Dear Editor,
A few weeks ago, it was reported that mineral lease revenues received by the Canyonlands Health Care Special Service District declined dramatically. That is a shame. But what an even bigger shame it would be if they received no mineral lease revenues at all; because our county council decided that we need more wilderness in our county. It baffles me that the majority of the county council fails to see how industry on public lands benefits our community. Mineral leasing is one of the best ways that SITLA earns money for our schools. Why are they trying to stop that? I hear people say we need to preserve this land for future generations. I think we ought to preserve health care and education also.
Yes, tourism generates taxes that benefit our community. But how will we fill the hole that is left after revenues from industries are gone? Do we continue to tax the property owners out of existence? It takes money to run a county government. Does wilderness provide us with that money? No. It is clear that a vote for conservation is a vote against education and our community. From their actions it is easy to see that the majority of the council would rather protect rocks and dirt than our children’s futures and our community as a whole.
I am a sixth-generation Moabite and my children are the seventh generation to live here and I want to protect it for them, the right way.
