| Dear
Editor: |
June 14,
1988 |
After
returning from 3 week spent touring the National Parks and Monument; in
Southern Utah and Arizona (Great Basin Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands,
Natural Bridges, Monument Valley, and Wupatki), I have finally formed an
opinion on the proposed legislature to turn the Mojave Desert into a National
Park. I am opposed to the idea.
The pristine slickrock desert
described, so well by Edward Abbey has been tamed and transformed into a magnet
for the tourist dollar by the National Park system. The roads have been
improved, paths paved, handrails installed, high density campsites built,
concession stands erected, as billboards along the Interstate beckon the mass
public to visit. Given the current state of the dollar, the parks are packed
this year with European tourists driving their rented RVs. The National Park
system's mission is to "maximize access to our natural wonders". We should all
review what the word "park" really means, I do not want a "park"! I want the
"wilderness" preserved!
The National Park system may preserve our
natural areas from mining, grazing, forestry, and real estate development, but
it engenders an equally destructive development -- tourism. I like the Mojave
Desert just the way it is -- without any further development! Let us urge our
representatives in Congress to designate the Mojave desert as a "wilderness"
area rather than convert it into a "National Park". We should thank, our well
meaning environmentally conscious representatives for their initiative, but we
should also educate them on the difference in meaning between the words "park"
and "wilderness".
Desertly so,
Igor. |
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