Mark Eddington’s article “Environmentalists excluded from speaking at congressional hearing in southern Utah” hit many important points concerning what was an unfortunate and vivid example of the divided politics we are witnessing generally in this state and country, while using Earth Day in a feigned attempt to show love for our public land.
Not mentioned was that other federal lands subcommittee members — who support our public lands and might otherwise have attended — were advised via the April 15 Field Hearing Notice of the April 22 meeting and expected to confirm attendance by April 16. Given legislators’ busy schedules, they were probably already committed to other Earth Day activities. The intent of this hearing was to squelch opposing positions on these important topics. Organizers would not even allow representatives of Conserve Southwest Utah — local voices! — to have a say.
Organizers of a Jan. 22, 2016 public land hearing held in St. George, which I attended, gave those who testified at the hearing, including my partner — former Utah Attorney General Paul Van Dam — plenty of notice and time to prepare testimony.
The contentious Northern Corridor through Red Cliffs NCA, was a key topic during this public land hearing. Apparently, as noted by Dixie Metropolitan Planning Organization estimates, the highway would reduce traffic congestion by a mere fifteen percent. For anyone who has driven recently in Washington County, fifteen percent seems a ludicrous reason to run a damaging highway through a National Conservation Area even as growth in the county continues recklessly.
As for the assertion that more public land provided to our and other Utah counties would help our affordable housing problem, that, too, is ludicrous. Our public lands should not be exploited and will not help solve problems we have created ourselves on the land already developed.
Lisa Rutherford, Ivins
