Black Gold for Black Hearts

Picture in your mind your most prized possession. Now imagine your mother sneaking into your bedroom in the middle of the night, snatching it and taking it apart, saying, "We can put this to better use." In essence this is what the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is trying to do to nature-loving Utahans and Americans alike. Without the full consent of the National Park Service, they sold leases to several oil companies to start drilling as close as four miles from our beloved Delicate Arch. There are thousands of acres of land that have been leased surrounding various other national parks as well. This could mean severe air and water pollution, marred landscapes, disrupted peace and tranquility, as well as possible collapsing of these irreplaceable wonders of the world.
I myself am an avid visitor of Arches National Park. It is one of my favorite places in the entire world because you can go there and forget about all your worldly cares and just reflect on all the miracles that God has blessed us with. There is nothing like it in the world. Within a few square miles you can reach tens of nature-made arches and bridges of red rock, surrounded by enormous sandstone walls shooting up on either side of you. You can be hiking between these giant fins of rock with your shoes off in the cool sand when suddenly an arch will appear out of nowhere on your right, the result of thousands of years of erosion. It is truly majestic. Now imagine you are sitting underneath one of these towering creations, a slight breeze blowing in your face, trying to ponder one of life’s deepest mysteries and¬¬ bzzzzzzz! Ching! Ching! Ching! Bzzzzzz! According to Franklin Seal of Wildland CPR, "If you're standing at Delicate Arch, like thousands of people do every year, and you're looking through the arch, you could see drill pads on the hillside behind it.” Not quite so majestic anymore.
Supporters of the leases might say that Utah needs the extra economic boost. But how much of a boost will it actually give us? According to a recent analysis of Utah oil and gas production, leasing, and future resources, “Utah's known petroleum reserves have been estimated at little more than 1 percent of those in the entire United States. Its natural gas reserves are estimated at 2.5 percent of the country's. Cast another way, ‘the total amount of oil and gas in or near the existing areas of large-scale production is estimated at 912 MMBO and 10.68 TCF respectively -- enough oil to supply the country for less than seven weeks and enough natural gas to supply the country for about five and a half months.’” Another point to consider is whether or not Utah will actually see all that oil that we are hauling out. Kurt Repanshek of the National Parks Traveler brings up a good point. He said, “After all, just because oil and natural gas come out of the U.S. reserves doesn't necessarily mean it will be consumed within this country.” Also all revenues are shared equally between the federal government and the State of Utah. So is it worth it to drill in for only a minute percentage of the country’s oil reserves when it might not even be consumed within the United States? Maybe we aren’t as directly affected as the BLM wants us to think.
To the supporters’ credit, “according to a report by the Utah Energy Office, the drilling of a typical well in the Uintah Basin adds approximately 15 jobs and $360,000 in additional personal income.” Although this may be true, there is a risk. This is all dependent on whether or not we can sustain these jobs by future development. Also there are a myriad of costly tests that the land would have to undergo before we even know whether or not it can be capitalized on. So what happens if we spend the money to administer all these tests and we find that all that land isn’t drillable?
I also recently heard the argument that the profit that we receive from tourism alone doesn’t quite suffice. But that doesn’t automatically mean that we should jump to conclusions and think that our only other option is to start ripping up the land in a mad rush to find black gold! There are other options. What about better advertising our parks? We have more of them than in almost any other state. And how often do you see a commercial on TV advertising the beautiful vistas and magnificent landmarks that are unique to our beloved state? I lots of people that would love to explore the secrets that these parks have to offer, but they may not have known that they even exist. Or if they did know, they just didn’t realize what was in store. I bet if we invested a little more time and planning into our parks, we could see an increase in revenue from tourism. We could offer incentives for the family to come and visit. I have had many bonding experiences with my family on trips to Arches that I don’t think I could’ve had any other place. There is a certain appreciation for the sacredness of nature that is felt there, but would be ruined if the land was scarred by these oil wells.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said that they would “provide administrative protection for these natural areas” and that they would work closely with the National Parks Service when it comes to selling oil and gas leases near the borders of national parks, but they went ahead and announced on Election Day that they would sell leases on more than 360,000 acres around several Utah national parks. And what’s worse, they didn’t even consult with the National Parks Service before announcing it. When asked why the Parks Service wasn’t allowed to defer the parcels, the BLM staffers kept silent. In my opinion, this is a breach on our rights as Americans. These arches are a symbol of the American dream. Settlers walked across the Great Plains looking for something better. They found more than that. America is a special land, and we need to do all we can to preserve it. Government’s role is to protect what we hold most dear, not to take it away from us. Let’s not allow greed and love of money to lead to something that we cannot take back and that we will regret.
So what can you do about it? In 2007 was proposed the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, which would permanently protect these natural wonders. You can look up more about it, and find out how you can support it. Here’s one way: go to http://www.savebiogems.org/redrock/ and send a letter to the government to let them know that you care. Or you can write your own feelings directly to the BLM at http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/res/feedback.html. Let your voice be heard. That’s what America is all about.