Along with about 30 other concerned citizens I attended the public comment meeting held by the Wasatch Cashe National Forest at Skyline High on October 16th, 2001.

This meeting allowed just three minutes for each speaker to share their thoughts and views with the administrators of the WCNF.  There was no applause or cheering allowed.  Some people came armed with signs, but they were mostly ignored and seldom seen.  The meeting was a comment gathering opportunity for the WCNF, not a rally or a debate.

It was the comments that I found most interesting.  They literally ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Ardean Watts of Salt Lake City rose to represent the small animals, birds and lichens of the forest.  He made an impassioned plea that these creatures be preserved for the benefit of his grandchildren.

There were representatives from the various water districts who made their plea to keep the water rights and access to the various facilities required to manage these important resources.

One lady,  Ellie Ienatsch, rose to call for a "Crisis Management Plan" for the Millcreek, Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood canyons area.  She told of the abuses by ATV riders of the Mineral Basin area she had observed, claiming that these riders had gone hill climbing in an area not included in the trail.  She also told of a nesting eagle that was disrupted during the entire time the noisy ATV's were in the area. "Having been on their nest for several hours, they took flight as soon as the OHV's came up the canyon", she said.   She primarily spoke against the use of Helicopters for skiing being permitted in the canyons.

Another lady told of how she had taken her family from back east for a ride in the mountains and they were apauled by the commercial development in the canyons.

A man with a very high pitched voice spoke to the inclusion of the Bonneville shoreline trail as a part of the wilderness designation.  He was particularly opposed to any motorized use of the forest and the restriction of the lakes district from any motorized use whatsoever.

A high school teacher and former scout master, Jim Thompson, spoke with specifics on areas that he wished to see included in wilderness consideration.  He spoke of areas where he had hiked with his scouts and wished to see preserved for wilderness.

There were others whose pleas were quite different.  A man from West Valley rose to speak about the discrimination of the elderly and handicapped by the closure of roads and OHV trails in the canyons and forests.  He also mentioned that access to the forests may be needed in this time of national crisis as a means of retrieving needed resources.

Of course, I also rose to share my views that mountain and forest trails that were not designed with a complete loop were indeed more damaging to the environment, and that all that was necessary was that the USFS could simply open the interconnecting trails that presently exist.  These roads were created in the Mid 30's as a means of harvesting trees during the time of the great depression.

A man from Park City spoke to the fact that motorized access permits more timely accessibility in locating and assisting those who are lost and in need of medical attention.  He sited a recent example of a man who was lost in a wilderness area and days were lost until permission could be obtained to bring in a helicopter to search for the man.

Residents of the cabin areas adjacent to the forest in Weber Canyon also testified that the decommission of trails in their vicinity had severely limited the recreational opportunities of their properties.

Three other gentlemen arose to speak to the fact that it is possible to share the forest resources and not have a detrimental effect on such resources.  They mentioned the preservation of the Mount Watson (aka Lakes District) area for use with snowmobiles.  They each pointed out how the area is not widely used and that it remained a beautiful area without serious impacts to the ecology of the area.  One pointed out how reports of serious environmental detriment in the Yellowstone National Park area had been found to be without a basis of fact.

Each party had the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns.  There were not a large number in attendance, so some were given numerous opportunities to speak to their hearts content through the course of the night.

The leaders of the WCNF were cordial in their approach and the meeting was concluded with gratitude to all for having invested the time to participate in the important process.

Take this link to see how the  Deseret News reported the event