Utah

Rachel J. Trotter

NORTH OGDEN -- Last year, when the Legislature passed a law stating all-terrain vehicles that have been made street-legal could be driven on city streets, Allan Dalpias went to work to make his ATV comply.

Once he went through the lengthy process, though, he found that cities must pass an ordinance allowing the ATVs on city streets.

Brandon Loomis

Sen. Bob Bennett's defeat at last weekend's Republican State Convention threw into doubt a plan he is leading to designate wilderness areas in southeastern Utah.

Building on a Washington County lands bill that Bennett shepherded to passage last year, the senator's staff has conducted meetings in Monticello to gather ideas for a San Juan County bill. Area officials and environmentalists alike say they were eager to finally settle on a future for some of Utah's most-disputed red rock. Now they are unsure if they can reach a deal by year's end or what will happen if they don't.

Heidi Macintosh

Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar came to Utah this week in fulfillment of a promise to smooth relations with state politicians after ruffling feathers with his 2009 decision to pull 77 oil and gas leases issued by the Bureau of Land Management.

Never mind that a federal judge had already blocked issuance of the leases due to serious legal flaws by the Bush administration's BLM. Mr. Salazar still bore the brunt of the rancor.

I've just had a chance to again visit your beautiful state and its back-road areas. It is so sad to see Utah's remote areas crisscrossed with tracks from all-terrain vehicles. ATV activity has its place, and many areas are available for off-road vehicle use, but more fragile lands need to be actually protected from long-term damage (not just on paper). Our Western lands lose much of their beauty when we know birds and other wildlife have been driven from the area. For the sake of future generations, please support land protection bills and their enforcement. 

Rodger L. Hardy

ELK RIDGE, Utah County — Following the advice of state and local officials, the Elk Ridge City Council recently agreed to fence its new 1 million gallon water tank to keep out vandals, all-terrain vehicle riders, sledders and saboteurs.

For resident Lucretia Thane, protecting the community's water is a higher priority than protecting its open space.

Lee Davidson

WASHINGTON — Every spring in Utah, all-terrain vehicle fatalities and injuries are reported from family outings that turned tragic. Congress noticed that trend nationally and two years ago ordered a study to see if ATV accidents are getting worse.

The resulting report Thursday from the Government Accountability Office, a research arm of Congress, says it depends on how one looks at the data.

An act of Congress to set aside 26,000 additional acres of wilderness in the Wasatch Mountain canyons east of the Salt Lake Valley could benefit water users. It could also benefit its sponsor, Utah Rep. Jim Matheson, whose vote against health care legislation has made him unpopular with some Democratic voters in the 2nd Congressional District.

Matheson says he wants to protect the watershed comprising the mountains and canyons along the Wasatch Front. Ensuring a stable supply of clean drinking water for the growing population center of the state will also protect its economic future, he reasons. That is a worthy goal, and so is expanded protection of the canyons' scenic and recreational treasures. We support this legislation.