This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Matthew Anderson ("National parks could learn from Utah's parks management," June 26) makes a fallacious argument.
He equates the underfunding of national parks to what he alleges is the wildly popular Dead Horse Point bike trail and deduces state parks are better managed. He fails to mention Dead Horse Point, which is also underfunded, is being destroyed by overuse and the repeated negligence of the state Legislature.
I assume Anderson is building a case for state control of federal land, but he has foolishly chosen the flagship argument against his position.
Consider Island in the Sky, a literal twin park to Dead Horse Point, managed by the National Park System only a few miles away. Island in the Sky is managed. You can find a ranger should you need to, and there are ongoing programs to add to the park experience. The park is significantly better cared for, right down to the pavement on the roads, which has actually been customized to blend into the environment.
Alternatively, the vista at Dead Horse Point has been decimated by a salt leaching facility near the park. The visitor facilities are dirty. The bike trail is an asset, but is in need of significant maintenance. The park volunteers have no real hope of catching up, and no doubt it will be expensive to fix if it ever is funded.
If you get a chance, visit both parks this summer and compare. There is no better example of what a disaster the state management of federal lands would do.
Steven Jepperson
Sandy