Re: Best place to live in Utah
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 1:04 pm
As far as state lands go, if they can sell them or lease them, they do. There are a lot of state parcels still out there, but unless someone wants to buy them they are open to recreation.montanahiker wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 12:58 pmHow are the state-level lawmakers on environmental issues? I'm not talking about trying to get control of federal land within the state's borders but the actual land they control.
Big on development in the context of land they control. Money, money, moneymontanahiker wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 12:58 pmHow are the state-level lawmakers on environmental issues? I'm not talking about trying to get control of federal land within the state's borders but the actual land they control.Scott P wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 12:19 pmIt depends on where you are. In places like the Wasatch Front, Moab, St. George, etc., yes there are a lot of ourdoorsy people. In places like Delta, Vernal, etc., not so much (except for hunters).
The same is true in Colorado. There are lots of outdoorsy people on the Front Range, Aspen, Steamboat, Vail, etc., but in places like Craig (where I used to live), there are very few (except for hunters).
Maybe not the population, but the politicians. A lot of people in Utah are outdoorsy, but they vote for politicians who are not, just because the politicians happen to be conservative on other issues.I understand it's a conservative and religious state, and I understand the elected officials aren't very inclined to protect the lands from commercial exploration, but would you go as far as characterizing the population as anti-outdoors
I'll use a specific example. Here is what Mike Lee says about public lands:
https://www.lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/issue-lands
Section 9 of the federal legislation that created Utah said that federally owned land within the state of Utah, “shall be sold by the United States subsequent to the admission of said state into the union.”
Similar language in enabling acts for Missouri and North Dakota were honored. Almost all of the federally owned land in those states was sold decades ago.
But Congress has not honored that promise to sell federal land in Utah or most of the west. They should. Sen. Lee is fighting to make Congress keep that promise and to mitigate the damage the federal government is inflicting on rural communities in the meantime.
What he fails to mention is that at one time the Feds tried to give the land to the state, but that the Governor refused saying that "they already had enough desert". Also, the state constitution, dating back to the 1800s said that the land is to remain Federal.
I consider Escalante to be in one of the most beautiful areas in the world.Wentzl wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:02 pm When I pass through Escalante these days it strikes me as Telluride did when I was there in the late 70's.
Not saying that an empty lot that you can pick up for $15,000 will be worth a million in your lifetime, but just had a similar vibe.
Anyone else have a thought on that community?