The Wayne & Garfield County Insider November 28, 2024
Amiee Maxwell
WAYNE COUNTY -
After a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the approval of past meeting minutes, the November 18, 2024, meeting of the Wayne County Commission opened with an election canvas report. Felicia Snow, Wayne County Clerk, reported that the voter turnout was 89.1%. She also said that the county received 26 total provisional ballots, and 22 of them could be counted (the other four voters did not provide valid proof of residency and/or identity). The commission passed a motion to certify the election.
Commissioner Brian issued a thank you to the election staff. “A special thanks to Felicia, the clerk, and her staff, and those that helped. They spent a lot of time and effort making sure this election was done properly and to the letter of the law,” he said.
Elinor Spearman took
Wayne Commission
Visually Impaired Artist Finds Refuge in Canyon Country
Escalante artist Irit Reed uses art to connect to places that have become difficult for her to access by
Ian Marynowski
Irit (pronounced like spirit) Reed, pictured here in her studio, uses her large monitor and vast array of paints and pens to maintain her love for the landscapes of southern Utah. After losing full use of her eyes to Glaucoma in 2010, she first found living in Escalante and then painting as ways to cope with the frustration of not being able to travel independently. While she likes to hike and canyoneer locally, art is often the escape she needs to remember to places and the feelings she has experienced before.
ESCALANTETucked away on the edge of the small town of Escalante, a small basement space houses the workshop for local artist Irit Reed. The walls are lined with
Glen Canyon NRA 2025 Annual Vessel Pass Available
Courtesy National Park Service
Glen Canyon National Recreation is pleased to announce the availability of the 2025 Annual Vessel Pass. These passes are in line with tiered boat pass fees.
PAGE, Ariz. - Glen Canyon National Recreation is pleased to announce the availability of the 2025 Annual Vessel Pass. These passes are in line with tiered boat pass fees.
A Glen Canyon Vessel Pass is required for motorized vessel use by boaters, on Lake Powell. These passes are available to purchase online at Pay.gov. Park visitors may also purchase an annual vessel pass by scanning the QR code on posters at the Automated Fee Machines entrance
stations, park headquarters and other locations around the park.
All boats must have a current State registration to be compliant with boating regulations on Lake Powell. Boat owners should be prepared with boat registration to purchase a vessel pass.
To access Pay.gov: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/1503269022
For more information, please visit: https://www. nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/ fees.htm#tiered —National Park Service
shelves stacked with boxes of various oils, pastels and alcohol-based inks. Jars of brushes, pens and pencils encompass her workstation, which lies beneath the glow of a massive screen.
Announces Final Decision for Coal Creek Campground
CEDAR CITY - On November 18, the Bureau of Land Management announced it has approved the Coal Creek Campground environmental assessment. The assessment aims to enhance recreational opportunities while preserving Iron County, Utah’s natural beauty and resources.
The Coal Creek Campground will be located approximately five miles east of Cedar City along Highway 14, within public lands managed by the Cedar City Field Office. This new facility will encompass approximately fifty-five acres and offers amenities such as picnic sites, group areas,
While this might sound like it would be isolating from the surrounding landscape, it is quite the opposite for Reed. She depends on this equipment and space to produce her artwork, using
the large display for images of her subjects—the landscapes and people she can’t often see because she is le-
Why Are Pile Burns Common Around Utah this Fall?
by J. Bradley Washa,
Utah State University Extension Assistant Professor, wildland fire science, and chair, Utah Prescribed Fire Council
UTAH - As many parts of Utah transition from an extended fall wildfire season to winter weather, some may wonder why pile burning is becoming more common around the state. Consider this information.
• Most Utah ecosystems are defined as fire-dependent. Without natural and human-originated burning, these forest and rangeland systems are out of balance with nature. Wildland fires have not occurred for up to 150 years in many areas around Utah, resulting in a buildup
ESCALANTE / BOULDER / BRYCE / KANAB - Birders of all ages and experience are welcome to come join and participate in the 125th annual Christmas Bird Count. This yearly event is the
Every year, from December 14 through January 5, thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas participate by counting and identifying all the birds
they see within a predetermined route, and our region is no exception. Christmas Bird Counts (or CBCs) are fast approaching in Escalante, Boulder,
Ian Marynowski
Advocates from Around the Country Urge Lame-duck House to Resume Payments to Downwinders
The House has just 18 days to tackle an ambitious to-do list. Downwinders say reauthorizing and expanding RECA should be a priority.
by Kyle Dunphey | Utah News Dispatch
WASHINGTON,
D.C.
- Dozens of groups from seventeen states and territories, including Utah, are urging Congress to reauthorize payments to downwinders before the end of the year.
On Tuesday, November 12, Congress entered a lame-duck session, the period in between Election Day and the start of new congressional terms.
And before new lawmakers are sworn in, advocates are hoping the House will vote on a bill that passed the Senate earlier this year to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA, which offers payments to people sickened by nuclear weapons testing, known as downwinders.
Congress already has a lot on its plate—before Dec. 20, it needs to pass new spending bills to avoid a government shutdown; it needs to pass an annual defense bill; and it will likely need to replenish the FEMA account in wake of recent hurricanes.
The House needs to accomplish all that in just 18 days. But advocates are hoping it can also schedule a vote on S.3853, a bill sponsored by Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, which passed the Senate in March after a 69-30 vote.
“This year, Congress failed us when it failed to improve RECA and allowed it to expire. But it’s not too late to make it right: pass S.3853 now,” reads an open letter to Congress, signed Wednesday, November 13, by groups from all over the country, including Utahbased Downwinders, Inc., Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah, Latter-day Saint Earth Stewardship, Utah Downwinders and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment.
In addition to Utah, groups from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Navajo Nation, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington all signed the letter.
Originally passed in 1990, RECA compensated people diagnosed with cancer if they lived in certain counties near aboveground nuclear testing sites in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Advocates say the program never went far enough. Studies show that most of the Western U.S. was exposed to dangerous levels of radiation, yet for residents in Utah, only ten counties were covered.
In 2022, Congress passed a bill extending RECA by two years, intent on using that window to expand and improve the program. But reforms never came and in June, RECA expired after Congress failed to extend it.
“While we wait for Congress to fix this flawed program, people are getting sicker, and people are dying. We cannot afford to wait again. We cannot be asked to accept more cancers, more deaths, more bankruptcies in our communities while Congress goes back on its promis-
es,” the letter reads.
Hawley’s bill would give RECA a major facelift. Called the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act, it would increase how much compensation downwinders could receive, expand eligibility for certain uranium workers, and widen the current definition of an “affected area” to include all of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Guam. It would also cover parts of Hawley’s district near St. Louis, where creek water was contaminated by radiation during nuclear weapons development.
But the House has been wary of the bill’s price tag—Utah Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy in October told reporters that it likely won’t get a vote.
“That adds a lot of new costs. So that bill won’t come up for a vote in the House. The house will not take up a bill that has that much unpaid liability,” said Maloy, calling out the provision that
includes Hawley’s district.
“We can’t reauthorize it currently because of a Senate bill that ties radiation exposure in Utah from mushroom clouds, together with a superfund site in Missouri,” Maloy said.
In the letter penned on Wednesday, November 13, the groups pushed back on the notion that the House should ax certain locations that would be eligible for compensation under Hawley’s bill.
“Some have callously said that we should kick some communities out of our legislation for the sake of political expediency. But we are not willing to turn our backs on our dying friends and loved ones in other parts of the country, and Congressmembers who ask us to do so should be ashamed,” the letter reads. “There is no fiscal excuse not to support justice for all of our communities.”
This article was originally published on utahnewsdispatch.com on November 14, 2024.
