land off to all but a few elitists.

ask suwa what happened to the dixie forest they stopped logging, stopped atempts to spray for bark beetle, now 2/3 of the forest is dead they do not care about the land just locking it up for no use

SUWA is a tiny cabal of East Bench, left coast, and back-east liberals, in no way allied with anyone in Southern Utah. Why do they get so much ink in the DN?

We should pay attention to them only in direct proportion to their actual presence in Utah. Which is to say, we should completely ignore them.

Maybe then they'd go back home and demand preservation of wilderness areas in their own backyards in New York or San Francisco.

When these out-of-state liberals have "preserved" as much land in their own states as they have in Utah, then maybe they could make a credible case for more "preservation" here.

Can anyone provide factual details as to the background of each members of SUWA, who they are, what there background is, and where their expertise comes from, and to pretend to tell the lifelong citizens of Utah what they should consider "bad" or "at risk" in someone else's state.
And how is their opinion some how considered valid in a local news article?

This is a reasonable list that comprises only 1% of state land.

I don’t think Mike Noel knows what ecology means, or he would understand the importance of preserving for posterity these rare lands that support 80% of all wildlife in Utah.

the preservation movement exists for a reason. sure it often comes from those that oppose popular political slants today, but it would behoove many to educate themselves as to the chemical footprint left by natural gas and oil exploration and mining operations, and the extraction process, and then make an informed choice as to whether tainted air and ground water is acceptable in even the most remote areas of the state.

SUWA serves a terrific purpose. For one, they help create a dialog. There doesn't seem to be much of that in this state because of the one-sided way of thinking. Even if you disagree with SUWA, at least be glad that they help us all think about land use and what kind of stewards we are. Are we using land wisely and preserving it for future generations? Are we abusing the land and destroying the natural resources that it provides? Or are we using it wisely and gently in a responsibile manner? Anything that raises self-awareness, even if we disagree with the messenger, is a good thing. I'm glad SUWA is here.

It is unfortunate that we are not as concerned about preserving this 1% of our lands as SUWA is. I am in favor of local management, but where is it? Why don't we care as much about preserving these pristine areas? Additionally, if we were proactive in doing what is required to protect these areas, SUWA would walk away empty handed. We are responsible for bringing them here because we are allowing these lands to deteriorate through overuse and negligence and irresponsible local management.

I am an ATV enthusiast and have ridden in about half of the areas on SUWA's list. From my experience, a lone road winds through miles of open territory and some really beautiful country that would be nearly impossible to see any other way. Most of those roads were created by the mining industry, oil and gas exploration companies, and the federal government. They are very accessible and can be ridden on in a responsible manner. Unfortunately, there is a general shortage of responsible people in this country and ATV's are too affordable for some of the least intelligent of the masses. I have seen some great abuses. Irresponsible ATV riders who think that every hill is theirs to climb, every mud bog theirs to spin in, are the enemy to all. There has to be a way to limit abuse while still allowing access. I think it starts with us, the ATVers, self-policing our own ranks and standing up to the abusers with the same tenacity we usually reserve for groups like SUWA.

@AZRods

And where does your expertise come from? Just beacause you are a lifelong Utahn (as am I) does not give you any more knowledge about land management than anyone else. Do you have any legal training, water resource training, land management training, or any other sort of education to show you know how to manage land more than just being a lifelong Utahn?

The public lands are meant for all the people.
Not just for a small few.
Atv riders, walkers, horseback riders,and anyone that wants to go out into the wild ares should be allowed to go.
This is why they call it public lands.
We pay taxes so we all should have the right to go on public lands.

Dear Chaliceman: The only "management" SUWA recognizes is their own brand. These lands are managed. They just aren't managed the way SUWA likes.

They lost a lawsuit to force the Feds the manage the land they way SUWA wanted. They won't accept any other policy than their own.

As I said earlier, they are a bunch of nut-case elitists who don't want anyone to have access to these areas but themselves.

