Here’s an interesting piece from our friends over at Granite Chief about Utah’s latest legislation attempting to jump start their economy…at the expense of devastating their beautiful mountain landscapes.
The Utah legislature is at it again, scheming up short sited plans to jump start the Utah economy. This time they are seeking to open up previously protected forest service lands, which would equate to oil drilling, expanded resort operations, and an overall destruction of the beautiful Utah landscape.
Peter Metcalf, the CEO of Black Diamond, and previous defender of Utah lands, has put together this OpEd discussing the impact and shortcomings of this new legislation:
Peter Metcalf, CEO, Black Diamond Inc.
Each year the Utah legislature attacks the magnificent public lands that exemplify the Utah experience. This year several legislators, with Governor Herbert’s support, support bills that would transfer ownership of federal public lands to the state which would then be free to sell them for development. Herbert also supports litigating rights to approximately 19,000 miles of dirt roads and faint tracks through our National Parks, monuments, and wilderness areas under an old repealed law known as R.S. 2477. Where we now have iconic Utah landscapes we’d have roads, fumes, oil and gas fields and coalmines. These are short sighted, destructive bills that would do lasting harm to our state, our economy and our quality of life and would do permanent damage to Utah’s status as a leader in the active outdoor recreational economy.
Without its awe-inspiring, wide-open spaces, Utah would be just another “flyover” state, with little to set us apart from dozens of other states vying for new businesses in this challenging economic climate. To date, Utah has balanced economic vitality with a sense of stewardship for protecting the landscapes that make our state unique. But the current bills would rob us of that equilibrium and destroy one of the most vibrant and fastest growing economic sectors in our state – active outdoor recreation. This is an industry this is dependent on the integrity of our public lands. For that, we’ll be rewarded with the continued vibrancy of our active outdoor recreation economy.
Utah’s remarkable natural beauty gives us an edge when it comes to convincing businesses to relocate. They see the unparalleled opportunities to hike, ski, kayak, camp and spend time with their families as a significant attraction. I know. Drawn by the open spaces to ski, climb and backpack, I moved our business from California to Salt Lake in 1991. Since then, Black Diamond has grown into a $145 million dollar, publicly traded enterprise that employs nearly 300 people in Utah and many more globally.
However, Black Diamond is just a small part of a vigorous, growing outdoor industry in Utah. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, the active outdoor recreation industry contributes $5.8 billion annually to Utah’s economy, supports 65,000 Utah jobs, generates nearly $300 million in annual state tax revenues and produces nearly $4 billion annually in retail sales and services in Utah.
Additionally, our industry hosts the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City twice a year. The show attracts more than 2,000 companies and over 40,000 people from all over the world and amounts to $40 million in direct spending within the city.
Without natural places for our customers to recreate, our businesses would be seriously handicapped, and Utah’s economy would be unnecessarily damaged.
That’s why this legislature’s attack on federal public lands, with full support by Governor Herbert, is so short sighted. These folks are killing the goose that lays the golden egg. The roads litigation would also negate an explicit promise made by Governor Leavitt (and respected by Governors Walker and Huntsmen) to the Outdoor Industry in 2004 as a means of keeping the Outdoor Tradeshow in Salt Lake City and the outdoor recreation economy vibrant.
Governor Herbert should exercise leadership and inspire all Utahans to see beyond the mindless rhetoric that passes for debate on this issue in the legislature. It would be wonderful if Utah’s political leaders celebrate the world-renowned beauty of the federal public lands in our state instead of trying to bulldoze them for short-term profit. Can’t the governor and legislature realize that these federal public lands are a gold mine – as they exist right now?
Governor Herbert represents all the people of the State, including those who value pristine wildlands and the beauty, solitude, and economic benefit they offer. Many Utahans are part of this vibrant, and growing industry, and we wonder why these bills, their sponsors and the governor, choose to turn their backs to this economic windfall. If winning the hearts and minds of the Outdoor Industry Tradeshow participants and the outdoor recreational community is important to Utah, these bills will insure the opposite result. Clearly the governor has a lot to answer for.
If you don’t like what’s going on and want to help, head on over to Gov. Herbert’s page here http://www.utah.gov/governor/ and leave a comment!
If you’ve ever been enjoying a day in LCC and seen the smog creep up the canyon from the big shitty, you know how some folks in Utah have no respect for the natural wonders in the state.
Without the pow, rivers, canyons and AMAZING natural beauty in Utah what’s left? Uncontrolled urban sprawl in SLC and a bunch of Momos trying to tell the rest of us how to live our lives…no thanks!
We are gearing up to fight the same fight up here in Idaho…good luck Utah, and keep on fighting!!
Romney 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go fuck yourself
We shall rule and build bigger temples and houses on your precious landscape. Our magic underpants will lead the way.
What a hypocrit….just like a NIMBY. BD uses tons of natural resouces to produce it products. The product line must be produced, and shipped to retailers. Where does the energy for BD come from? Talk about biting the hand that feeds it.
To get to all these wonderful places you must use oil. Every time you drive up the canyon to enjoy the pow, you use oil, unless you live in a cave in LCC. The servers that power this wonderful website uses coal or natural gas. The lifts that we love to ride are powered by our natural resources.
There is a balance between conservation, and responsibly using our natural resources. How many of you live in house with wood? Where do you think it comes from? I personally harvest tracts of timber every year, but we always replant for future generations.
This broadcast is from a cave in LCC. dave, your coming off like a douche. BD uses tons of natural resources ? They make binners and shit. If you look at the footprint of BD compared to lets say a small steal mill, and it wont even ben close. Were not talking about “a oil rig” or 10. Were talking about blowing it wide open, anything goes. I gotta go hop on that gas guzzler tram and rip some brown pow.
Little known fact–
The caves, AKA mine shafts in LCC, all contain cold fusion generators so this website has almost zero footprint and I also ran a bunch of extension cords to the BD production building here in SLC so they have almost zero footprint too.
It’s a tricky subject. Tourism and leisure are key economic cornerstones for Utah, but so is Energy/Oil/Natural Gas. And construction another large economic cornerstone in Utah goes right along with expansion of either industry. The governor has a job to do and that is to keep the Utah economy growing or at least not shrinking. So with the current lull in the world and national economy Utah sees a lull in it’s tourism and leisure sector because for most that is the first thing that is sacrificed in penny pinching times. So what does the governor do? He tries to find other sectors of the economy to grow and we have oil and gas to exploit and it is a very easy and quick way to boost any economy. I would like to see a map and show me what will be impacted. Keep in mind all you BCC and LCC lovers that you would have to hike up those canyons if it weren’t for miners who first carved the roads and trains to those ever so nice resorts and backcountry trailheads. It would be great if we kept the impact to a minimum for that longest duration that allowed for continuous job and economical growth in all sectors. But life ain’t perfect and sadly some lobbyist have deeper pockets than others.
Bd and the trade shows would be welcome to bring themselves to tahoe
Momos can lick mi ballz