An assistant secretary of the Interior Department has refused to halt movie production in Grand County during an appeal by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, drawing harsh words from the wilderness alliance.
The battle is over the filming of "Slaughter of the Innocents," by Camay Court Productions, Salt Lake City. In the script, a 7,000-pound wooden box - an "ark" shaped something like Noah's - is shoved from Castle Rock near Castle Valley.A helicopter would carry pieces of the set onto the landmark, where it would be assembled. Then the helicopter would be used to pick up the pieces where it fell, in a BLM roadless area.
The wilderness alliance appealed a decision by the BLM to allow the project, saying that the impact could create scars that would damage the beauty of the area. The BLM's environmental assessment contended snowfall would obliterate the traces.
The environmentalists contended that filing the appeal should result in an automatic stay in the project, but the BLM disagreed.
In the latest twist, an assistant secretary of the Interior Department, David C. O'Neill, has signed a letter stating he concurs with the BLM. O'Neill's office confirmed that the letter went out last week.
South Utah Wilderness Alliance's issues coordinator, Ken Rait, said the area is proposed for wilderness protection by the Utah Wilderness Coalition, although it is not an official BLM wilderness study area. The filming is scheduled for the end of this month. By refusing to stay the production pending resolution by the Interior Board of Land Appeal, in effect the secretary killed the appeal.
The box will be shoved off Castle Rock long before the appeals board can weigh the issues, Rait said.