This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

That PLI website (UtahPLI.com) is a slick piece of work!

I'm a sucker for photos of beautiful landscapes and maps of all sorts, and Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz utilized both brilliantly in a user-friendly interface. Credit must be given where credit is due.

I must admit I would be sold had this been my first exposure to the issue at hand. The language paints a pretty picture, using big acreage numbers and auspicious claims. But a close read between the lines reveals a not-so-promising inevitability for those of us not directly benefiting from the dollars flowing out of the ground or the two-tracks being laid across the desert.

An objective view of the initiative finds it wanting for responsible stewardship, lacking in a collective vision and regressing back to a volatile, fossil-fuel-driven local economy.

Even a partisan perspective doesn't negate an informed opinion. ("It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." — Aristotle)

I urge those who have not taken a closer look to do so. Inform yourselves so you need not rely on pretty pictures and clever turns-of-phrase.

Josh Boling

Logan