It seems that some altruistic developers have hit on a creative way to come up with a free public golf course, boost the economy in Wasatch County and make the world a better place in which to live.
Yes, the Dec. 8 Deseret News front page headline proclaimed, "Developers aim to buy part of state park." Incredibly, state and local officials from Gov. Leavitt on down are seriously considering this proposal to sell 1,200 acres of Wasatch Mountain State Park. Is this legal? Or is it just morally and socially reprehensible?Sure, Utah would get a world-class golf course in return. And Wasatch County tax rolls would add a second golf course, a 250-bed, $200/night hotel and 300 luxury homes. Never mind that their very presence would forever alter the "stunning mountain scenery" that helps attract people there in the first place.
My question is, why stop with Wasatch Mountain? As long as the state can pressure landowners to sell their property to them with the assurance that it will be preserved in a natural state and then turn around and put up a trendy resort (with a free golf course thrown in), why not apply this inspired concept across the board?
Utah has plenty of other state parks that could use some help. How about high-rise condos on the beach at Antelope Island? Or a "world-class" driving range off Dead Horse Point? Perhaps a Halloween theme park at Goblin Valley would be exciting.
We could get the beleaguered state parks back in the black, create thousands of high-paying hotel clerk jobs, cure all of our economic and social ills and have the state crawling with "well-heeled clients from Southern California and New York."
Gee, maybe if the feds see how well we're doing with this, they'll start reducing the deficit by selling off the national parks.
Steve Camp
Murray