Nowhere is this more evident than the environs around Strawberry Reservoir. At this time, leases on Uinta National Forest lands in the Strawberry basin and the Diamond Fork drainage are slated for sale by the Bureau of Land Management.

Many of these leases are for exploration and development of gas and oil reserves in roadless areas, in regions important for big game herds, along spawning tributaries for Strawberry cutthroat trout, and in the Diamond Fork watershed which is inhabited by Bonneville cutthroats, a trout listed as "sensitive" by the state.

In addition to the Forest Service land leases, an exploration agreement is being negotiated without the public's knowledge or participation for the land immediately surrounding (and conceivably under) the reservoir itself.

The agreement deeding the surface rights from the private Strawberry Water Users Association (SWUA) to the Forest Service left intact gas and oil rights to the SWUA, something they are now hawking to the highest bidder. What is now pristine water and views around that reservoir could easily become drilling rigs, settling ponds and access roads, all with the consent of the Bureau of Reclamation, BLM and the Forest Service.

There are many reasons why drilling for oil and gas on these specific public lands cherished by hunters and anglers is wrong. There is much more to "exploring" for oil and gas than just drilling a test well here or there. These leases have the strong potential (and legal justification) to push roads into areas where none exist now, and to create water, oil and sediment runoff that can severely threaten the capacity for maintaining decent fisheries while compromising habitat security and the unfragmented landscapes needed for healthy elk and mule deer populations.

The impact that the recent spate of oil and gas drilling has had on our Western public lands and way of life is most evident just outside of Pinedale, Wyo. With drilling pads every five acres and miles and miles of connecting roads, the effect of this activity on local wildlife and water quality is immense.

Supporters say that only a relatively small number of acres have been altered, and that is true when only the pads and roads themselves are added up. But the overall effect is that of a spider web where the roads and pads make up the silk, and the included acreage within the web is huge. These are immense footprints on the land, blocking seasonal migration of wild game and destroying any beneficial use of the land except for drilling.

The impact of such a Pinedale-like development in the Strawberry basin will have equally detrimental effects on our area. Today the reservoir alone experiences 1.7 million hours of fishing per year, generating at least $20 million in revenue. The land around the reservoir is critical for sage grouse populations and for elk and deer habitat.

Tributaries for the reservoir as well as the Diamond Fork drainage will be damaged, leading to poor spawning and recruitment, and potentially undermining the purity of water supplies for many on the Wasatch Front.

Think that Pinedale is unique and it won't happen here? Consider the passage and signing of the new energy bill, a bill that exempts the gas and oil industry from portions of the Clean Air and Clean Water acts while limiting public participation on energy-related decisions. Also consider the oil discovery this year in Sevier County - the largest onshore find in 30 years - that is fueling the interest in gas and oil on Uinta National Forest lands.

Moreover, consider the pressure that is coming down from the heads of our current administration to expedite development regardless of guidelines within the Uinta National Forest Plan that would slow down leasing in order to ensure that lands leased are evaluated by local resource professionals beforehand.

And, finally, consider that many of the biologists and land managers on the Uinta National Forest were not consulted or even informed of the decision to lease the lands - so much for local control!

The Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation and the BLM have the ability to judge the value of any parcel of land for its intrinsic value to the community, to compare that value to the potential gain for oil and gas drilling, and then decide whether or not to allow the acreage to be auctioned off.

Once the land parcels are auctioned, closing them to exploration and drilling is akin to putting toothpaste back in the tube. The time is now for the federal agencies to look beyond political pressures and the immediate gain of the auction profits to do what is best for the hunters, anglers and the citizens of Utah.

The long-term health of our land and water needs to be at the forefront of gas and oil decisions. Certainly, we all use gas and oil and some public lands are appropriate for oil and gas drilling, but some are not. The parcels up for bid in the Strawberry valley, and along the Diamond Fork River are not appropriate for drilling and should be left in their current state for this and future generations of Utahns to enjoy.

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John H. Weis is a member of the Stonefly Society of the Wasatch, Utah's oldest Trout Unlimited chapter.