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Show 62 WAR FOR THE COLORADO RIVER subscribe to any policy which contemplates indiscriminate or haphazard construction of reservoirs or other artificial developments in this or any other national park or monu- ment area. It opposes any development in such areas if this can possibly be avoided without undue and irredeem- able losses of some other natural resources. On the other hand, the Department does recognize that in this instance any alternate would result in a serious loss of water in a region which will always be short of this commodity, and in which water is the limiting factor on the development of the economy and resources of the basin. Again I point out that the choice is simply of altering the scenery of the Dinosaur National Monument without destroying it in a basin which is and will remain rich in scenery, or of irreplaceably losing enough water to supply all the needs of a city of more than 600,000 people. In the opinion of the Department of the Interior, in this particular instance, and not as a matter of precedent, we believe that the choice should be in favor of building the dam and reservoir, and that this is to the greatest interest of the nation. We so recommend to the Congress. Now, although the required supplemental plan had not been endorsed, commented upon and officially ap- proved, committees could hold hearings on it, and with it the committees would have Tudor's report, which made clear and unequivocal the position of the admin- istration with regard to Dinosaur. In effect, the ad- ministration had told Congress: "If there is to be any more fighting done over Dinosaur, you and the con- servationists do it. The White House has taken its stand." There was to be a great deal more fighting, and it would be the most violent battle of the kind ever waged. |
