Two citizen groups representing opposite views, particularly on public lands, recently asked to be allowed to provide input to the Box Elder County Commission.
The Box Elder County 1st Committee, which wants to see county government take greater control over its own area, wants to ease the workload of commissioners by funneling information to them. Several subcommittees including livestock, agriculture, fruit growers, water advisory, wildlife, human resources, economic impact, recreation, special interest and business and industry are being organized by the committee.Committee Vice-chair Bill Misrasi told commissioners what sets his group apart from some other citizen groups is its determination to be a "team player" and use only positive means to limit government mandates.
At the same meeting, Fred Ward of the Box Elder Wildlife Federation Inc. met with commissioners to present a letter asking that his organization be allowed its input to the county on issues pertaining to wildlife.
The federation expressed its support of the recently established BLM Scenic Backway along the old railroad grade west of the Golden Spike National Historic Site and for proposed expansion of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge because they protect wildlife, allow multiple use of public lands and provide the county with federal monies.
Commissioners pointed out that those federal monies in the guise of federal payment-in-lieu-of-taxes and revenue sharing fall way short of what taxes would bring on the same lands. Plus, the county ends up assuming more responsibilities including mosquito abatement and law enforcement.