FEEDBACK ON THE ‘FLIGHT OF FELON 22'
Editor:
With regards to the crash of the B-52 ("The Last Flight of
Felon 22"), it is standard U.S. military policy (Air Force,
Navy, Army, etc.) to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear
weapons on board a particular aircraft, ship etc. Thus, it is not
surprising that there are conflicting statements about the presence
or absence of nuclear weapons on board. In 1961, the B-52 typically
carried 4 nuclear bombs, not one as implied by the article.
The fact that Colonel Watts from Biggs Air Force Base did not know
whether or not the plane was carrying weapons is not surprising,
since that sort of information is restricted to "need to know." Sealing
off a crash site is also standard operating procedure, especially
involving a plane that may or may not have been armed, and is not
as nefarious as the article implied.
I do find it odd that the one crewman, Sgt. Terry, died "of
exposure" considering the extensive survival training aircrews
received. The fact that the parachute was not being used as a shelter,
but "was in a small bundle" is also peculiar. If he was
as physically well as the article implied, he would have heard and
probably have seen the search party 150 feet away, and would most
certainly have let the search parties know his location. I suspect
that he was in fact severely injured and unconscious, and that his
death was not due to military restrictions as the article implies.
Kenneth Carpenter
Denver, CO
MORE THOUGHTS ON MAHBU
Jim,
I greatly appreciated what you had to say in your MAHBU essay. In
one way or another, my close friends and I have been discussing the
same thing for years. But you put it in a much more succinct manner
as well as covering all the bases in the hypocrisy department. I
hope the feedback you have received has been constructive and positive—since
that is how I interpret your message.
Peace,
Peter Stekel
Seattle, WA
AND MORE MAHBU...
Jim Stiles- Thank you for MAHBU forever. Please sign me up! I am
not a Utahn, living in rural Dolores, Colorado....hope that won't
matter too much. The issues you address are as applicable here as
in Utah (and everywhere in the west really). And I so appreciate
you spelling out the contradictions I have been struggling with,
and so clearly! I have been struggling ever since moving to rural
small town life. It became pretty clear pretty fast that the environmental
dogma I held so dear for so long was crap. There is no black and
white. When a mountain biking friend of mine flatly refused to admit
that mountain biking has an impact on the land, literally saying "mountain
bikes have no impact. It is the grazing that is the problem"..
I just wanted to scream, and shake him. On the flip side, a ranching
friend said essentially the same thing to me about all us damn yuppies
trampling everything in sight, while he goes and dumps his trash
in the nearest canyon. How easy it is for us to be so blind to our
own destruction and so easy to point fingers. You nailed it Jim.
Thanks! Tracy Murphy (former LDS, now Heathen) Dolores, CO RE: STILES’ ROAD
RAGE
Jim,
Read your editorial and loved the part about the slow driver! Here
in Washington State have two laws; 1. Delay of 5 or more vehicles
behind you require you to pull over and let them pass. 2. Keep right
except to pass. Both are on the books and enforceable but rarely
used (sigh).
Cheers,
Robert Okrie Seattle, Wa.
FROM WOLVERTON IN ESCALANTE RE: FEE DEMO AND COWS
Dear Stiles, Concerning Fee Demo: do a little simple arithmetic,
which many have probably already done. I understand that some of
these fee areas charge as much as $5 per person per day. That is
what the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument was reportedly
planning to charge for all overnight use, although they later claimed
that it was ONLY going to be $5 per GROUP per day. (Never mind that
if you are alone, as I am the vast majority of the time, then it's
equivalent to $5 per PERSON per day) Multiply that by 30 and it comes
to $150 per month. At that rate several people could probably get
together and rent a tolerably decent hovel to live in, even in todays
world, with a roof over their heads and very likely even a few basic
amenities. Then consider what it costs a rancher to keep a cow (and
her calf) on the same public land for the same period: last I heard
it was $1.35 per month. Then divide your own $150 per month by the
cows $1.35 per month: the result is 111.1111. In other words, at
these rates, they want to charge us a hundred and eleven times what
they charge for a cow for an equal amount of time spent on public
land. And on top of that I dare say they probably even expect us
to practice Leave No Trace principles, properly bury our body waste,
pack out our trash, leave our campsites clean, stay on established
trails if there are any, etc. The less said about what cows do to
the land the better. And if the charge were only $1.00 per day it
would still be 22 times the rate for the cow.
