Wally Parks
Wally Parks called me to say he is feeling much better and hopes to be back
in full swing by the middle of next week. He said his only problem seems to
be the ability to say, "No" to the many projects and invitations that come
his way. The residual effects of many jobs well-done over the years I
suspect.
For a person of 87 years, his voice was strong and resolute, making me
marvel at his great physical resilient stamina. then again, we all thrive
when he can live in a realm we love and Wally sure loves racing.
Salt Flats Threat
Steve Bloch, the attorney working with SUWA, the Southern Utah Wilderness
Alliance, called today. He stated that he was concerned that the BLM was not
doing its job with respect to the biological life at Silver Island as well
as the land to the North and the West of the Island. He further stated that
SUWA had no opinion with respect to racing at this time, not was it
interested in the flats themselves -- only the surrounding mud flats.
Bloch has indeed been out to the flats and has seen those place where
vehicles have ripped a dandy through, or become stuck in the mud flats. I
pointed out that such transgressions (or stupidity) cannot be linked to
racers who have for years, been warning, if not pleading with people not to
venture off toward the edges of the salt.
Further, that many people have access to the salt when there is no racing.
Rick Vesco also told me that Save The Salt had fabricated a lockable gate
for the flats, but the BLM has yet to install it.
Bloch is a "newbie" to this issue and with SUWA, having only been with the
organization for a little over a year. I informed him of the decades-old
battle that racers have been waging with government and industry over
preservation of the salt. Bloch was also told that Reilly, unlike Kaiser,
has been very helpful and cooperative and the 5-year resalination project
seems to be yielding positive results.
I also made the point that when it came to the salt, SUWA and the racers
were on the same side, a partnership SUWA may find distasteful, since its
mission is to ban vehicles traffic from various areas.
Bloch is of the opinion that there was not enough science investigation with
respect to the salt. I gave his the US Geological Survey Report number and
told him he had a lot of reading to do. I also pointed him to Rick Vesco
who could give Bloch a quick study history of the land preservation issue
and then refer him to the current Save the Salt officials.
I have asked Bloch to keep me in the loop with respect to any action SUWA
may take that might affect the slat flats. Although he agreed, it is
anyone's guess if the man will live up to his word.
"LandSpeed" Louise Ann Noeth
LandSpeed Productions
Telling stories with words and pictures
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