BLM Issues Decision on Land Exchange with Utah Trust Lands Administration
EMERY CO. - The Bureau of Land Management and the Utah Trust Lands Administration (TLA) have reached an agreement on moving forward with a land exchange that consolidates lands for both BLM and TLA, provides the state with productive lands to benefit Utah’s public schools, and places lands within newly created wilderness areas under BLM management.
Congress mandated the exchange as part of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019. The Dingell Act created seventeen new wilderness areas under the BLM’s management, in addition to creating the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, the Green River Wild and Scenic Rivers Corridor, and the John Wesley Powell National Conservation Area.
“This decision furthers the implementation of bipartisan congressional legislation to exchange lands for the benefit of Utah and
the Federal government,” said Acting BLM Utah State Director Matthew Preston. “The collaborative process that has been carried out assures Utah will gain additional productive lands that benefit its public schools, while the BLM is able to effectively manage wilderness areas and enhance popular recreation areas beloved by outdoor enthusiasts worldwide.”
One proposed recreational improvement within one of the newly acquired BLM parcels is a new campground at McCoy Flats, which would accommodate fifteen individual
sites, nine long vehicle sites, two group sites, shade structures, campfire rings, and vault toilets.
The land exchange consolidates land ownership for both Utah and the BLM across four counties, with the bulk of those lands exchanged in Emery County. The legal transfer of parcel ownership is expected to be completed in early 2025.
More information, including a final map of exchanged lands, is available at the BLM National NEPA Register.
—Bureau of Land Management
Jennifer Shutt States Newsroom
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, April 18, 2024.
News from Wayne County Robbers Roost
by Adus F. Dorsey II
Roost is a Wild West anomaly any way you look at, a place of wonder like no other. Depending on who you talk to, some will tell you it is haunted and protected vigorously by the ancients and the outlaws.
WAYNE COUNTY -
Robbers Roost is eastern Wayne County, totaling 533,000 acres, give or take a couple of thousand acres that modern man has ever seen or dared venture into. The rolling and rocky, canyon strewn area south of Green River, West of Moab and north easterly of Hanskville received its ominous name and leather smelling reputation in the 1870s when Cap Brown ran stolen horses through the area. Robbers Roost afforded hundreds of hiding spots and according to lawmen of the era told their cohorts to never go in there. Then, as history tells us, there was a meek and mild Circleville, Utah, native and grandson of a Mormon handcart pioneer named Robert Leroy Parker, better known by his alias Butch Cassidy, who began using the Roost in the 1880's to hide cattle that he rustled.
In some circles it is said that during the prohibition years the Robbers Roost area saw one last surge of illegal activity. In back rooms and dainty parlors in Hanksville, it is sometimes remembered that unlawful whiskey stills were erected at springs in secluded canyons. Moonshine, or Mississippi Mud was often the only way to earn cash during the dry depression years. It is not uncommon, for the more adventurous wanderers, to sometimes find remnants of old stills and names crudely scratched on the walls in remote canyons of Robbers Roost.
Today’s modern-day outlaws most likely find Robbers Roost a little too hostile and remote for their city slicker taste. Stories of cougars, coyotes and snakes tend to keep wouldbe law breakers out of Robbers Roost and closer to populated areas where they can blend in.
Not that outlaws and cowboys were confused or synonymous with one another “The Cowboys" in canyon country were a hardy, hard driving bunch known more for their riding and roping skills than manners at the dinner table.
The rancher: ranch-er, - noun - a person who owns or runs a ranch and puts up wanted posters of rustlers.
When the Roost and rancher are used in the
same sentence more times than not the Biddlecomes come to mind.
“There was only one reason my parents took their outfit to Robbers Roost – it was a last desperate stand to make good in the cattle business; and my father, Joe Biddlecome, was a cowman.” Tough words of Pearl Baker that she shared a thousand times in her lifetime to make a point how hard life was out at “The Roost.”
All his life Joe Biddlecome had a blacksmith shop. He liked to work with metal, and his profession required tools that he could make cheaper than the ones he could buy, and he loved to do it. He was always most creative, usually with metal at hand. As soon as he had built a one-room log cabin on Pinion Mesa, he set up a simple shop where he made bridle bits, spurs, branding irons and other tools of his trade, as well as shod horses, which was a necessity in the sharp rocks of the La Sal mountains.
“Under the Ledge “is a local term Wayne County cowboys used to identify the canyon country east of the Orange Cliffs, in Canyonlands National Park. The area has been known by many names and nowadays is affectionately called the “Maze District,” a place where one can become so twisted and turned around that it is not uncommon to take hours to find your way out even with a good sense of direction.
One of the more colorful characters to write about Under the Ledge was Old Ned Chaffin. In Ned’s own words Ned shared the story of Millard Canyon Red, an old red cow that had been lost, stolen and branded so many times that when he found her “We had a hell of time finding room on her to put a brand, “that cow had every damn brand on her you ever saw in your life. She’d been stoled a hundred times and I don’t think a man on earth knew who she really belonged to.”
Oil exploration and mining played a major role in Roost history in the thirties and forties. Nary a place on the Roost could one travel and not see someone wearing a hard hat. The oil boom era, a pinpoint in time that has few parallels in American history, sometimes also called the gusher
age, was a period of dramatic change and economic growth in the United States that began in the early 20th century. It was a period of unprecedented growth and development (worldwide) a time that ushered in an age of rampant speculation and rapid industrialization.
Delbert Tidwell remembers when Phillips Petroleum built the road through Horseshoe Canyon. “They built it in 1926, to get to a well they were drilling on our place. It took them about a year to build the road. "Yes sir, that's where they put in the oil well [Phillips Petroleum]. They started drilling right after they finished the road through Horseshoe [Canyon]. Drilled down about 5,000' as I remember, never did find much oil and then abandoned it in a couple of years.
Although ranching still covers a wide swath of Roost Country, today's explorers are Toyota driving, Teva wear tourists searching for slot canyons to drop into and as the Ralston story goes are willing to give arm for the adventure. Then there are the treasure seekers scouring every crack and crevice for gold coins. Also related to Canyonlands National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation is a popular destination filled with canyons and rock formations and for the most part reserved for horse, foot and windshield viewing making the idea of a “Recreation Area” somewhat of a misnomer?
Robbers Roost is a Wild West anomaly anyway you look at, a place of wonder like no other. Depending on who you talk to, some will tell you it is haunted and protected vigorously by the ancients and the outlaws and “don’t go there,” others will tell you to take plenty of water, snacks and satellite phone and a sharp knife.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving…
Robbers
Adus Dorsey
Wills, Trusts, and More
Gratitude and Estate Planning
Thanksgiving brings great memories. As a young boy growing up, I loved meeting at grandma’s house on 21st Street in old Las Vegas.
We crammed cousins and uncles in every corner of the house, and a spirit of thanks and gratitude prevailed.
Just before my 17th birthday, my grandma died and Thanksgiving changed.
At 17, I didn’t experience much regarding my grandmother’s estate planning, but I learned to be more grateful for the time I shared with her.
Estate planning is not something you do for yourself. It is something you do for others.
Meeting with a professional and getting your affairs in order is an expression of love.
For all of us, there
by Jeffery J. McKenna
will come a time when we die. Your estate plan in part formulates your legacy. Through the planning and drafting of your will or trust, you can express your gratitude for those individuals or organizations you value through word and deed.
I’ve watched a strong man cry from gratitude for what he received and sisters expressing thanks for a well-structured estate plan when meeting with me after mom’s death.
Not all estate plans and beneficiaries are filled with gratitude, but through your actions, you can help facilitate more gratitude throughout the process.
No one is entitled to an inheritance. All should
acknowledge the grace of the provider of the inheritance. All should cultivate gratitude in receiving the gifts they receive. On more than one occasion, I have disinherited children or included language in an estate planning document, to further a client’s desire to teach that an inheritance should be received with a spirit of gratitude regarding the gift given.
