Citizens for a Responsible Central Utah Project, correspondence, 1979

Page 37

Citizens for a Responsible Central Utah Project ffiftf Soard of Directors Dorothy Harvey, co-chairperson Fred Reimherr, co-chairperson Beth Duncan David Freed Karl Heidenreich Peter Hovingh David Littlefield Dave McCormick Barbara Polich lames Talley Hartt Wixom Ssi|^a>rting Organizations «Utah Council. -Trout Unlimited »Rocky Mountian Co&ncil of the Federation of Fly Fishermen e'Jtah Member Clubs of the Federation of Fly Fishermen oSionefly Society of the Wastach Salt Lake City, Utah ®Order of the Royal Coachman Pleasant Crove Utah *Uta! n The Honorable Henry M. Jackson Room 137 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Jackson: As Co-Chairman of Citizens for a Responsible Central Utah Project (CRCUP), a Utah-based coalition, I would like to ask for your cooperation in determining whether changes in planning and purpose in the development of segments of the Bonneville Unit of the CUP constitute the need for Project re-authorization. Background - General Although there are many, serious issues raised In the complex CUP development, there has been a total lack of meaningful public discussion in its planning, purpose and progress. Free and open participation on the part of all public entities paying taxes for this one to possibly three billion dollar water project has been discouraged. These issues are: environmental - involving public recreation and wildlife resources; cost and issues of taxation without representation for repayment; demographic changes in the State; available State water management alter­natives for less costly water supply for Utah; Ute Indian water issues; energy, mineral and power development in the State; problems of dam safety; adequate mitigation and acceptable bases for this. The lack of meaningful participation has stemmed from the purposeful silencing, by the water developers in cooperation with Utah's elected officials, of open discussion by all entities having some stake in the outcome of the CUP development such as the State Division of Wildlife Resources, the U.S.Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S.Geological Survey, University staffs, State personnel involved in water issues, and by citizens using public recreation resources and paying taxes. This situation has been successful since a significant portion of Utah residents unquestioningly accept the develop­ment philosophy and policy of the State. They do not compre­hend the significance of former Governor Rampton's 1965 Procla­mation that there will be no water allowed for instream flows for the Strawberry Collection System or that water rights to ground water are unexercized,and quantities of stored water is not released,in order to create a public demand for CUP water.