Full-page ads have recently been placed in newspapers throughout the state of Utah that feature a copy of a March 1 legislative letter that was mailed to the board chairman of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. The letter was regarding the arrest and conviction of SUWA's former chairman and former treasurer in what the Securities and Exchange Commission described as "the largest and most sophisticated bank-conversion scheme ever uncovered, involving over 60 banks and 65 conversions."

The letter to SUWA generated a March 10 Salt Lake Tribune editorial ("Useless vendetta: Noel's attack on SUWA is childish") attacking me and the 44 members of the Utah House of Representatives who sent the letter.

In rebuttal to The Tribune, these legislators feel that because former SUWA trustee Bert Fingerhut and former treasurer Mark Ristow were convicted of securities fraud after serving a combined 40 years on the board of directors of SUWA, and because they controlled not only the finances, but according to statements by SUWA's own vice chairman, "they were involved with some investments for SUWA," the request for further

information from SUWA is warranted.

Although there is an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, statements by the SEC are unclear as to how conclusive or extensive the investigation was in regard to a detailed analysis of SUWA's financial records and investments. SUWA officials could help their public image by disclosing what information, if any, was provided to the Justice Department.

SUWA staffers stated that an internal audit paid for by the nonprofit organization found no evidence of wrongdoing. An internal audit, however, is not meant to ferret out possible fraudulent activity.

From the hundreds of e-mails I am receiving on this topic, I believe Utahns are starting to ask the tough questions that The Tribune should have asked when the stories about Fingerhut and Ristow broke last year.

With SUWA's penchant for filing lawsuits against rural counties and federal agencies, and with untold numbers of SUWA surrogates working within the federal agencies, it has an undue influence on public land management decisions in Utah. Given that SUWA receives indirect financial assistance from Utah taxpayers because it is tax-exempt, an examination of its financial records and other internal documents is justified.

Although SUWA continues to state that Utahns have no special rights regarding these public lands, I would inform it and The Tribune that half the mineral resources on these lands belong exclusively to the people of Utah. When a New York congressman files SUWA-drafted legislation that would change that benefit to our constituents, legislators have every right to question the organization behind the plan to take it away.

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* REP. MICHAEL NOEL , R-Kanab, is a rancher and consultant who represents House District 73.