Gratitude and estate planning go hand in hand. As we approach Thanksgiving and think about all we have, we should contemplate how we have planned for our affairs. With some thought and guidance, you can help foster gratitude within your estate plan.
NOW WITH RICHFIELD AND PANGUITCH OFFICES TO SERVE CLIENTS IN AROUND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
Jeffery J. McKenna is a local attorney whose practice has been focused on Estate Planning for over 25 years. He is licensed and serves clients in Utah, Arizona and Nevada. He is a shareholder at the law firm of Barney, McKenna and Olmstead. If you have questions you would like addressed in these articles, please feel free to contact him at 435 628-1711 or jmckenna@barney-mckenna.com or visit the firm’s website at WWW. BARNEY-MCKENNA.COM, he would enjoy hearing from you. Additionally, you can RSVP to attend one of his FREE Estate Planning Seminars in Richfield, at 159 North Main Street, every Third Thursday.
Comics
country roads
by Lynn Griffin
tHe lAuGhiNg
Bank Loan
A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack. "Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday."
Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager. Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.
The frog says, "Sure. I have this," and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed.
Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office. She finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral." She holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?"
The bank manager looks back at her and says, "It's a knick-knack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man's a Rolling Stone."
Genie
A man in the UK is walking slowly along the beach when he notices an unusual glass bottle just at the waterside.
He picks it up and opens it. To his amazement a genie appears.
"I have been in that bottle for a thousand years, and as you have released me, I will grant you your greatest wish" says he.
"Well," says the man. "I would really like to go and see my sister in America, but I am terrified of boats and aeroplanes, so could you build me a motorway?"
"I certainly could," says the genie, "but have you thought of the disruption and adverse environmental impact that all of that concrete and steel would have on the ocean. Is there anything else you wish?"
"I am having problems with my marriage. Is there anything you can do to help me understand my wife?" said the man.
"Do you want a four or six lane motorway?" says the genie.
THEME: Sports
ACROSS
1. Combat vehicle
5. Semi
8. *Biathlon gear, sing.
11. Keiko of "Free Willy"
12. *Ashi Waza and jugodi sport
13. Audience’s approval
15. Tandoori bread
16. Ned Stark's daughter, "Game of Thrones"
17. Röntgen beams
18. *Warning track sport
20. Monetary "thank you," pl.
21. Indigo dye shrubs
22. "Arabian Nights" bird
23. Destroyer
26. Danced to certain Polish music
30. Crematorium container
31. One without magic powers in Harry Potter stories
34. Largest volcano in Europe
35. Do nothing (2 words)
37. Singer Yoko
38. Be at the helm
39. Tropical tuber
40. *Player who delivers in a crucial sports moment
42. Recipe qty.
43. Display proudly (2 words)
45. Smells
47. Lake, in France
48. Clean a spill (2 words)
50. #8 Across, pl.
52. *Cornerback and direct snap sport
55. Russian pancake
56. Pasta option
57. Go cold turkey
59. *Reward for multiple sports championships, pl.
60. "Breaking Bad" victim
61. The Beehive State
King Kong, e.g.
Boatload
Riyadh native
*Collegiate sports grp.
Topeka native
Not urban
Short poems of pastoral life
*Hockey score
*Powerful shot in hockey
11th letter of Roman alphabet, pl.
Elvis' "____ Now or Never"
White and black stork
Glorify
Type of lightbulb, acr. 64. Spooky DOWN
*Gully and deep mid wicket sport
Foe
Obituaries
John Layne Crosby
PANGUITCH - John Layne Crosby, an identical twin, was born on March 11, 1961, in Panguitch, Utah to Jay Mond and Maxine Richards Crosby.
by Mack Oetting ~ mackoetting @gmail.com
If anyone asked, Layne was born first, when Dr. Mason grabbed him before Dr. Duggins grabbed his brother. Layne was named after his grandfather and Panguitch school teacher, John Silas Crosby. He was taught to work, spending summers mowing the lawn at home and for widows in town. Dad had to provide the lawn mower and haul it around in his 1961 green Ford truck or the trunk of the family car; you better remember your leaf rake because your mother expected you to extend your lawn service by raking up the grass. All things small town life brings including: pulling weeds in the family garden, 4-H projects, trips to Panguitch Lake and gathering firewood kept the summers busy.
As a young kid with his twin brother and a homemade electric pitchfork in the lawn, the nightcrawlers came out to sell to fisherman passing by on their way to Panguitch Lake. Maybe they would also buy a few tumbled and polished rocks from the Twins Rock Shop. Sometimes it’s fun being a twin, but later you may get tired of “hey, are you Lynn or Layne” calls from even your family, but his friends in school called him “Louie.”
Layne purchased his first car at 16 and enjoyed working summers maintaining the new City Park to earn enough money to keep gas in his car and some Eat-ABle’s fast food. Graduating with his class in 1979, he was off to Utah Valley Tech. After graduation, he began working at car dealerships along the Wasatch front. One foggy morning riding his bike to work, Layne was involved in a car vs. bike crash at a crosswalk. What better place to recuperate than with dad and mom at home in Panguitch; Layne ended up staying to help his mom after his dad’s passing.
If you lived in Panguitch, you may remember his Husky dog being on the most wanted list and frequently in trouble with the law! Later, Layne moved to Milford and entered game permit drawings to hunt all things huntable with the greatest hunting guide ever, his brotherin-law, Philip.
Layne is survived by his twin brother Lynn (Amy) Crosby, his sister Jaynell (Philip) Bailey, Norman (Sheryl) Crosby, Richard (Betty) Crosby. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother Evan. He is survived by Evans wife, Dana Crosby, and numerous nieces and nephews. Layne passed away at home around November 12, 2024. The family is planning a family graveside service. The family is especially thankful to his sister Jaynell and husband Philip and their family in the Milford area for all their kindness and help they provided Layne after his move to Milford.
We had an interesting time in Imperial Beach visiting our newest great Grandson Zander over the weekend. He is a handsome little guy, taking after his great grandfather. Where my Granddaughter Teah lives is always in change and things don’t get any cheaper. The weather as usual was nice, with no wind. When we left town, we had a full moon, “beautiful” down in So. Calif. The moon and the sun had some kind of magnetic pull and they had super high tides. The water was up to the sea walls, normally they only come up about 100’ from them, it was interesting. We left to come home about 2:00 pm and when we got to the Devore cutoff the traffic was at a stop. For the first 4 hours we averaged about forty miles an hour, one spot it took us about 40 minutes to go 4 miles. About half way up Devore
the traffic took off and we were running at 80 miles an hour again. We spent the night at Buffalo Bills and the cost per night was $79, but they add on $39 resort fees. The casino was empty, nobody playing any machines. In the morning when we went to breakfast, we passed Black Jack tables that were electronic and didn’t require a dealer, same as the craps table. I guess we picked a good time to go through Vegas, because this weekend they had the Grand Prix races and the town was shut down. It is always good to be home even if it is cold. We have a lot of events coming up, Thanks Giving had the 16th annual dinner and it was well attended. Of course the next day is Black Friday when many of the stores have big sales. Saturday is small business sales day and you might find some really good deals there. Monday is electronic day and a good
time to pick up some Christmas gifts over the weekend.
On the 6th and 7th will be the High School wrestling tournament and it will be at the Triple C Arena. I believe last year, after hosting the tournament for many years the BobCats won it. On the 7th Santa Claus will pay his annual stop at the Social Hall and will be taking orders and handing out gifts. He then goes to the Senior living and gives out gifts to all of the residents that are there.
