Outdoor retailers leaving Utah

[green]

No, BP. OR or OIA are outta touch with Utah.

Sure, companies that put political agenda first will have some partisan backers cheering. For sure, a lot of the gear market is trendy hip liberal idealists.

But there are partisans on the other side who when they see the political grandstanding, will be glad to look for other brands to buy.

Utah retailers could make a bundle advertising their commitment to Western Outdoor lifestyles in opposition to the public being run off the land by Eastern politicians.

Weird, so if there is this huge western outdoor lifestyles movement out there, where are they? Where is their 500 million per year?

Show me the money man.

The simple fact is that we are more educated these days. We don't buy into the fantasies of the old dogma. We care about the earth. We have enough oil. We aren't as worried about making huge corporations billions of dollars, like the baby boomers were (for whatever reason).

Utah republicans are a dying breed. Religious fanatics are a dying breed. The world is changing. The far right is struggling to keep up.

This move is one that would have been applauded 20 years ago.

Now? Everyone but the uneducated and far right and those profiting off it, see the ridiculousness of it.

 

[franklin]

The state isn't ridiculous on public lands. The Feds own/control 66% of Utah. That's what's ridculious.

I have no interest in the state obtaining any additional control of federal lands contained within an arbitrarily drawn line that you consider the state. If anything, I want the state and the federal government to both purchase up and place into conservation as much land as they possibly can.

Unless you are a land developer or a high roller that can afford to purchase large tracts of land then state control of federal lands will do nothing to benefit you but will definitely do the opposite.

For example, the last time I drove up the North Fork Canyon (Sundance), there was nothing but No Trespassing signs on both sides of the road throughout the entire canyon. If that's what you want then vote for state control because that is what you are going to get (and we already have along the Wasatch Front).

 

[green]

I have no interest in the state obtaining any additional control of federal lands contained within an arbitrarily drawn line that you consider the state. If anything, I want the state and the federal government to both purchase up and place into conservation as much land as they possibly can.

Unless you are a land developer or a high roller that can afford to purchase large tracts of land then state control of federal lands will do nothing to benefit you but will definitely do the opposite.

For example, the last time I drove up the North Fork Canyon (Sundance), there was nothing but No Trespassing signs on both sides of the road throughout the entire canyon. If that's what you want then vote for state control because that is what you are going to get (and we already have along the Wasatch Front).

Middle class and lower (which is most of us), need to get this through their thick skulls.

 

[babe]

Weird, so if there is this huge western outdoor lifestyles movement out there, where are they? Where is their 500 million per year?

Show me the money man.

The simple fact is that we are more educated these days. We don't buy into the fantasies of the old dogma. We care about the earth. We have enough oil. We aren't as worried about making huge corporations billions of dollars, like the baby boomers were (for whatever reason).

Utah republicans are a dying breed. Religious fanatics are a dying breed. The world is changing. The far right is struggling to keep up.

This move is one that would have been applauded 20 years ago.

Now? Everyone but the uneducated and far right and those profiting off it, see the ridiculousness of it.

OK, so Green represents a larger slice of Utah than Red does. I find Red's basic ideals compatible with actual Utahns except for the people who need jobs that depend on the land. Those people do care about the land. Outside corporates, not so much.

So the Utah liberals who enjoy Utah's great outdoors are being excluded somewhat from private developments. I like open public land. I disdain OHV rec generally because I hate the rutted "roads", but I think we need some disabled access, more State parks, and other special management areas. Aside from that, we should expect folks to have good manners and take care of the land they walk on.

Still, about 10% of the federal lands are economically farmable/ranchable with modern water conservation and solar power becoming less expensive than transmission lines/grid power. Having families living on farms and ranches is a high moral/social positive.

Our USDA has for seventy years at least conducted a subtle but persistent policy to drive the folks off the land and let corporates buy up the private land.