The people of southern Utah love these lands and endevour to preserve them. They work closely with BLM, The Forest Service and The Park Service. SUWA has done nothing but wreak havoc for years. That's why they are universally hated by almost everyone.

SUWA does not speak for me. Indeed, they speak more for the elitist east coast folks than for Utahns.

No more wilderness designations in Utah!

We have people who can't venture into the wilds of Utah without a machine costing a few thousand, I trailer and a truck to pull the trailer, who frame walking as an enlist activity. Which has mankind used the longest bipedalism or ATV's?

As a native Utahn whose family settled Kanab and whose ancestor was the first to enter Zion Canyon Another lobbied to create Natural Bridges National Monument.

I love and support the SUWA. I have witnessed so many wonders in Utah ruined by ATV's. I saw the damage done by 4X4's to the riparian habitat of Salt Creek.

I have also done some wonderful hikes, like Horse Canyon and The Maze.

I've studied geography, biology, geology and ecology. Add in my years of personal experiences and the long oral traditions of my family stories about life and the land in Utah.

I can say, I've meant maybe two people who know Utah better than, I know it.

I'm talked with Ken Sleight at Pack Creek we were both depressed about how Utahns take gods creations and vandalize them.

Send all these weirdos back to where they came from! I am sure they can get together with the Sierra Club, Green Peace, etc. and forward their agenda... but not here. No one loves the State of Utah more than we Utahns, and we know how to take care of our lands -we have been doing it for centuries. Shame on the DN for providing them a forum!

@ not _scared - "I can say, I've met maybe two people who know Utah better than I know it" That is typical arrogance from the SUWA crowd. Paternalistic, self-righteous, holier-than-thou, elitist, looking down their nose at rural hayseed Utahns who have depended on the land for their rural economies. A bunch of pathetic pantheists who refuse to see the world through any other eyes other than their own and who have a greater interest in the ongoing fight than in any reasonable solution. I am quite sure that if Congress gave them their 9 million acres of wilderness that they would find some way to criticize it and to be against it since they would then have to go find honest employment somewhere. For SUWA its the fight not the resolution.

Someone should create a list of places threatened by the SUWA. Number one on the list would be your neighborhood. I think those out-of-touch people would love to put everyone in Utah in a one-hundred square mile area and let know one leave because it would leave some trace of your leaving when you did.

@utah guy.
You might try some reading comprehension pal.
I am not a lifelong resident of Utah.
I do not claim to have expertise.
That is why I'm asking for theirs.
I have serious doubts as their motives.
I do not traval around from state to state imposing my will and opions on others.
I would like to see their PROOF as to the devastating effect of drilling and mining in Utah.
For many, these are called "jobs".
And please don't jump to the conclusion that it's destroying the land.
Provide FACTS, not opinions.
Monkeys have opinions.
As to the damage caused by off road vehicles, I'm in full support of having limits and restrictions.
I love coming back to Utah each year and enjoying it's beauty.
And hope we are all wise stewards, more than ever before because of the sheer number of people living and passing through Utah.
But theories and opinions can also go far beyond what is real and reasonable.

Closed, Prohibited, Restricted. Signs like these have been multiplying on the land like a bad neighborhood cat problem. There are those of us conservatives who love and want to use the land. We want to stretch our eyes out there and contemplate god’s great creations.
When an area is designated wilderness it is the same as saying no handicap here, you are just out of luck.
Leaving a place better than what we found it is something we learned in Scouts long ago. Land does not need to be restricted to be loved and taken care of. Doing nothing (closure) is the easy way. What we really need to do is teach responsibility and when that trust is broken a consequence should be rendered.
At the very heart of democracy lies trust in its people. Restricted tends to imply a culture of un-trust. Land Without people is like a glass without water. Every year there is somewhere new I cannot go. It is simple to derive that more people in a smaller space = more damage.
It is because of my love of land and people that I will fight the SUWA!