On the 6th there will be a retirement luncheon at the Senior Citizens center for Tammy Barton. Tammy has been involved in the EMT program for over 30 years. She has trained hundreds of EMTs over the years and is responsible for many lives that have been saved by that program, in Garfield County. She also sees to it that the EMTS have the best equipment to work
with, that is out there. Each town has the latest ambulances also. The luncheon will be from 2:00 to 4:00, I hope that all of the EMTs that have served with the program over the years will stop by and wish Tammy a well-deserved Retirement.
With Thanksgiving here, I hope that the hatred that has racked our country for the last four years, will come to a halt. Our country is the strongest country in the world and is looked up to by many of those countries as a leader of the world and its protector. Our country didn’t get great because of the rich, it was the middle class workers and those that served and died in the Military to keep us free, that made our Country what we are today.
Hating just shortens your lifespan, don’t get involved in things that you don’t have controlled over. Mack O.
Winter Sleigh Rides Through Herd of Wild Elk to Begin at Hardware WMA on Dec. 6
HYRUM - Another season of bundling up and riding on a horse-drawn sleigh or wagon through the middle of hundreds of wild elk is almost here. The Hardware Wildlife Management Area winter season and associated activities—including some new opportunities this year— begin on Dec. 6. Rides through the elk herd
Haviland’s Old West Adventures has contracted with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to offer horse-drawn sleigh or wagon rides on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Dec. 6 to Feb. 9. Rides start at 10 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. each day. Each ride lasts about 45 minutes.
The fee to go on a ride is $10 for those nine years of age or older and $4 for those four to eight years old. Those three years of age or younger ride for free. Tickets are only
sold at the Hardware Wildlife Education Center, and you must buy them in-person on the day of your ride.
The Hardware Wildlife Education Center closes at 4 p.m. so tickets must be purchased before then. Tickets are not available online.
Before or after your ride, you can also buy food from a food trailer near the sleigh ride line.
Those with a group of twenty-five or more can also reserve a group sleigh ride for Wednesday afternoons. Call 435-744-3229 to reserve the group ride.
Santa’s Workshop New this year, “Santa’s Workshop” will be offered Dec. 7, 14 and 21. The workshop includes a waffle breakfast or lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, a bag filled with swag and a chance to make holiday ornaments before riding through the elk herd. The cost, which includes the
sleigh ride, is $40 for those three years of age and older. Those two or younger are free. You can reserve a spot by calling 480-540-3499.
Activities and displays at the WMA
In addition to riding through the middle of hundreds of elk, you can spend time warming up and learning more about elk in the Hardware Wildlife Education Center. An “All About Elk” exhibit will be available to tour in the center during the winter season. Fun activities for families will also be held in the center at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Each program runs about thirty minutes.
“Making habitat ornaments using sagebrush, bitterbrush and other plants found at the WMA is a fun and popular activity,” DWR Hardware Wildlife Education Center Director Marni Lee said. “We’ll make the ornaments in December.”
Visiting the center and participating in the indoor activities is free.
Brucellosis concerns The elk that visitors to Hardware WMA will see this winter have been known to migrate long distances. Elk at the Hardware WMA that have received GPS collars have traveled as far as Montpelier, Idaho and Cokeville, Wyoming.
However, the farther north the elk migrate, the greater the chance they'll contract brucellosis and bring it back to Utah. While
the disease has not yet been detected in elk in Utah, brucellosis is affecting elk and bison in the Greater Yellowstone Area of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
Brucellosis in cattle, elk and bison is caused by the bacterium Brucella abortus. The disease causes abortions and low fertility rates in animals that contract it. Animals contract the disease when they come in contact with an aborted, infected fetus or contaminated birth fluids. In elk, the risk for abortions is highest from February through June.
“Ending the viewing and feeding season in early February should cause the elk to disperse at exactly the time when cow elk that might have the disease start aborting their fetuses,” DWR Regional Wildlife Manager Jim Christensen said. “Getting the elk away from each other should greatly reduce the chance that the elk contract the disease.”
You can reach the Hardware WMA by traveling sixteen miles east of Hyrum on state Route 101. You’ll drive through scenic Blacksmith Fork Canyon on your way to the WMA. For more information, visit the DWR website. You can also call the WMA at 435-753-6206 or email Lee at marnilee@utah.gov.
—Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Coal Creek: On November 18, the Bureau of Land Management announced it has approved the Coal Creek Campground environmental assessment. The assessment aims to enhance recreational opportunities while preserving Iron County, Utah’s natural beauty and resources. el anymore, and I had all of these pictures of the places I had been, so I started to paint to feel my love for them again,” she said. Reed was eventually convinced by friends to show some of her artwork at the 2016 Escalante Canyons Art Festival, and it sold. “After that, Harriet let me display in her gallery, and stuff just started selling. It was so encouraging that people liked my interpretations, that it spoke to them; it is really amazing.”
Scenic view of a beautiful mountainous terrain near Coal Creek Campground, featuring rugged peaks, rolling hills, and dense forest. On November 18, the Bureau of Land Management announced it has approved the Coal Creek Campground environmental assessment. The assessment aims to enhance recreational opportunities while preserving Iron County, Utah’s natural beauty and resources.
trailheads, vault toilets, kiosks, fire rings, grills, picnic tables, walking paths, bridges, pavilions, and perimeter fencing. The goal is to provide visitors with a well-rounded outdoor experience that balances recreational access with conserving the area's unique environmental qualities.
The Coal Creek Campground environmen-
tal assessment also includes an overnight camping restriction for BLM-managed public lands east of Cedar City, from Shurtz Canyon Road to a half-mile north of Fiddlers Canyon. This restriction applies to approximately 12,600 acres and aims to lower wildfire risks, deter illegal dumping near waterways, and lessen the effects of human waste. Other recreational activities in the area will not be affected. The closure will be-
come effective upon future publication in the Federal Register.
The related environmental assessment, decision record, and Finding of No Significant Impact are available on the BLM ePlanning site. For more information on the Coal Creek Campground project, please call the Cedar City Field Office at 435-8653000.
—Bureau of Land Management
Intermountain Health Researchers Receive Major Grant to Study Ways to Reduce Antibiotic Overuse in Urgent Care & Outpatient Settings
SALT LAKE CITY -
Intermountain Health researchers have received a major grant to tackle the problem of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic overuse in urgent care and outpatient clinics to ensure patients are getting the best and most effective care for their illnesses.
The new $356,000 grant will be used to launch the Intermountain ReSCORE-UC project, a two-year study of behavioral and organizational methods to enhance antibiotic use in Intermountain urgent care centers and outpatient clinics.
The grant is from Merck, a global science and technology company that develops medicines, vaccines, and other health solution. It will allow Intermountain researchers to better understand how to maintain consistent improvements in antibiotic prescribing in these outpatient community settings.
The challenge for clinicians is that too high antibiotic prescription rates for respiratory infections continues to be a problem in urgent care settings. In more than 90% of cases, antibiotics don’t treat the infection for patients in these settings and can lead to sometimes serious side effects in patients, as well as overall antimicrobial resistance.
While initiatives can help lower rates and put a spotlight on the problem, the effect is often temporary, and prescribing rates creep back up when such programs end.
“In the field of antibiotic stewardship, Intermountain Health has been a national leader,” said Payal Patel, MD, enterprise medical director for antimicrobial stewardship at Intermountain Health and co-investigator on the
study. “This grant will continue to put us at the forefront of understanding how we can make sure that we optimize antibiotic use in the urgent care setting to improve our prescribing rates, and also demonstrate to other health systems how they can do the same.”
“We really want to know what leads to behavior change to enhance antibiotic usage,” said Park Willis, MD, a family medicine physician at Intermountain Health who is also a coinvestigator and medical director for regional urgent care for Intermountain.
