This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
We are now three years into the Mountain Accord process; over $4.8 million has been spent on Phase I, and that number is expected to exceed $10 million through Phase II. The public has been led to believe that all is well with the "collaborative" effort. However, a closer look reveals that all is not well with the "Accord." What started as a transportation study for the canyons, conceived and promoted by Mayors Ben McAdams and Ralph Becker, has produced no deliverables and is now a convoluted and twisted request for even more money, more studies and, now, more federal control.
Federal "oversight" • The single most important item proposed by the Mountain Accord's executive committee, led by McAdams, is a 25-page draft of federal legislation. The hallmark of said legislation is the federal designation of 79,000 acres, expanding the authority of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture over our east bench mountains and canyons. This proposed legislation requires the USDA to develop a long-term area management plan, wherein the secretary "may," not "shall," consider the land use plans of us, the locals and our local governments. (See a copy of the proposed legislation at daveformayor.com. )
Taking us out of the driver's seat and placing it with bureaucrats in D.C. is exactly what Utah and Salt Lake County should not be doing. We manage our own back yard. Locally, we can and must balance a pristine watershed, resolve land disputes, enhance the backcountry experience and provide the opportunities for our ski resorts to thrive on the world level. Despite the work of the executive committee, how much more local control should be handed to the Feds? Zero.
Transportation and Air Quality • Packed buses successfully transport tens of thousands of guests up the canyons during the winter ski season, alleviating auto congestion and exhaust. Although summer guest demand is nearly as high as winter demand, there is no summer bus service. This, of course, leads to overcrowded parking lots in the canyons, traffic congestion and air pollution. Although UTA can conveniently extend summer service, Mountain Accord continues to refuse summer bus service and requests yet another $1 million transportation study. The number of buses providing summer service? Zero.
Land Trades • The public is told that the proposed land trades between the ski resorts and the Forest Service are a result of Mountain Accord. Their claim is simply not true. The Forest Service has a specific process and has successfully traded land with private parties for decades. However, the Accord leaders (McAdams and Becker) made arbitrary promises that seem to violate Salt Lake City's watershed ordinance. In addition, they promised land use and density without proper authority, without a master plan and without complementing zoning. How many successful land trades due to the Accord? Zero.
Backcountry • The same tired and divisive stories were rehearsed to the backcountry and recreation groups throughout the Accord process, yet these groups find themselves in the same spot or worse off than when the Accord started. The millions of dollars that were paid to consultants could have purchased and conserved thousands of acres of inholdings, eliminating public and private conflict and enhanced the backcountry experience. Instead, how many acres were actually purchased and conserved? Zero.
McAdams desperately needs something, anything to show for his wasted millions of taxpayer dollars via the Mountain Accord process. However, his failure to improve air quality, to improve canyon transportation and to enhance the backcountry experience should not be covered up by a new "collaborative" scheme, that of transferring more control of 79,000 acres to Washington, D.C.
I will implement a straightforward and honest resource management plan that actually addresses and guides fire mitigation, healthy soils, air quality, watershed, transportation, recreation and more. Many competent experts who are already on the payrolls at the local, county and state levels have been ignored, replaced by "independent consultants" who rake in millions of taxpayer dollars through consulting contracts and fees.
McAdams' leadership through paid studies and consultants, producing zero deliverables and millions of wasted taxpayer dollars, is not acceptable. However, I have shown time after time that real results are accomplished by utilizing the private sector, our existing resources, strong public relationships and zero taxpayer dollars.
Dave Robinson is the Republican candidate for Salt Lake County mayor.