You may have heard of some of the proposals and efforts to change the canyons leading into Salt Lake County over the past several months and if you are wondering why it could happen, you're not alone.
A massive gondola system to take Skiers up Little Cottonwood Canyon with a price in excess of $1 billion coupled with a massive Limestone mine up Parleys Canyon may change the way we think about those scenic drives out of the valley.
Utah's representatives have a responsibility to protect the natural resources in our state. Helping our economy is a good thing but should not come at an irreparable price to the mountains behind us. In 44 years I have yet to meet someone who said "Wow, that mine out there in Copperton sure is a pretty site!" nor have I met anyone who has said "I really like the way gondolas and ski lifts look on that mountainside, that's nice".
This all being said, I am not 100% opposed to anything that changes Utah landscape or property rights. But the size and scope of such projects must be considered. Have you ever driven North past Salt Lake on I-15 and noticed refineries on the West and a stripped out Mountain on the East? If you haven't, I would say you must have been driving on a very dark night! Those choices were made decades ago and the environmental and aesthetical impacts have been felt ever since.
Should I have an opportunity to vote on a piece of legislation that advocates selling off our beautiful state to such projects it is my intention to hear the arguments closely and look for all the valid reasons of "WHY we would truly need it" vs. "Why not?".
Once the ball starts rolling down that mountain it is not a simple gondola ride to get it back to the top!
