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Show 121 Nasty Flats got its name from the obscene graffiti carved in the bark of its aspen trees. The viords may have been carved by sheepherders who, stranded in the snow, vianted to express their disgust. An additional sample of more pleasant graffiti is written on a 10,000-gallon water tank near the Big Thompson Mesa in the Henrys. It reads: In this parched area of the desert hem, The contents of this tank is a precious gem, With thirst on the brink Here is a drink. All compliments of our fine BLM. The verse is signed with the name of a sheepherder from Hanksville, who evidently appreciates the work vihich the BLM i s doing on the rangeland. If more people could see just what the BLM is doing, Jan Knight believes, they couldn't help but approve. "That's not to say that we haven't made mistakes in a few individual cases in a few areas, but anyone who thinks that the BLM's intentions are not good is misinformed. The Bureau has always had the policy of getting the public involved in identifying the issues vihich are important to them, and now we're trying even harder to intensify that policy." Secretary of the Interior Cecil Andrus has said, "Unlike the huge private estates and hunting preserves of the rich and powerful, as in Europe and other regions of the world, our Federal lands are truly public. They are a legacy of freedom and openness for our children and grandchildren. They have contributed much to our people's feelings about vihat makes t h i s country unique in the world." |