Many people have applauded the Outdoor Retailer Show companies moving their $10 million convention business out of Utah and said that they plan to take their personal outdoor recreation dollars elsewhere this year (“Outdoor rec industry defends public lands,” HCN, 2/20/17). However, our economic role as public-lands lovers is opposite that of the recreation retailers. We vote with our pocketbooks on and near the public lands, not in Salt Lake City.
The HCN article holds the political key to defending Utah public lands in one sentence in its third-from-last paragraph: “Rep. Chaffetz recently withdrew a bill to transfer 3.3 million acres of Western public land to state control, after his proposal received harsh criticism from his constituents.” (Emphasis added.)
When we make our Bucket List tour of Utah’s “rock parks” and monuments this year, we intend to tell every store clerk, cafe owner and campground host with whom we do business why we have come, and what we’ve enjoyed about their area. They’ll know what to tell Chaffetz, et al.
Linda Blum and Harry Reeves
Meadow Valley, California
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Vote with your dollars — on public lands.
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