This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
I just returned from meetings in Washington, D.C. It is evident that Utah's governor and the entire GOP delegation have been whispering a shameful campaign of disinformation about the historic proposal to protect Bears Ears.
Last July, leaders from five tribes (Hopi, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute, Pueblo of Zuni and Ute Indian) founded the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, representing a historic consortium of sovereign tribal nations united in the effort to conserve the Bears Ears cultural landscape. A total of 26 tribes have expressed strong support. Native American peoples are also seeking active engagement in future management of the area.
The 1.9 million acres of land, some of the most rugged and beautiful in America, is all in San Juan County. It also has an astonishing 100,000-plus archaeological sites.
Shamefully, Utah's GOP elected officials seem to see this sacred land as one big fossil fuel and mineral extraction feeding trough. These politicians are adamantly opposed to ideas that are not rooted in giving top priority to the 19th century economy of coal, fossil fuels and mineral extraction.
The electeds are determined to pick winners and losers. Following the Soviet model, they boldly march in with your money where leery venture capital refuses to go, often to the benefit of their out-of-state, international corporate friends.
For example, the recent decision by the Legislature and governor to throw $53 million in state dollars into a private developer's fanciful project to build a coal-exporting port in Oakland, Calif.
There is serious talk about doubling down on dumb with an additional $100 million in public money to build a railroad spur to get this coal to their yet to be built Oakland port.
Isn't it obvious that the future lies not in 19th century coal and extractions but rather in the world's biggest growth industry, tourism? Instead of handing out hundreds of millions in welfare to huge corporations, Utah should recognize the 21st century's gold is in ecologically friendly backpacking, boating, climbing, cycling, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, sensible OHV/off road and geocaching. Utah's sensible future is as the world leader is in outdoor recreation, not with polluting, cyclical fossil-fuel commodities.
Envision planes from Asia and Europe landing every day in St. George and Moab, bringing the world to see the most magnificent places on earth. Right now, Utah does not have the infrastructure to handle a serious step-up in tourism and outdoor recreation.
Building that in a green way should be a top state economic development priority. Protecting Bears Ears and getting facilities and the underlying framework to host tourists in an ecological way work hand-in-hand in creating a bustling economy for Utah's next 100 years.
The state is all talk about caring about parks and outdoor recreation. While there seems to be plenty of bucks for their fossil fuel projects, state funding for our magnificent 43 state parks has gone from a paltry $12 million in 2008 to $4 million in 2015. That is shameful. Imagine the neglect if they got their hands on 31 million acres of public land?
Because so many Utah GOP elected officials love billboards along scenic byways and have yet to meet a fossil-fuel corporation that they don't love and want to hug, I urge you to contact the president, and, as a Utahn, ask him with the stroke of a pen to save precious Bears Ears. We certainly cannot depend on the governor, the Legislature and the Utah D.C. delegation to do it.
Jim Dabakis is a Democratic state senator representing Salt Lake City.