This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Rainer Huck accuses environmentalists of influencing judges' decisions concerning the fate of public lands in Utah ("Ruling disenfranchises Utahns from public lands," Forum, Nov. 26). His assumptions are facetious at best and fallacious at worst.
He opines that SUWA is composed of "religious fanatics" whose beliefs infringe upon the rights of Utahns to enjoy their federal lands and says the land would benefit from state control.
Huck would be thrilled by the grand vista of western Emery County after BLM land is swapped for Utah trust lands. He could marvel at gas wells sprawling across foothills and the roads built to get there, dump sites, transmission lines, pipelines, ATV trails crisscrossing the countryside, and an unobstructed view after they mow down the pygmy forest.
Contrary to his thinking, federal protection for designated wilderness areas has existed for decades and those ambitious enough can hike or ride a horse to revel in their beauty without encountering a "locked gate."
We are grateful to judges like Dale Kimball who strike down BLM travel plans and other intrusions that would do irreparable harm to unique wilderness areas and allow a Utah playground where abuse is seen as "the rights of all Utahns."
Allen Livingston
Huntington