This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

A recent op-ed in this paper from the director of Utah's Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office, Kathleen Clarke, is a blatant and cynical attempt to rewrite history. She calls for a return to the failed policies of the Bush administration, but does not acknowledge that, under those policies, visitors to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park – perhaps our state's most iconic image – would today look out upon oil rigs instead of the world-class scenery that generates millions for our local economy ever year.

I served on the Grand County Council during the Bush years, when Ms. Clarke acted as director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and I can assure you that the policies of that era were anything but balanced. They were slanted heavily toward development and threatened grave harm to the scenic landscape that is the foundation for the recreation opportunities and businesses that fuel Grand County's economy.

The BLM's Moab Master Leasing Plan represents a much-needed course correction. It recognizes that while mineral development can happen in some places, in others, like around our national parks, it should be avoided. This is the kind of balance that our community and businesses need.

Bob Greenberg

Moab