Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System, Bonneville Unit, Central Utah Project: documents and correspondence, 1979

Page 148

1445 N. 10 St. Manitowoc, Wis. 54220 March 5, 1980 The Honorable William Proxmire 5241 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Proxmire: I will be in Washington March 26 - April 1 and plan to attend the National Dam Conference and to make a state­ment before Senate and House Appropriations Committee hearings, specifically about the Central Utah Project, Utah. When I called the office of Senator Bennett Johnston to make an appointment to testify, Proctor Jones said that all available time was taken hut that I could submit a written statement for the record. When I called the office of Representative Tom Bevill, I was told to write a letter stating dates I would be available and I would be assigned time to make a statement. Since I am a taxpayer sharing costs of over a billion dollars for a water development project which is unnecess­ary, as planned, in view of an available and cheaper dual water management system for Salt .Lake County, and in view of the failure of Utah municipalities and industries to implement water conservation technologies which reduce the need for CUP, I believe I have the right to state these facts before the Senate Appropriations Comm­ittee. President Carter is trying to cut back Federal spending as one means of controlling inflation. If Congress is to be fiscally responsible, and support him, it must be informed on Issues where appropriations can be cut. I would appreciate your assistance in insuring me time to make a statement before the Senate Appropriations Comm­ittee on the CUP issues. Any time during March 26 - April 1 {.uxXX /i:adftM) I would like to object at this time to the attempt made by the Senate Committee to discredit me as a witness when I testified about the CUP last year. I was asked to admit that I was not a resident of Utah - the implication being I had no right to state facts about a water project in a state where I dont reside. I had no opportunity then to justify my right by stating that the construction of CUP would disrupt the natural ecosystems of nine free flowing trout streams along the south and west flanks of the Uinta Range - the major portions of these rivers flowing through public lands, Wasatch, Ashley and Uinta National Forests - where I had worked for six years to reinforce Forest Service management of fisheries and wildlife resources as required under the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act.