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Show UTAH WILDERNESS WARS: A LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, PRESENT SITUATION, AND FUTURE POSSIBILITIES FOR PUBLIC LAND IN UTAH Eric G. Goodrich least 5.7 million acres of wilderness for a long time until some kind of action occurs at a public policy level. So, if SUWA can continue to cause gridlock, it can be argued that its goals have been met. If, however, politics shift in favor of state and local control, SUWA may find itself with only 1.8 million acres of wilderness, as previously proposed by Utah lawmakers in Congress. FUTURE A wedge is still being driven between rural residents, urban environmental groups, and other wilderness advocates, who represent new trends and outlooks on old issues. Up to now, wilderness advocates have been highly successful on a national level through grassroots action and lobbying in Congress. Not only have they fought off proposals for wilderness areas that they thought were too small, but they have also won the protection of at least 5.7 million acres as WSAs for a long time. In doing so, however, they have generated mistrust and animosity from the other side. No one knows how long their success will continue, and whether or not political circumstances will be as favorable to the environmentalists in ten years as they are now. Alternatively, advocates for an elevated role for local residents have been highly successful in sending representatives for Utah to Congress that are sympathetic to their plight, and who have shut down environmentalists attempts to declare wilderness in the state. The Wilderness Wars are mostly characterized by an interchange of small victories among the opposing sides. Occasionally, as with Grand Staircase-Escalante, one side scores a major coup and advances its agenda by a large degree. Generally, however, opposing sides seem to neutralize each other enough to maintain the status quo. Working towards compromise and common ground do not appear to be a realistic option for achieving resolution in the current climate because of the polarity of the two sides. So the question becomes: How will the Wilderness Wars be resolved in the future? The apparent answer will not satisfy those who believe our political controversies should be solved by democratic action and majority decision. Instead, resolution of the current impasse will come about when one interest group is able to unilaterally achieve its goal through Congress, the Courts, or the Executive Branch. This occurred in the case of GSENM, which, while not a resolution in the sense that a problem or issue was laid to rest, the environmentalists achieved their goal of protecting the land, - something not likely to be undone. It appears that since President Clinton has left office, and the election of George W Bush, state and local officials have won a small victory as politics have decidedly tilted in their favor. Secretary Norton, BLM director Kathleen Clarke (a Utah native), and other political appointees have been much more open to the arguments of local and state officials, who are working with urgency to resolve such issues as R.S. 2477 road claims, and to bring back the practice of multiple use through behind the scenes negotiations. In early 2002 one major development did occur which will impact the future of some wilderness in Utah. In his State of the State address, Governor Mike Leavitt called on President Bush to create a 620,000-acre San Rafael Western Heritage National Monument. About forty percent of the proposed monument would include Wilderness Study Areas. Leavitt stated that the community in Emery County would have a year or more to influence the proposal. President Bush subsequently forwarded a letter to the Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton. At that point a 90-day study of the issue was begun. Upon the study's completion, the Secretary will make a recommendation about the monument to the President. Unlike the GSENM, the Bush Administration is pursuing monument designation at the request of local officials. These officials are grateful to resolve for now some of the issues important to them in the San Rafael Swell with the help of what they view as a friendly administration. So, in this case, local officials have out-maneuvered the environmentalists to protect the land in a way more favorable to their own interests. Despite this, some local residents still criticize the monument as ill conceived and accuse Leavitt of springing it on them like Clinton did with the Grand Staircase-Escalante. However, many who want to limit federal control point out that those opposed to the process set in motion by Leavitt are living in a fantasyland if they think they are going to get a better deal down the road. They urge those who value local control and input to make their voice heard now and take the best deal possible with the Bush Administration. This victory for local officials in the San Rafael Swell, and the victories of the environmentalists do not come about as a direct result of public hearings or votes in Congress. Rather, these small resolutions and victories come about because of behind-the-scenes negotiations, a little arm-twisting, and call-ing-in of favors due. This happens in Congress, in the executive branch, the courts, and in bureaucratic agencies like the BLM as there is some influence and power to be sought at all levels. Like it or not, the reality is that the Wilderness Wars will be won through the exercise of raw political power. I am not implying that illegal activity is necessary to reach one's goals for public policy; however, we have seen and will continue to see tactics that many purists would call unethical or undue influence. The pluralist political system in which we live creates an atmosphere of competition between interest groups and there are many avenues that politically savvy groups may follow in order to reach their goals. The groups that are most successful at achieving their goals for public land policy in Utah will be those that are able to influence government in ways that the general public cannot. It is clear therefore that wilderness advocates and local officials are following paths that by their very nature run in opposite directions. The best hope for those who want to 40 |