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Show "Anti-Sierra Club"positions pervade every level of attitude. *~~ Having pointed out this fisheries action, however, doesn't indicate we are making "much" headway. At the same time I hear that the Governor and the Bureau (and Water Conservancy District) will increase stream flows - which these people think is the real issue - I hear from the Wilderness Society Rep. in Salt Lake City that Governor Matheson is turning out to be a real S.O.B., on the environment, and we get these drastic actions such as selling water to IPP and the proposed "compact". Maybe these are responses to organized opposition! Kinghorn is drafting -material on the issue of the sale of water and I'll send it on to you shortly. He is sending it to Harris Arthur, at Arthur's home, at Arthur's request, because Arthur knows someone in the Justice Dep't and wants to see what he_ can do. Kinghorn has checked on the law or regulation which Utah's Senator Waddinham is ignoring in negotiating the sale contract. Equally serious is the issue of Utah working out a compact between the State, the Ute Tribe, BuRec and Interior., by going to the State legislature and then to Congress. Brent, I was working on our membership brochure yesterday, and looked into the Utah State U. report on costs of accelerating the CUP development. (This report is included in our Issues Paper which you have.) Read pages 140, 141, 149, and 150. "A very important point to make here is that it will not be possible to achieve a faster rate of project construction than that recommended in the preceding paragraph (page 150) by simply increasing annual funding authorization. Special actions will be needed to overcome the manpower limitations placed on the BuRec for necessary planning and construction supervision, to expedite currently required reviews* to ensure dam safety and protect the environment, and to provide for construction workers at remote sites. Threatening court cases will have to be closely watches; and, unless they can be forestalled, the effort to complete the project sooner will be in vain. Possible actions for overcoming some of these difficultires are discussed in the body of the report." The proposed"compact" is the action needed. If Utah can get Congress to override Civil Service Manpower limitations, environmental and dam safety reasons for delays, questions arising about change of purpose and planning and costs and exceeding the authorized cost ceiling - the State has it made. The State is willing to give the Ute's their State civil rights and to sell off the Forest Service jurisdiction over wildlife and riverine habitat and even their own wildlife management of fish and wildlife in order to get CUP completed. The "Deferral Agreement" of 1965 only ripped off the Indians; this "Compact" will be a rip-off of the entire public in their ownership of public lands and its management I I! .' This is real slick. None of my environmental friends - CRCUP included - are alerted to this. Kinghorn is trying to keep up with all these strategies; Fred is unreceptive to developments outside the instream flow and cost tracks he is on. Sierra Club's Brian Beard *Who and where do we contact on dam safety issues? Because of geologic problems, the Uinta Dam will have to be relocated. We need help on this |
