A fat check 

A fat check is what Utah legislator Mike Noel has promised San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman, to help pay his legal fees (and perhaps even his fines) following his conviction on federal conspiracy charges in connection with his leading an ATV protest ride through Recapture Canyon.  A canyon full of remarkable archaeological sites, the kind of place that in any other state would likely be revered and named a National Park, Recapture Canyon is apparently a place San Juan County officials think should be a playground for motorheads.

And Utah's Governor, Gary Herbert, agrees.  He has pitched $10,000 from his campaign funds into Lyman's charity bucket.  Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox tossed in $1,000, adding "We are proud to support one of our own."

Our own what?  Is he advocating willful violation of federal law?  Is he advocating motorized recreation over protection of priceless archaeological treasures?  What are these people saying, and what does it portend for the future?

Utah demonstrated its contempt for Native American heritage and historic preservation when it fired its state archaeologist four years ago.  Its leaders have now clearly shown that they consider Lyman's violation of federal law to be "fulfilling his duties" as a county commissioner (Mike Noel quoted in the Salt Lake Tribune, 6/25/15).

This kind of talk from people elected to make and uphold laws--talk of resisting federal authority--might be seen as honorable, courageous, and admirable by some, but resisting federal authority so people can ride their little toys and endanger millennia-old archaeological sites, sites already evaluated by the State of Utah and the US government as eligible for the National register of Historic Places, is sad.  It's no more than pathetic pandering to big-money exploitation.

Should we ride our ATVs through a pioneer cemetery, or a museum?  Should we sacrifice significant natural and cultural resources for a motorized playground?  Should no places be set aside for protection?  Apparently Governor Herbert and Lieutenant Governor Cox value four-wheeling over heritage, and that is a very short-sighted, self-centered view.  Those Anasazi sites are not the heritage of Herbert, Cox and Noel, all of european heritage, christian beliefs.  They clearly do not care about the heritage of the Native Americans, any more than the ISIS thugs who wantonly destroy the heritage of those they consider to be "others."

Well, Native heritage and its cultural resources are clearly "other" than the heritage Utah values.  And so are natural resources, unless they can be extracted and sold.

The precedent has been set.  Utah hates the federal government and will protect those who violate federal resource protection law and policy.  When will the next act of "protest" take place?  Who will be emboldened by the Governor's foolishness?  I suspect things will get worse before they get better.

See my novel A QUICK TRIP TO MOAB, which is concerned with related issues. https://medium.com/@kevinjones_4399