Save Rock Canyon

To Mayor Lewis Billings (lbillings@provo.utah.gov) and

Brent Wilde (bwilde@provo.utah.gov):

I love Rock Canyon. I'm not even a citizen of your state, yet I'm hoping to help save this natural treasure of our Provo community. My one and only (yet life changing) encounter with Rock Canyon happened when I been in Utah for only about a week when my Environmental Studies class at Brigham Young University hiked through Rock Canyon to Squaw Peak. This was the hardest physical task I had ever attempted in my entire life (coming from sea level made it even worse); it took me a little more than two hours, but I finally made it to the top and got to take in the spectacular view of the entire valley. I realized then that if we work hard and long enough, we can do anything, even if it seems impossible.

Even though the problem that faces you, as a government authority, of what to do about Rock Canyon may seem impossible to resolve, I know that if you work long and hard enough, you can come up with a solution that will please the majority of your constituency. I have my opinion, and you have yours, but it's not about us, it's about the community.

There will be economic benefits if you allow mining to happen in Rock Canyon, but the small financial incentive is not as powerful as the general public welfare, safety, and health benefits that will come from keeping Rock Canyon a natural public recreation area free of mining enterprises.

Natural “untouched” treasures such as Rock Canyon are no longer prevalent in the world; the loss of Rock Canyon would have a severely detrimental effect on the citizens of Provo and the surrounding communities who use Rock Canyon as a place to relax, renew, and unwind from the constant activity of everyday life. It's proven that even just being in nature can reduce stress and promote general wellness.

Safety issues such as loose rock falling onto trails and hiking areas, injury from excavation equipment, and issues that arise from the merging of heavy truck and foot traffic would be nonexistent if the canyon remained free of mining and its equipment. That's one lawsuit you could avoid altogether.

Health issues will also arise. Dust from the mining excavation could affect hikers on the trail – how are you supposed to hike when you're coughing and gagging? The stream next to the mining area could become polluted, which would affect all the wildlife in the canyon that get their water supply from the stream, potentially killing native species. The water supply of Provo that comes from the canyon is also in danger of being contaminated.

Please consider these issues while making your decision. I know the process will not be easy, but please remember that all of Provo, and many others, are counting on you to keep the community's best interests at heart. And our dearest interest is to preserve Rock Canyon in its current state, without the threat of a rock quarry looming in the future.

Thank you for your time,

Dottie Bateman