New West Microcosm #3

In my last entry I argued that there is a fundamental and irreconcilable difference in worldview between those clinging to the ideas of the Old West and those advancing the New West. If I am right, I am not going to change anybody's mind by arguing the salience of any particular point. Like how a gravel pit is a destructive and economically backward way to use the SITLA land in the Torrey-Teasdale gateway to Capitol Reef National Park community.

Instead of arguing I want to envision other possible uses of the SITLA land currently in line to be turned into a hole in the ground.

New pit in paradise

Oddly, there is another ongoing pit being dug in sight of my home. I understand it is on private land so perhaps there is nothing that could have been done to prevent this scar. To the Old West mindset the land is only a resource to be dug up, mined, logged, drained or grazed. If it can't be used up, it is not a resource. In this case, a private land owner was offered a lease to mine and accepted the offer in order to make some income from the land. Sadly, they have also ruined their land and undoubtedly badly damaged their personal balance sheet. That is the way of unsustainable extraction. A little income today in turn for the long term liability of hole in the ground, mine tailings and ruined land left for future generations to suffer.

The SITLA land could go another direction. Across the West, gateway towns to national parks are prospering. They are experiencing the best sustainable economic performance of any rural area. The areas committed to the boom and bust cycles of extraction industry lag further and further behind. Torrey Teasdale is at the juncture where it could become a model gateway community or decide, for some misguided sense of custom, to dig itself up.

Future gravel pit?

The SITLA land was originally designated to be used for residential development as the most valuable. This designation mysteriously was dropped. One suggestion is that there is a lack of water. One glance at the semi-arid environment and one is inclined to shrug and say it seems to be so. But it is not so. There is plenty of water. The problem is how we use it. 85% of the water in the state of Utah goes to agriculture and industry. Most to agriculture. And in high elevation Wayne County it all goes on hay, 24/7 from early spring to late fall the massive sprinklers never stop. It takes about one acre foot of water to take care of a one family for a year. Hay requires at least five acre feet for hay. Mostly more. And hay is a low cash value crop. The only way farmers can make a go of it is that the water is provided to them basically free and a few dollars per acre feet. But this is the same Colorado River drainage area water that Las Vegas sometimes pays $5,000 and acre foot for, Los Angeles as much as $10,000. Economically, it is almost catastrophically inefficient to waste the water pouring it on hay.

An economically arrangement with urban downstream users to lease the water rights, and save a little to use for homes on the SITLA land would be a vast improvement. There is plenty of water. Just don't pour it on hay. The water would need to be treated, but a wise land developer could arrange for the treatment of enough water for 20 or 30 homes easily, efficiently, economically. There is plenty of water. All that is lacking is the vision and will. The farmer would benefit, SITLA would come out ahead, the county would come out hugely ahead, the valley's natural integrity and beauty would be sustained, the home owners would be lucky to have such a location.

I would be happiest to move into a place like Torrey and close the gate behind me to any more development. An unjustifiably entitled position, to be sure, but a typical one. Now I see that my closing the gate is going to leave the land unprotected. Better to plan and develop the are with people who are there for the natural beauty.

In upcoming posts I want to talk about local town annexation, about the Wayne County airport (38U), and dark skies. I want to envision what this exceptional gateway community could be.