Lee Retreats, Boundaries Remain

One anticipates a certain degree of procedural friction when dealing with federal land management, however the spectacle surrounding Senator Lee’s amendment—and subsequent retraction—was remarkably… tedious. The U.S. Department of the Interior, naturally, initiated the concern, framing the issue as a potential unraveling of established Park Service boundaries. It appears a routine land exchange, involving the Doyon Alaska Native Corporation, was perceived as a Trojan horse for broader divestitures. While Lee vehemently denies any intention to ‘sell national parks,’ the entire affair necessitates an exhaustive review of the land conveyance processes within Park City Municipal Corp, and, frankly, a complete reevaluation of UDOT’s long-term planning for access to recreational areas. The notion that Bryce Canyon National Park, already operating with a 25% staffing deficit, might be relinquished to state control is simply unacceptable. One pictures faded municipal beige signage and overflowing safety-orange barrels littering the landscape. Even the seemingly benign suggestion of managing sites like Golden Spike National Historic Park locally invites logistical nightmares. The workaround, as always, is avoidance. If one must travel this winter, I recommend flying private into Heber-Overgaard Airport; the congestion on SR-224 is, currently, unconscionable.