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Show 1445 N. 10 St. Manitowoc, Wisconsin 54220 January 23, 1979 Larry B. McNeil Industrial Areas Institute 12 E. Grand Ave. Chicago, 111. 60611 Dear Mr. McNeil: I am following up on a phone conversation expressing my interest in a Training Session for March 13-23, particularly. I do not have to be limited to this time or length of period of training but would try to work this out. I have enclosed background information on my activities in the Rocky Mountain region the last seven summers which led to my forming a citizen group in Utah, where I stayed all last year, to try to stop one of the nation's most environmentally disastrous and economically unjustifiable water storage projects. This entire complex project is called the Central Utah Project which is tied in with other water projects of the Bureau of Reclamation "developing" the Colorado River. Our group, Citizens for a Responsible CUP, formed in early July, 1978, is the first organized effort in Utah to oppose this project. Since I, as Co-Chairman, had to return to Wisconsin in early September for my husband's spinal surgery which has kept him hospitalized in Madison, still, our CRCUP group is not now led by anyone having full time to direct its activities. Problems which existed in even formulating such a group in Utah still remain to the extent that overall goals for the group and its individual member's concerns, and strategy in which these separate concerns can be worked at, have not been adequately discussed or defined. The group then, is not taking advantage of important issues^nor seems to be able, yet, to develop an effective constituency. My value in this issue, originally, was related to my being from outside Utah and being free from the long time propaganda promoting the project by water developers and elected representatives in Utah. Also, no one could pressure me or any of my family to not oppose the project. As you read the background provided you will see the enormous complexity of the CUP - structurally, socially, economically, environmentally, and in the framework of existing outmoded authorizing legislation and most recent Carter Administration Water Policies, directives, and laws. The whole thrust we should be making is one of changing western water laws based on the appropriation doctrine and utilitar' .n beneficial uses., all without conservation bases. Even our membership does not yet understand most of the aspects of the CUP development - let alone atteppt to develop strategy to stop it. |
