Buck In Brief

Protecting Book Cliffs in Northeastern Utah

In Brief: A battle that began at least a decade ago -- to save spectacular wildlands in Utah from oil and gas developers -- flares anew.

03/15/03

As I look back upon my tenure at Earthjustice, I realize how many victories we have won once, and then been called upon to win again. You would think a decisive court victory would dissuade corporations and their high-priced lobbyists, but apparently not. They are relentless, but they can't be credited with much foresight or imagination.

For example, it looks as though we will soon be going back to court to protect Book Cliffs in Northeastern Utah, a case I recall first hearing about over a decade ago at Earthjustice. These redrock cliffs, the longest continuous escarpment in the world, form the perimeter of two million acres of wilderness. (That is roughly the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined.) The White and Green rivers flow through its canyon bottoms, creating a unique topography and a stopping place for numerous migratory birds, while sage and conifers dominate the highlands.

Although largely unprotected, this area is still predominantly roadless and is much the same as it was 140 years ago when John Wesley Powell first explored it. As a result, this area is uniquely rich in wildlife habitat (half the number of vertebrate species found in Utah are located here), archeological sites (including Native American rock art), and recreational areas. Three endangered and two candidate plant species (some of which are found only in this area of the world) and the threatened Mexican spotted owl make their home here.

In spite of the obvious environmental and cultural value of retaining Book Cliffs in its current pristine state, it has been targeted by the oil and gas industry. Earthjustice expects the Bureau of Land Management will soon permit the Denver-based company Veritas DCG to begin conducting seismic exploration for gas and oil. This exploration would entail hundreds of trucks, helicopters and ATVs crisscrossing the exploration area to drill approximately 7,500 60-foot wells along 17 different seismic lines. Explosive charges would then be detonated in the wells, and the resulting shock waves would be measured with instruments set up along the seismic lines.

This would clearly be devastating to this fragile public land. Within a week of the project being approved, Earthjustice plans to file suit to stop it. I believe we will succeed and, as always, I am heartened by the thought.

Elections and administrations come and go -- Reagan and Interior Secretary Watt gave way to Clinton and Bruce Babbitt (better in many respects, but still hardly ideal) then were reincarnated as Bush and Gale Norton -- but industry's power and interests have remained the same. Regardless, environmentalists have made significant environmental progress over the last 30 years, and I don't think those gains will be rolled back. Tens of millions of people and thousands of environmental groups -- many of whom Earthjustice is proud to count as donors or clients -- will not allow it.

Vawter "Buck" Parker, Executive Director
buckparker@earthjustice.org