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Oct. 21, 2000 By Jim Mimiaga Independent candidate Darrell Veach is running for the county commission because he says the private property rights of those making a living in the more isolated areas of the county are not being fairly represented. Veach, a rancher and former member of the Montezuma County planning commission, is running against Democrat incumbent Glenn "Kelly" Wilson in District 3. "Much more can be done than is being done for protecting those rights," he said. "The commission is not doing a bad job in the centralized areas, but I feel more diversity of opinion is needed to improve representation, especially for the people trying to make a living in the fringes of the county." Veach is critical of the commissioners’ handling of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. He said too little was done to inform landowners directly affected by the Clinton administration’s preservation effort. The monument restricts mining and grazing on the 164,000-acre swath of desert canyonlands known for Anasazi ruins. Veach is one of 28 landowners that own a portion of the 18,500 acres of total private property within the boundaries of the new monument. He believes that if the commission gets on board with those working to fight the monument, such as the Landowners Association, then there would be a better chance to get the monument overturned. That is only possible through litigation or an act of Congress within 90 days of the June 7 proclamation date. That is not likely, so Veach said it is important for the commission to join forces with the Mountain States Legal Foundation, a law firm spearheading the effort to overturn Utah’s Escalante Grand-Staircase National Monument approved by presidential decree in 1996. "There is too much federal involvement in the lives of local people and their livelihood," Veach said. "On the monument, whether it is here or not has not been totally decided on. We just don’t know yet. I think the commission has underestimated the opportunity to overturn it. "We had 3,000 signatures against the thing but we were still not heard." When asked about his thoughts on the controversial gravel pit approved in the scenic Dolores River Valley, Veach said it was a difficult situation, but the unpopular decision to allow it was reasonable he said because the area has been mined for gravel long before becoming a residential area. Veach sees himself as a steward of private property rights and said there should not be limits to what a landowner can do to make a living off his or her land. He said the commission has more power than is being utilized to protect the rights of landowners and their access to use resources on federal land. He views proposed acts such as the Roadless Initiative and the Clean Water Act as federally intrusive efforts designed to lock out the public under the guise of environmental protection. He is downright envious of the courage exhibited by the San Juan County, Utah, commission in using the sheriff’s department to challenge federal land-use policies. In one case the San Juan County commission ordered a deputy to take down signs put up by the Forest Service closing a well-used roadway. Veach admitted some land-use rules are needed, as long as they are not too restrictive. As a 30-year member with the planning commission Veach helped to implement the land-use code which includes practical management tools that he feels are necessary to protect the safety of the public. "For instance it is very important to protect our water source; without it we could not exist," Veach said.. "But, I am not for hard and fast zoning." |
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