Then along comes Ohio Congressman Ralph Regula with a real deal:
The America the Beautiful pass for the bargain rate of $85 per year
(or $100, depending on the latest rumor) That would give us 17 days
at $5 per day. Stay longer and the deal gets better, stay less and
get gouged even more. Back to the cow: at $1.35 per month it costs
$16.20 per year. Divide $85 (using the lower figure to be generous)
by $16.20: the result - 5.25. Mr. Regula wants us to pay over 5 times
what it costs for a cow to spend a whole year on public land, and
very few of us, if any, spend anywhere near as much time on the public
land as the cow. (In fact there are laws limiting how much time we
can spend out there, at least in one place, before it becomes illegal
residency)
I might be willing to compromise: I would, perhaps grudgingly, pay
the cows full year rate of $16.20 per year for a pass to public land,
even though I only spend a relatively small part of the year out
there, just so the ranchers can't complain that I am getting a free
ride while they have to pay. And I would continue to practice Leave
No Trace, as I always have, simply because it is the only right thing
to do. We could also talk about the giveaway 1872 mining law, deficit
timber sales, etc. Enough.
Bill Wolverton Escalante, UT
THE NPS’S ‘WAR OF TERROR ON DOGS’
Hey Jim.
Enjoyed Michael Wolcott's article "A Small Victory In The War
On Terrorism". I had a similar experience before the days of
Orange Alerts and Homeland Security.
It was 1997.my parents were in their late 70's and my in-laws were
in their late 60s. The year before I had sent out invitations to
guide them through parts of your beautiful area in and around Moab.
To my surprise everyone accepted and we arrived in the fall. We spent
a day 4 wheeling around the rainbow rocks area and then towards the
end of the day I wanted to return to Moab via the Potash Trail. I
had taken this trail several times before from south to north, but
had never done it from north to south.
Big problem. Going from north to south you have to pass through
a Canyonlands National Park entrance station. I usually avoid the
National Parks as I like to take my dog with me. This trip was no
exception. Buck, our 130 pound Akita, was with us as usual. By the
end of the day he was crashed out on the floor of the vehicle worn
from the heat. As we were about to pass through the entrance Buck
stood up and the ranger said "No dogs on the back roads".
I informed the gal that we were just heading back to Moab the scenic
way. As I recall, only a very short portion of the Potash Trail passes
through Canyonlands National Park..maybe a mile or so. (Mr. Stiles
can probably give the exact specs).
But it didn't matter.No dogs on the back roads! I mentioned it was
late and the old folks weren't going to dawdle.I just wanted them
to see the lovely scenery on the way home. No go, rules are rules.
The ranger did mention I could take everyone out to Grand View Point
as dogs were OK there. I said "You mean to tell me dogs are
OK at the busiest spot in the park, a place where there will be many
people and dogs gathered and anything can happen? My dog can go there,
but can't pass over a road while sitting in a car?" Ms Ranger
replied, "Those are the rules sir". I wanted to continue
our philosophical conversation, but others were waiting to continue
their journey sans dogs. I turned around and made a very boring drive
back to Moab on exactly the same route I had come. Luckily Buck had
seen the beauty before when we'd driven the very same Potash Trail
from south to north, so he wasn't too insulted. My father, on the
other hand, has since passed on and will never get another chance
to see that beautiful wonderland of rock and color. Hey, rules are
rules and God Forbid we use any common sense. Kindest Regards, Jeff
Lunt
A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY!
Editor, I accidentally discovered the Zephyr when I did that thing
I guess many people have done once in a while, that is, done a web-search
on their own name. I landed in the archives and made my way to the
front page. I liked the writing style, and it gave me a window on
a very different world to the one I live in (I live in the city of
Manchester, in one of the most densely populated parts of England).