“One of the key questions that we want to answer is: what processes do we need to implement that will lead to that long term effect and make it part of someone’s everyday thinking, and not just during a project?” Willis added.
This new study builds off the success of the SCORE-UC initiative, a previous Intermountain study to reduce antibiotic overuse, which resulted in a 15% reduction in antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections for patients in Intermountain Health’s thirty-eight urgent care centers.
While that initiative was successful, the results were not permanent, and prescribing rates in these instances have ticked back up.
Across the nation, overprescribing of antibiotics is detrimental on both the individual and public health level.
“This is something that many health systems struggle with across the nation,” said Allen Seibert, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Intermountain Health and principal investigator on the study.
“We’ve seen some of those antibiotic prescribing improvements be much more challenging to really maintain.”
Irit Reed: It’s not just painting, it’s the feeling and the memories of traveling on my own. But this place keeps giving me gifts.
—Irit Reed
Giving out too many antibiotics, especially in cases where they’re not needed, has led to antimicrobial resistance.
The result of overuse of antibiotics is that some previously effective antibiotic medications no longer work, which can lead to more severe infections, longer hospital stays, more complications, and even death.
Antibiotic medications are also not side-effect free for those who take them. Antibiotics can result in allergic reactions and gastric distress, which can become severe.
Given that more than 90% of respiratory infections are caused by viruses and not bacteria, giving these patients antibiotics “won’t help and rather just give you another side effect like diarrhea,” said Dr. Patel.
The new grant will also enable Intermountain researchers to study how antibiotic prescribing rates vary between different patient groups, including in racial and ethnic minorities, and in rural and urban settings.
“We can then see how we can redesign and re-implement antibiotic stewardship initiative to be more sustainable, durable, and equitable in the long term,” said Dr. Seibert.
For the study, Intermountain Health researchers will also be working with Adam Hersh, MD, a pediatric infectious disease expert at the University of Utah, and Julia Szymczak, PhD, a medical sociologist with expertise in the behavioral dynamics of antibiotic stewardship, with the aim of improving antibiotic stewardship across urgent cares in Utah and across the Intermountain West.
—Intermountain Health
gally blind.
First arriving in canyon country in 2007 behind the bars of her Yamaha Virago motorcycle, Reed was an avid photographer living in the Bay Area of California. The San Rafael Swell initially set its hook in her mind and kept her traveling to the region during the following years. “I’m sorry to be melodramatic, but I was looking around while I was riding my bike, and I just started crying, I couldn’t believe the beauty I was seeing,” Reed said.
Reed continued visiting southern Utah over the following years, bringing her dogs and her camera, building a love for the textures and colors of the rocky landscape. Life changed for her in 2010, when a pre-vacation doctor's visit resulted in Reed needing surgery on her eyes to stop her from completely losing her vision. While surgery helped to maintain some of her vision, the glaucoma Reed had developed left her legally blind and unable to travel independently
“It’s an obstacle; I can’t drive anymore because I cannot see people coming from different directions. Even for hiking, I don’t have much concept of space, so it is easy to lose my balance,” explains Reed. Frequent travels were replaced by shorter trips facilitated by her husband. “Since 2010, my husband has taken a couple of weeks a year to bring me out here, to my favorite place, the Colorado Plateau. Finally, in 2014, I decided I wasn’t going back [to the Bay Area],” she said. Reed would settle in Escalante.
Reed was able to land in Harriet Priska’s basement where she was first able to experience the local arts community. “I just started to paint,” said Reed. She explains that she always had a creative streak growing up but lived in a tumultuous household and often did not have the means to practice. But now, in her new home, she had the time and the means.
“I really couldn’t trav-
“It’s not just painting, it’s the feeling and the memories of traveling on my own. But this place keeps giving me gifts. I can still hike; the slickrock is friendly to walk on because I don’t have to worry about running into sticks I can’t see,” she explains. Reed enjoys going beyond hiking and exploring the region's technical slot canyons when she has the chance to, as well. She hopes that going on new hikes and continuing to meet people in the area will help her find meaning and inspiration.
Reed’s artwork can be seen on her website: iritreedfineart.com
Reed likes painting expressions, whether it is the expression of a snag or rock in a landscape, the expression of an animal in motion or that on the face of a human portrait. “There are a lot of parallels between rocks and skin, the colors and the folds,” explained Reed as she pointed first to a painting of a canyon and then to another she had done of a blind vendor on a street in Jerusalem—both places are near to her heart. Her artwork ranges from landscapes and portraits, to paintings of wildlife, beloved pets or abstraction utilizing numerous mediums. “I have met so many people at the festivals who have encouraged me to try new things and to not cut expenses on supplies, so I haven’t,” said Reed. “But most of my technical skills have come from YouTube; YouTube can be such a great teacher.” Reed regrets not taking more advantage of the art scene while living in San Francisco, but owes all of her inspiration to the place where she now resides. “I owe everything to Escalante; without being here, I wouldn’t have pushed myself to do this.” Not only has art helped Reed connect with a community and make a living, but it also helps her continually cope with the reality of her situation. “Without the accommodation of being able to drown myself in my art and this large screen, I think I would have to be locked up in a mental institution. It is all just really frustrating.” Her art isn’t just a distraction, however, it also acts as a friendly reminder.
Irit Reed Cont'd from A1
Courtesy BLM Utah
Coal Creek
Schools and Sports
Maker's Markets at Tri-County Bookmobile Headquarters Showcase Young Entrepreneurs
A December Holiday Maker's Market will take place on Dec. 14 at the library headquarters
by Kate Chappell | Utah State University Extension Assistant Professor
The second Maker's Market, held on November 9th at the Tri-County Bookmobile library headquarters in Bicknell, was a huge succes, showcasing the talent and entrepreneurial spirit of the community’s young innovators.. A Holiday Maker's Market is set for Saturday, December 14th—from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.—at the library headquarters, 79 N. 100 W. in Bicknell.
One standout participant from the second Maker's Market, held on November 9th at the Tri-County Bookmobile library headquarters in Bicknell was six-year-old Izzy, who quickly became a crowd favorite with her personalized drawings.
BICKNELL - The second Maker's Market, held on November 9th at the Tri-County Bookmobile library headquarters in Bicknell, was a huge success, showcasing the talent and entrepreneurial spirit of the community’s young innovators. Many of the participants have gone through the USU Extension's 4H Entrepreneurs training, while others are enterprising youth with ideas and tenacity.
The November market was particularly special, as many of the kids were able to build on the lessons they learned from the inaugural Makers Market in October. By reflecting on their experiences, the young entrepreneurs improved their booth setups, refined their pitches, and honed their customer service skills, resulting in an even smoother and more professional event.
One standout par-
ticipant was six-year-old Izzy, who quickly became a crowd favorite with her personalized drawings. For just $1, she offered vibrant, one-of-a-kind portraits based on customer requests. Her booth was one of the busiest of the day, drawing the attention and admiration of both visitors and fellow vendors alike. Parents, teachers, and other guests were impressed by her creativity and work ethic, as she eagerly sketched her way through a steady line of customers, and tracked down new customers that may not have reached her booth yet.
The November Maker's Market featured a diverse array of handmade goods, from jewelry and artwork to baked goods and a variety of crafts, each product reflecting the hard work and creativity of the young entrepreneurs. Many of these kids applied the feedback and insights they received in October to improve their displays, manage their time more effectively, and engage with customers more confidently.
