When President Trump recently decided to steal Bears Ears National Monument from the people and give it uranium mining interests, I used the occasion to call the Blanding, Utah, Chamber of Commerce.
I had a short conversation with the representative who answered the phone. My question was, given that Blanding and so much of the southern part of Utah is dependent on tourist dollars to keep their economy lively, why would they spit in the face of those who supply those dollars? Did they want a boycott?
His answer was (verbatim): “We’d be happy that nobody from Colorado ever comes here again.”
So there you have it, rafters, hikers, bikers, Utah backcountry enthusiasts and tourists in general. When you go enjoy what for now, anyway, is still public land, you don’t need to feel bad about boycotting Blanding.
In fact, they really want you to.
I’ll certainly be taking them up on their invitation.
Shan Wells
Durango
