This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Can anyone tell me why Rep. Rob Bishop is so intent on building a bridge to the 19th century? Why does he have this obsession with defiling and scarring the western landscape?
One only needs to go online and look at the aerial photos (try Google Earth) of previous forays to search for extractable oil and minerals to see what is left behind when the rush is over. Look at the area north of Duchesne or the area north and east of Montezuma Creek in southeastern Utah or the Tintic mining district. Is this what you want your camping, hiking, hunting, fishing places to look like?
What about Bears Ears and Nine Mile Canyon, areas that are treasures of past civilizations? Do they deserve the fate of bulldozers and drill rigs? Aren't they worth saving?
Increasingly, the economy of Utah is tied to tourism. Why does Bishop demand the one-time use and abuse of the land for a single payday? Tourism is the gift that keeps giving. It pays off year after year after year. So, representative, there are only two ways to go: You can either waste it or preserve it. Do you want people to look back on your legacy with fondness or contempt?
Scott Jackson
Sandy