It was clear that these kids were not only honing their business skills—such as pricing, communication, and customer service—but also gaining confidence in their abilities to take risks and bring their ideas to life. The success of this Maker's Market is a testament to the
by Mack Oetting
The winter sports season is underway and I have heard (being out of town) that the Lady Cats lost to Kanab and won two games at the Richfield preview. They also met up with Enterprise on the 26 here. They also have a game on 12-05 down at Valley and South Sevier will be here on 6th. On the 10th Green
River will be here and the games start at 3:00. The BobCats season is also underway with a game at Millard and on the 26th the Cats will be at Enterprise. They have their first home game against Parowan on Dec. 3. The next two games will be away @ Grand County on the 6th and on the 7th @ Emery. It looks like on the 10th it will be a double header against Green River. It looks like both of our teams will meet up with a lot of 2&3A teams that will make them better. I will be here for most of the home teams and will do a better job of reporting.
growth and learning that took place between the two events, highlighting the importance of experience in shaping young entrepreneurs.
The Holiday Maker's Market, set for Saturday, December 14th, will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the library headquarters, 79 N. 100 W. in Bicknell. With the holiday season approaching, this market will feature festive and unique gift ideas that are perfect for holiday shopping. Be sure to mark your calendars and support the next generation of makers and entrepreneurs in our community.
We are thankful for our sponsors and supporters—Utah State University Extension, Circle Cliff Ranch Alpacas, and Girl Scout Troop 1647. We would also like to say thank you to the Wayne County School District for the use of their building.
Courtesy Kate Chappell
Courtesy Kate Chappell
Panguitch Public Library
CBC: Today, the CBC isone of the largest citizen science efforts held anywhere in the world, with over one hundred and twenty years of data, and over twenty countries participating in the western hemisphere. As an early-winter bird census, this brings key data about bird population health across time.
Bryce Canyon, and Kanab.
Today, the CBC is one of the largest citizen science efforts held anywhere in the world, with over one hundred and twenty years of data, and over twenty countries participating in the western hemisphere.
As an early-winter bird census, this brings key data about bird population health across time. This is especially critical now, as we learn more about how birds are responding
to a rapidly changing climate. As winters across the Americas (and the world) grow warmer each coming year due to human-caused climate change, the CBC can help track how birds and bird patterns change over time.
Last year’s CBC actually broke records. Across the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Pacific Islands, participants documented 2,380 species; this was more than the previous year’s count, which was 2,244 species. Warmer winter conditions
have been shown to correlate to an increase in bird species that stay in regions longer before migrating, and sometimes even adapting to staying over the winter in some locations. This trend was reflected locally in last year’s CBC for the Escalante region, where I am the cocompiler, along with Lela Ferrigno. Our group (which consisted of twenty-one outstanding participants) was able to tally seventyfive bird species, which is an increase from the sixty species tallied the year be-
Biologists Trap Rare Virgin River Fish, Express Hope 'We're Making a Difference'
by Alysha Lundgren | St. George News
SO. UTAH - The Virgin River may 'rage' and stream flows may change across southern Utah, but biologists say this sensitive aquatic species is doing OK.
The Virgin River is home to six native fish species: desert suckers, speckled daces, flannelmouth suckers, Virgin spinedaces, Virgin River chubs and woundfins, some of which are listed under the Endangered Species Act, like the chub.
Virgin River chub are rare silvery-scaled minnows only found in southwestern Utah, southern Nevada and northern Arizona. The species is federally listed as endangered wherever it's found.
Each year, typically in October, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources monitors the species. They recently completed a project focused on chub, gathering data in six locations around southern Utah, said Kody Callister, a native aquatics biologist with the DWR's Washington County Field Office.
There are sites in Hurricane, near the Quail Creek Scout Camp, upstream of the Washington Dam and beneath an Interstate 15 bridge in St. George, among others.
Division staff set traps at these locations, with each being about 500 meters long. While this project focused primarily on Virgin River chub, Callister said the nets may catch all six native species, as well as nonnative fish.
The project can provide valuable information for biologists.
"In order to make good management decisions, we need to know how the fish are doing, like in terms of population or reproduction or recruitment and survival," Callister said. "And so monitoring allows us, as the division and our part-
ners, to make those decisions more informed, and it guides future management actions for fish and their habitat."
The division uses hoop nets to capture larger fish, like chub and flannelmouth suckers, and seine nets to catch younger specimens or smaller species, like woundfins and spindaces.
"The bigger fish can run away from us easier," he added.
Hoop nets are set in the river overnight, allowing fish to swim into the open end of a funnel. They often can't find their way out and become trapped inside. In the morning, staff arrive to remove fish from the trap, transfer them to a fivegallon bucket and measure them.
Measuring gives biologists a good idea of the size and age of fish and the structure of a population. Fish younger than a year old are typically 90 millimeters—about 3.5 inches —or less, with everything bigger than that being around two or older.
"We can pick out a two-to-three-year-old fish pretty easy," Callister said. "But older than that, they grow slower, and so it'll be harder to pick out the different ages."
The number of juvenile and adult fish can give biologists insight into whether the population is expanding or declining, Callister said. They also look for parasites and other health indicators and whether nonnative species could be impacting native fish.
"We like to find out different things that we can do to mitigate potential threats, like ensuring stream flow and protecting the flood plain, and removing those nonnatives if they're having an impact," he added.
The division also works with various partners on a landscape level because what affects the water affects everything else
in the ecosystem, Callister said.
The Virgin River can "rage," cutting new banks and wiping out trees and other vegetation. So, they watch for stream channel changes, Callister said. The DWR can use monitoring data to help Washington County and its cities plan for development and flood plain protection.
Stream channels changed over the last few years, but the fish appear to be doing well, Callister said. Typically, his team captures more adults than young fish, but this year, there was a nearly even split with 674 adults and 671 juveniles.
"I think that's a pretty good year," he said. "Typically, when we do catch a lot of young, it's because they had a big reproduction year, and we kind of expected that. Whenever there's good snowpack and good Spring runoff, the chub seem to reproduce really well."
Callister said this was a positive sign, with the caveat that he hasn't yet compared these numbers to previous years, which would give him more insight into population trends.
Additionally, Callister said the division was grateful to its partners.
"With all our partners and the work that we've done, I feel like chub are doing great right now," he said. "And they're one of our most abundant species."
"We can't take all the credit," Callister continued. "But we hope that what we are doing as an agency and with all the partners that we work with, that we're making a difference."
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.
This article was originally published stgeorgeutah.com on Nov. 9, 2024.
the floor to discuss her concerns about trash collection on Juniper Drive (a private drive) in Torrey. A few weeks ago, the county placed a purple dumpster at the end of the road and stopped the collection of individual cans.
Spearman said, “The dumpster is a half mile from my home, and schlepping garbage down there on a daily basis is unacceptable.” Scott Chesnut, Wayne County Landfill Supervisor, said that the turnaround hadn’t been maintained properly. “It’s a safety issue,” added Commissioner Brian.
Spearman asked what could be done to resume pickup at the turnaround, and Chesnut said the turnaround needs to be widened and trees need to be trimmed.
Dates have been set for most CBCs across the country. If you plan to participate, contact the appropriate Compiler for route assignments. Dates and other info are as follows:
• Escalante CBC - Saturday, December 14. Contact me, Marvin Contreras, as Compiler at marvin1725@protonmail.com. I can email/ mail/deliver the requisite forms, and you can return them via those methods. On the day of the count, we will be meeting in-person in the conference room of the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center at 8:00 AM.
• Kanab CBC - Wednesday, December 18. Contact BLM Wildlife Biologist Lisa Church at lchurch@blm.gov or call 435-644-1273 for more information.
Bryce Canyon CBCSaturday, December 21. For more information, contact Macie Monahan at macie_monahan@ nps.gov or by visiting their website.
• Boulder CBC - Thursday, December 19. Contact Compiler Lisa Young at lisa.young@ usda.gov for more information about meeting place and forms to sign.
I hope you participate, and I look forward to reporting on the results in January.