I popped back to the web site once in a while but it was the "Iraq
and the Call of Empire" article in Apr/May 2003 which made me
a regular. Huge anti-war protests were going on all over Europe,
but it seemed as if George Bush had his whole population behind him.
It was good to know that there were some dissenting voices in the
US too. The article ""One Small Victory in the War on Terror"" was
almost funny, at first. How much damage could a leatherman tool,
stowed under a bus, possibly do ? Even if Osama Bin Laden himself
was on the bus ?
But you have to make sacrifices, right ? When there’s a War
On? Here’s a question, about the War on Terror which Britain
and America are supposedly fighting together. How will we know when
we’ve won ? Usually you know you’ve won a war when you
march into the enemy’s capital and their leader signs a surrender
agreement. That is never going to happen. Capturing Osama wouldn’t
end it. The great thing about the War on Terror, from the point of
view of those who stand to gain from it, is that it can go on forever.
The shadow of 9/11 is being used, by government and media, to keep
people living in fear. A generation is growing up seeing civil rights
that their parents took for granted being stripped away. Being taught
that the whole Arab world is against them and hates everything America
stands for. Being taught to live in fear of a potential biological
or chemical attack just around the corner. What kind of people are
they going to grow up to be ? What kind of a world are they going
to make ? A cage is a nice, safe place to be. Just don’t forget
where you put the key. Regards Elaine Coates Manchester, England
Editor’s Note: Ms Coates shares the same name with a former
Grand County Attorney from the late 1980s.
MORE THANKS TO JENNIFER SPEERS
Hi Jim and congratulations on the 15th anniversary of the Zephyr!
For over a decade we traveled to the canyon country for two weeks
each fall (and sometimes spring, too) –– to camp, to
photograph, to just be there! Each year it got more developed, more
crowded, more roads paved. We stayed away, but never lost our fascination/obsession
for that incredible country!
After being away for many years, were returned in 2000. We thought
that we were prepared for the development and the crowds, but it
was worse than we imagined. As we approached the Dewey Bridge, we
were horrified, shocked, angry, disgusted to see the development
that was underway. Earlier this year, we learned that it was GONE!
A victory that was almost hard to believe! We had only heard that "someone" had
purchased it and returned it (as near as possible) to its pre-development
state. We were so glad to see that the "rest of the story" was
included on your Top Ten list!
We may live in Kansas, but our hearts are in the desert. Hope you
enjoy the attached photo——one of our favorite views!
Thanks for all you and others do to protect the wild places!
Joyce & Tom Moulis
Overland Park, Kansas
IN RESPONSE TO "It's Time for M.A.H.B.U.!!!:
I will join this club. As for where I'm coming from--I returned
to my parents' home--a ranch in southeastern Idaho, forty miles south
of the Mt. Borah trailhead---in the summer of 2000. After twenty
years in the big cities of California, I became preoccupied with
a detente, an actual alliance, between small farmers and ranchers
and environmentalists in these parts. Mackay, Idaho, twenty miles
up the valley to the north, was selected to become the site of a
Holistic Land Management experimental project which would bring together
all players--farmers, ranchers, fish & game, Forest Service,
BLM and environmentalists. Many of the folks in these parts still
raise cattle and come out of a history of cattle people, so that
animal wasn't dismissed out of hand as a potential wise land-use
component.
This looked very promising as a place to form the "New Interface." However,
the administration and funding changed back in Washington DC, and
the Holistic Management landsite never came to Mackay. In the summer
of 2003 I attended the Owyhee Canyonlands Sierra Club Retreat. On
our way out to the gathering, my friend and I stopped to ask directions
of a fellow out in Jordan Valley. He retorted, "Why should I
tell you--so we can come out with our rigs and run over your campsite?" In
answer to this incendiary statement, I replied, "No, I want
to begin to be a bridge, a meeting point between the farmers and
ranchers and the environmentalists." The guy started to act
friendly and gave us accurate directions.
