- Location
- Bountiful, land of rocks
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_3074079
Locking up the land
When I lived in Colorado the only Democrat I voted against was U.S. Congressman Wayne Aspinall. I voted against him because he opposed the Wilderness Act, which became law in 1964.
At that time I was still able to enjoy roadless areas by walking or riding my horses. I very reluctantly switched political parties in 1968, by which time it was obvious even to me that the American left had gone berserk.
We are now apparently headed for the opposite, and even more berserk, extreme with regard to wilderness and other governmental control of land.
Michael Coffman, Ph.D., in a brilliant article in the Fall 2005 issue of Range Magazine, describes in great detail the environmental extremists' strategy for locking up what appears to be, from Dr. Coffman's map, about 75 percent of the contiguous 48 states into wilderness, buffer zones, connecting corridors and other areas of little use.
All persons interested in maintaining uses other than hiking and backpack camping on public lands should read Dr. Coffman's article. This land belongs to all of us, not just backpackers and hikers.
Ed Gomer
Herriman
Locking up the land
When I lived in Colorado the only Democrat I voted against was U.S. Congressman Wayne Aspinall. I voted against him because he opposed the Wilderness Act, which became law in 1964.
At that time I was still able to enjoy roadless areas by walking or riding my horses. I very reluctantly switched political parties in 1968, by which time it was obvious even to me that the American left had gone berserk.
We are now apparently headed for the opposite, and even more berserk, extreme with regard to wilderness and other governmental control of land.
Michael Coffman, Ph.D., in a brilliant article in the Fall 2005 issue of Range Magazine, describes in great detail the environmental extremists' strategy for locking up what appears to be, from Dr. Coffman's map, about 75 percent of the contiguous 48 states into wilderness, buffer zones, connecting corridors and other areas of little use.
All persons interested in maintaining uses other than hiking and backpack camping on public lands should read Dr. Coffman's article. This land belongs to all of us, not just backpackers and hikers.
Ed Gomer
Herriman
