Dear Editor,
Front page news reignites my dread about the ruination of Lion’s Back; I wonder how many Moabites are as disgusted, disillusioned, disappointed, and, yes, angry, as I am. I wanted to know how this happened and when. I did learn that it took place before I came here. I would have been protesting if this was being proposed today. How was SITLA given the OK to sell off this precious property for development? There comes a point where we have to yell, “Stop! Not here! Not ever!” Logically, Lion’s Back should have become a part of Sand Flats Recreation area. Sand Flats was recognized for the treasure that it is back in 1995 and is managed under a unique partnership between the BLM, Grand County and the Moab community – a true cooperative success story that we should all be proud of. Conversely, we should be ashamed of losing Lion’s Back.
For those of you who are mystified by the political processes that allow these things to happen, I urge you to research and learn. A good place to start: Jim Stiles’ Canyon Country Zephyr archives:
June-July 2006 “SUBDIVISION FRENZY…WHY WORRY NOW?,” explaining how the developers simply needed Moab City to annex the SITLA Lion’s Back property to move ahead.
Dec. 2008-Jan. 2009 “SITLA LOOKS AHEAD.” You’ll read more about the workings of SITLA and Lion’s Back, also Cloudrock on Johnson’s Up-On-Top, plus the Spanish Valley roads to nowhere and more.
Learn all about Trust Lands. An excellent Internet article explains everything: “The State Trust Lands” by Jon Souder and Sally Fairfax.