To me this represents one instant of détente between two
alienated forces who could reasonably become allies. For today the
small farmers and ranchers, and environmentalists are counterpoised
across the turf facing other specters--agribusiness and corporate
global markets--forces that would swallow both of them very impersonally.
I haven't yet found the way to eloquently present this New Interface
but I see that you are perceiving it in "It's time for M.A.H.B.U." Although
the particular play of factions in southeastern Idaho is a bit different
than the one you are describing in Moab, there are still many similarities.
There is as yet no "amenities culture" here, like the one
you describe--although this region is so remote and strikingly beautiful
that such a situation could easily spring up, and many are holding
their breaths.
I was really glad to see your article. I'm inspired to soon write
about a small goat farmer in these parts--can he get his cheese operation
into swing and simultaneously develop custom markets somewhere like
Sun Valley, Idaho--87 miles away, and full of healthy and wealthy
environmentalists who have almost no links with the people still
living out on the land--yet who theoretically desire and have the
money to buy custom products crafted by people who love to be and
work on the land. Will this goat man find market-wise links sophisticated
enough to interest these very financially-able potential buyers?
So far the links are missing. So far the voice heard loudly in these
parts, coming out of that enclave of recreational communities, is
the voice of Jon Marvel who hates every cow unequivocally in any
context, time, place or circumstance, whatsoever, and has no interest
in forming alliances with the people still living on the land, running
and owning cattle. As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing sacrosanct
about the cow itself, but it can represent a point-of-departure since
it is the Past of many of these people, and since most people in
this country, even many environmentalists, still eat meat.
Sincerely, Carol Lee Sowards Southwest Idaho
FINDS INACCURACIES IN FEE DEMO STORY
Editor,
A recent article in the Zephyr, Plan would cement public land user
fees, contained several crucial errors of fact related to the Recreation
Fee Demonstration program and to the construction of visitor centers
in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). I would like
to correct the inaccuracies contained in the article as they relate
to the Monument.
In a statement to a House Resources subcommittee in Washington,
DC, Mr. Robert Funkhouser, president of the Western Slop No-Fee Coalition,
based in Vermont, cited three visitor centers being constructed in
GSENM, and said that one of these alone cost over $10 million. Mr.
Funkhouser’s statement incorrectly tied this construction to
the Fee Demo program.
No Fee Demo funds have ever been used for facility or exhibit construction
at GSENM. The decision to construct multiple facilities in the communities
surrounding the Monument came directly out of a recommendation from
the Governor’s economic development committee during the Monument’s
planning process more than 5 years ago. Funding for constructing
the centers was directly allocated by Congress and has no relation
to the Monument’s annual operating funding, nor to the Fee
Demo program. GSENM has completed the construction of three of the
four visitor centers (Cannonville, Kanab, Big Water). The fourth
(Escalante) is currently under construction and is expected to open
to the public next summer. A smaller, unstaffed visitor contact station
is slated for Glendale. The combined cost for facility and exhibit
construction for all four centers and the contact station is less
than $10 million.
The Bureau of Land Management, which manages the Monument, is acutely
aware of the need for getting the public’s money’s worth
in all our programs, including the wise use of construction funds.
We are also very cognizant of the appropriate uses of any fees collected
under the Fee Demo legislation. Thank you for the opportunity to
set the record straight.
Sincerely, David Hunsaker, Monument Manager
STOP FEE DEMO!!!!
My heartfelt thanks to Jim Stiles and Zephyr for the outstanding
and informative features by Rob Funkhouser, Scott Silver and Erica
Waltz on the Fed's nationally loathed Recreational Fee Demonstration
Program. I found the Zephyr's ranger cartoon cover to be simultaniously
funny, enraging, and unfortunately, frighteningly accurate in a most
Orwellian way.