“We would be willing to do that so we can get our garbage picked up,” said Spearmen, and she will meet with Chesnut next week. Colleen Allen also suggested that Spearman talks with Torrey Town about putting Juniper Drive on their road system since they are already doing some road maintenance.
Next, John Dillenbeck took the floor to also discuss his concerns about the Juniper Drive trash collection issue. “There are nine homes. Most of us are retired - 60 to 70 years old. To go out to a dumpster that’s four to five feet high, open a heavy lid, and throw our garbage in is a joke.” Commissioner Brian reiterated, “We cannot accommodate anything until the turnaround is fixed.” Chesnut also said, “If it can be fixed, there isn’t a problem.”
Garrick Wilden, with Jones & DeMille Engineering, gave an update on the Hanksville Diversion project. This appointment was not on the agenda, so the commission passed a motion to amend the agenda to allow Wilden to speak, stating that no decisions would be made during this discussion.
According to Wilden, the county received bids from contractors over the summer for the Hanksville Diversion project, but they were over the funding allotted. Wilden appealed to NRCS for additional funding, but by the time he secured additional funding, the contractor bids were outside the 60-day window.
Wilden is currently working with the contractors
to see if they can still honor their previous bids. One subcontractor is concerned about the increasing costs of cement powder. Since this project will take from 3-4 years to complete, they are considering adding a clause to the contract that specifically addresses potential increases in concrete costs. Wilden is hoping to have an agreement with a contractor by the next commission meeting so they can get the project moving. “Pumping water out of the river for a few years now, and it’s not been ideal,” he said.
The commission then approved a conditional use permit with a variance for an accessory dwelling for Shannon and Michelle Brian. This is for a barn with living quarters in the upper portion. Colleen Allen noted that this conditional use permit does not allow the accessory dwelling to be rented, leased, or sold. Commissioner Brian recused himself from this discussion.
The commission also approved a conditional use permit for an accessory dwelling for Michael Zody and Andrea Bryce in Teasdale. This is for a two-bedroom accessory dwelling. This conditional use permit also states that the dwelling cannot be rented, leased, or sold. The commission reviewed a predator contract with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Commissioner Brian noted that the county “didn’t get the predator control we needed this last year,” but he had a “pretty good discussion with the state predator folks,” and “they made some promises.” This contract requires the county to put in $2,400 toward predator control, which the state will then match. “There was over a twenty percent loss of lambs and sheep this past year on the mountain, which is considerable,” said Commissioner Brian. He said that this equates to 800 to 900 lambs and sheep. The commission approved this contract.
Lastly, the commission approved the purchase of Time Card Plus, a new county timecard tracking program, approved the vouchers, and then adjourned the meeting after going into a closed session to discuss a private tax issue situation. The Wayne County Commission meets the first and third Monday of every month at the Wayne County Courthouse.
A photo of an American kestral taken in Escalante in January 2022.
Emily Leach | Insider fore.
CBC Cont'd from A1
2024 General Election Canvass Report
Pile Burning:
Through pile burning, we can effectively address the three parts of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy: 1) Developing fire-wise communities, 2) Creating fire-resilient landscapes, and 3) Providing a safe and effective wildfire suppression response. As communities conduct fuel management and burn piles, they support the fire-wise model. Mimicking a wildfire by thinning, piling, and burning helps ensure that when a wildfire burns through the area, the residual trees will have a better chance of surviving a wildfire and minimizing other disturbances to the landscape, such as erosion.
has occurred for years, it is relatively new in parts of Utah.
of fuels. Thus, altering natural fire regimes from their historical ranges is only complicated by invasive species. When wildfires occur today in areas that have not had fire, they are more severe, and more acres are burned. One way to mimic wildland fire is to thin forest and brush vegetation, pile the cut material, and burn the piles. The increase in seeing more pile burning is because of the increased wildfire risk and associated hazards. Luckily, funding opportunities have increased to address this concern. Piling and burning can be costly, so areas of high priority must be the focus. Pile burning can be cost-effective compared to other treatment methods, such as removing fuels and/or chipping. Pile burning often occurs in the wildland/urban interface, where people have built homes in forests or the wildlands, where “the leaves meet the eaves.” Pile burning also occurs along many road systems, provides safer ingress and egress during a wildfire, and helps with wildfire management. Pile burning and its associated treatments may be a final phase or an initial treatment, followed by later broadcast or understory burning. While this type of pile burning is common throughout the West and
• Pile burning and other fuel treatments are not without controversy because of wildland fire misinformation from personal opinions portrayed as science, internet sites that support varying causes, or comparisons to fire regimes in other parts of the world.
• One concern about pile burning is the smoke. Another concern is that some feel we should not manage our wildlands at all. Many steps are taken to minimize smoke. Piles allow for more complete combustion, as most of the burning occurs in the flaming phase and thus lowers emission rates. Work occurs with the Utah Division of Air Quality to meet regulatory requirements, such as when the lifting and dispersion of smoke will be optimal. In addition, pile burning typically occurs earlier in the day, so the piles will burn down before the air stabilizes in the evening. Although it might sound contradictory, one of the reasons for prescribed fire is to reduce the overall amount of smoke in the atmosphere. The smoke produced from wildfire can be two to eighteen times greater than that of a prescribed fire. With wildfire, there is no control over the production and transport of emissions, and fewer strategies are available to minimize smoke.
Legal Notices
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
WAYNE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
Please take notice that the Wayne County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to consider the following:
SUBJECT: Proposal to Adopt SB174 Subdivision Approval Process
DATE: Wednesday, December 11, 2024
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Wayne County Courthouse, 18 South Main Street, Loa, UT 84747 The Planning Commission is considering adoption of SB174 Subdivision Approval Process/Local Land Use Development Revisions for Wayne County. This initial public hearing is to inform the public of the County’s desire to adopt SB174, gather input from the public, and discuss the next steps toward adoption. Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on NOVEMBER 28 and DECEMBER 5, 2024
While these short-term exposures from prescribed burning can be inconvenient and irritating, the long-term exposure from wildfire smoke is more concerning, as seen this summer when smoke from wildfires as far away as Canada impacted Utah.
• Understanding and managing wildland fire based on scientific principles in a holistic approach is essential in understanding ecosystem dynamics. As the need is realized and opportunities increase, the pace and scale of fuel treatments will expand, addressing our forest health concerns and threats from wildfire.
• Pile burning throughout Utah is planned for the fall as conditions allow with snow on the ground or enough moisture to limit any fire spread from the pile. It is conducted by federal, state, and local agencies, homeowner associations, private landowners, and companies specializing in forestry and wildland fire management. Various state and local rules may apply. Contact your local county fire warden or fire department for specifics on pile burning in your area. Through pile burning, we can effectively address the three parts of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy: 1) Developing firewise communities, 2) Creating fire-resilient landscapes, and 3) Providing a safe and effective wildfire suppression response. As communities conduct fuel management and burn piles, they support the fire-wise model. Mimicking a wildfire by thinning, piling, and burning helps ensure that when a wildfire burns through the area, the residual trees will have a better chance of surviving a wildfire and minimizing other disturbances to the landscape, such as erosion.
Courtesy USU Extension
An Alpine Forestry employee burning piles near Blanding on the Bureau of Land Management pile burn project.
Pile Burning Cont'd from A1
BOARD VACANCY LOA TOWN
Loa Town Board has one position to fill for a Loa Town board member. Interested applicants must be a full-time resident and reside inside Loa Town limits. This position is an appointed position until the next election. Please turn in a resume and brief explanation of why you would want to be on the town board to the Loa Town Office no later than December 9, 2024, by 5 p.m. We will contact all applicants for an interview to be held at the board’s regularly scheduled meeting on December 12, 2024. If you need more information, please contact Michelle Brian at 435-836-2160 or 435-616-2643.
Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on NOVEMBER 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2024
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
TICABOO UTILITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
On November 13th, 2024, the Board of Trustees of the Ticaboo Utility Improvement District reviewed and approved a tentative budget for the fiscal year 2025. On the same date, the Board also scheduled a public hearing regarding the tentative budget to be held on December 11th, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. using the Board’s regular electronic meeting. The purpose of the public hearing will be to give all interested persons in attendance an opportunity to be heard on the estimates of revenues and expenditures, rate changes, or any item in the tentative budget of any fund. After the public hearing has closed, the Board may adopt the tentative budget as the final budget, subject to amendment or revision. A copy of the proposed budget will be posted online by visiting www.ticaboouid. com/recent-news and can be examined at the district’s offices by appointment at the TUID office at the Basecamp building next to the Ticaboo Lodge, Ticaboo, Utah 84533 during normal business hours at any time prior to the public hearing.
Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on NOVEMBER 28 and DECEMBER 5, 2024
NOTICE TO WATER USERS
The applications below were filed with the Division of Water Rights in Wayne County. These are informal proceedings per Rule 655-6-2. Protests concerning an application must be legibly written or typed, contain the name and mailing address of the protesting party, STATE THE APPLICATION NUMBER PROTESTED, CITE REASONS FOR THE PROTEST, and REQUEST A HEARING, if desired. Also, A $15 FEE MUST BE INCLUDED FOR EACH APPLICATION PROTESTED. Protests must be filed with the Division of Water Rights on or before Dec. 18, 2024 either electronically using the Division`s on-line Protest of Application form, by hand delivery to a Division office, or by mail at PO Box 146300, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6300. Please visit waterrights.utah.gov or call (801)538-7240 for additional information.
GARFIELD COUNTY
NEW APPLICATION(S)
97-2528 (A84464): France Barral, Randall Eggert propose(s) using 1.65 ac-ft. from groundwater (8 miles S of Escalante) for DOMESTIC; IRRIGATION.
CHANGE APPLICATION(S)
61-3525 (a52293): Family Trust of The George R. Aiken Jr. and Donna M. Aiken Revocable Trust propose(s) using 1 ac-ft. from groundwater (2 miles southeast of Hatch) for IRRIGATION; OTHER: RV pad 100gpd/184days (0.056 af), Restroom+shower 500gpd/184days (0.2823 af); STOCKWATERING.
61-3536 (a52304): Bench Irrigation Company, Samuel M. Smith propose(s) using 64.3905 ac-ft. from groundwater (Emery Valley) for MUNICIPAL: In Bedrock Water System.
EXTENSION(S)
97-2281 (A75559): JoNell How, Matthew Herrick How is/are filing an extension for 1.73 ac-ft. from groundwater (7 miles West of Escalante) for DOMESTIC; IRRIGATION; STOCKWATERING.
NONUSE APPLICATION(S)
61-3108 (): Robert Keith and Carol A. Spencer is/are seeking a nonuse period for 0.25 ac-ft. from the South Fork Sevier River (south of Hatch) for IRRIGATION.
WAYNE COUNTY
NEW APPLICATION(S)
95-5545 (A84456): Christian Ochsenbein propose(s) using 1.45 ac-ft. from groundwater (5 miles west of Hanksville) for DOMESTIC; IRRIGATION.
95-5546 (A84457): Blake Kirkpatrick propose(s) using 1.45 ac-ft. from groundwater (5 miles west of Hanksville) for DOMESTIC; IRRIGATION.
95-5547 (A84466): Jake Velky propose(s) using 0.015 cfs OR 1.48 ac-ft. from groundwater (2 miles SE of Teasdale) for DOMESTIC; IRRIGATION; STOCKWATERING.
NONUSE APPLICATION(S)
95-1648 (D3162): State of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is/are seeking a nonuse period for 3 cfs from the Pine Creek Spring (3 miles South of Bicknell) for DOMESTIC; IRRIGATION; STOCKWATERING.
Teresa Wilhelmsen, P.E.State Engineer
Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on NOVEMBER 21 & 28, 2024
NOTICE OF BUDGET MEETING
TEASDALE SPECIAL SERVICE DISTRICT
The Budget meeting for the Teasdale Special Service District will be held on Wednesday, December 4th, 2024, at the Teasdale Fire Station at 7:00 p.m.
The public is invited to attend.
Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on NOVEMBER 21 & 28, 2024
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) FIRST PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
WAYNE COUNTY
Notice is hereby given that Wayne County will hold a public hearing on December 13, 2024, at 18 S. Main Loa, Utah, Commission Room at 10:00 a.m. Wayne County is eligible to apply to the Utah Department of Workforce Services for funding under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Small Cities Program, a federally funded program administered by the State of Utah, Housing and Community Development Division (HCD). Wayne County is eligible to apply for CDBG funding provided Wayne County meets the applicable program requirements. The purpose of the public hearing is to provide citizens with pertinent information about the Community Development Block Grant program and to allow for discussion of possible applications. This public hearing will cover eligible activities, program requirements, and expected funding allocations in the region. The CDBG Program can fund a broad range of activities, including, but not limited to: construction of public works and facilities, e.g., water and sewer lines, fire stations, acquisition of real property, and provision of public services such as food banks or homeless shelters.
In the event that Wayne County chooses to apply for CDBG funding, a second public hearing will be held at a later time to discuss the project. Further information can be obtained by contacting Teresa Brian at 435-836-1348.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations (including auxiliary communicative aids and services) during this hearing should notify Teresa Brian at 18 S. Main Loa, Utah at least three days prior to the hearing. Individuals with speech and/or hearing impairments may call the Relay Utah by dialing 711. Spanish Relay Utah: 1.888.346.3162.
Published on State of Utah’s Public Meeting Notice Website –www.utah.gov/pmn on November 22, 2024.
1 Public hearing must be held by one of these entities. Other entities wishing to apply must have one of these eligible applicants sponsor their application and hold a public hearing.
Published in The Wayne and Garfield County Insider on NOVEMBER 28 and DECEMBER 5, 2024
C lassified a ds
POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Front Desk Agents
Laundry Services
Housekeepers
Positions to start April 1st through October 31st
At Capitol Reef Resort we promote from within. Please stop by in person to complete an application. We are located at 2600 E SR 24, Torrey, UT 84775 435-425-3761
Position Announcements
POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Garfield County School District is hiring for the following positions. For the application process and description of each, please see the district website www.garfk12.org
Athletic Announcer at Bryce Valley High School
Head Volleyball Coach at Bryce Valley High School
Substitute/Activity Bus Drivers
Para-Professionals/Aides at All Schools
Substitutes for Teachers, Custodians, and Food Service Workers
SALARY: Please see 2024-2025 Garfield County School Districts Classified, District Office, and Certified Salary Schedules on the district website.
QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must be fingerprinted and satisfactorily pass an employment background check.
Garfield County School District is an equal opportunity employer. Garfield County School District reserves the right to accept or reject any or all applications.
SERVICES
When in Need, There are Resources in Wayne & Garfield Cos.
For Victims of Domestic Violence, Rape, and Sexual Assault
Canyon Creek Services
Emergency Safehouse 435-865-7443 Mobile Team 435-233-5732
New Horizons Crisis Center
145 East 100 North, Richfield Office Hours
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Shelter is open 24 hrs, 7 days a week Phone Number 435-896-9294
Counseling Services
Central Utah Counseling Richfield Office
255 S Main Street, Richfield Office Hours 435-896-8236
24 Hour Emergency Service 877-469-2822
Southwest Behavioral Health Center 601 E Center Street, Panguitch 435-676-8176
24 Hour Emergency Service 800-574-6763
Wayne Community Health Center
128 South 300 West Bicknell, 84715 435-425-3744
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
