NEWS

GRAND CANYON WILDERNESS HEARINGS The Sierra Club recommended a Grand Canyon wilderness of 850,505 acres in contrast to the 505,300 acre proposal of the National Park Service. Of the 70 person who testified, 46 favored the club plan. Primarily discussions centered around the expansion of the park to include the entire canyon and the exclusion of motorboats and airplanes within the canyon. Opposition to the enlargement came from Arizona Governor Jack Williams who, mentioned something about a dam some people want to build at a place called Bridge Canyon. Ever heard of that? The Indians also favor the dam as they will obviously prosper from the thing. Air and river tourers opposed the elimination of motorboats and airplanes, to everyone's surprise. Letters supporting the wilderness proposal may be received until June 17 and should be sent to Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon, Arizona, 86023. Also Senator Clifford Clark (N.J.) has introduced a bill to enlarge Grand Canyon National Park to encompass all dam(n) sites as well as major side canyons and North Rim plateaus. SOUTHWEST PARK MANAGENENT NEETINGS Saguaro National Monument - Most people favored keeping the monument basically the same with some wilderness designation and possible enlargement of the Tucson Mountain Section, Zion National Park - Suggestions were made that vehicular traffic be abolished in Zion Canyon and that developments be moved to outside communities. A fish and game official from Utah asked that the park be opened to hunting (tourists perhaps?). White Sands National Monument - Only two people bothered to show up. NEW WILDERNESS PROPOSALS Included among the wilderness proposals sent to Congress by President Nixon were: Cedar Breaks National Monument, 4370 acres; Capitol Reef National Monument, 23054 acres; and Arches National Monument, 15703 acres. LOWER GILA FLOOD CONTROL (The Corps Strikes Again) A study made by the University of Arizona found that the Corps of Engineers is all wet in its proposed Lower Gila River Project. The study said that they were planning to build for floods that could never occur. MINING ON PUBLIC LANDS Rep ? K. Udall (Arizona) has introduced a bill to give the Secretary of the Interior authority to regulate mineral activities and provide a competitive leasing system for allocation of mineral rights. NEWSLETTER NEEDS WRITE-UPS Either that or we are going to have some thin publications this summer. Our typists is the only person to benefit from that.

Page Index	Prev	Page 10	Next	Issue Index