Fee Demo is indeed a fast moving cancer, it's secretive origin,
[implemented on a 1996 Appropriations Bill rider, at the behest of
the motorized recreation industry!]; it's commercialization, privatization
agenda; it's fiscal failure; all being heinous in themselves, are
ample reasons to shut the program down many times over. It should
come as no surprise to anyone that the Bush Administration not only
supports Fee Demo, but also that the Bush family themselves have
close ties to the lovely folks at the American Recreation Coalition,
ARC, who brought this our way. But that's just one more sordid item
Michael Moore left out of his entertaining movie.
What really angers me about the whole Fee Demo situation, are the
cowardly, dishonest, brutish and self-serving Forest Service, BLM
and other land management agency supervisors and minions, who are
supposed to be public servants and protectors of our natural heritage,
AND WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER, zealously enforcing this malignant program,
propping it up, and attempting to put a smiling, happy face on it,
merely to bring that cash in, and thus keep their own jobs.
Instead of being maliciously fee proactive, or playing the worn
out part of martyrs just doing their jobs, every one of those Federal
Land Agency Fee Demo Lemmings needs to grow a backbone, because they
know in their private hearts, as we do, that FEE DEMO IS WRONG! ...Wrong
for public lands, and an absolute insult to hard working, law-abiding
taxpayers everywhere.
I know that I am in good company when I say there are many hundreds
of thousands (if not millions) of wilderness loving people around
the country today, who feel just as I do about this important issue.
It has been almost seven years now since I told a USFS (Circus)
ranger in southern California EXACTLY what he could do with his 'Notice
Of Non Compliance', when he found me and a friend blissfully camped
and enjoying nature without an "Adventure Pass" in the
backcountry of Los Padres National Forest ...He promptly drew a gun
on me, had me thrown in jail for twenty four hours, took me to court,
where I pled not guilty, after which I never heard another word from
the bastards again. No court, no fines, no jail, no decision, no
nothing. Just a heap of smoke, hot air and intimidation.
The Forest Service, the BLM and the NPS have repeated that scenario
in various forms around the country over the past several years with
many other brave activists, protesters, campers and even families.
I learned a lesson that year: just because these clowns wear uniforms
and guns, doesn't make them right. It is essential for everyone today
to stand up for their beliefs, their civil liberties, and their PUBLIC
lands, and help put an end to this corrupt, arrogant and self-serving
behavior from federal land management agencies. And above all, help
put an end to Fee Demo and George W. Bush's Presidency. Call your
Congressional Rep TODAY, and demand an end to Fee Demo, and vote
Bush out this Nov.
As for me ... I still don't have a pass to enjoy the natural world,
and I never will.
Jim, thanks for publishing my letter. Jeffrey Pine Grand Junction,
CO
ANOTHER OPPONENT OF FEE DEMO
Dear Mr. Stiles, I moved to Salt Lake last summer, after living
in Seattle, Colorado, and Maine. I read a lot and have read numerous
publications in all of the states named above. Although the Zephyr
is a bi-monthly publication, I would put it in the category of free
Weekly. And in that category, yours is, hands-down, the best I have
read (I might add, I prefer weeklies to dailies). It's probably a
mix of the caricatures and your opinion pieces. Many opinion based
newspapers can be downright boring but yours is not. I'm a liberal
democrat environmentalist and after reading your paper for the past
year, I have to say my opinions about ranchers and recreationalists
have changed. Thank you for that perspective. I always enjoy reading
Take it or Leave it and find your commentary uniquely unusual. But
I digress. I wanted to thank you mostly for the June/July 2004 Fee
Demo Issue. For awhile now I have been extremely irritated to arrive
at my destination on Forest Service Land and have to pay a fee, in
some cases just to park (Snoqualmie NF in WA). I never did pay that
parking fee. I was lucky enough to camp and hike for free last weekend
in Ashley NF at Moon Lake. But, overall the fees are everywhere.
AHHHH! Anyway, thank you for devoting so much space to this issue.
I am glad to see there are others out there who despise this practice.
I am also glad to see that there are some positive developments,
a la Senate Bill 1107. Regards, Dan Wagner Salt Lake City, UT
