In order to restore natural conditions in Paria Canyon, the BLM in partnership with the Grand Canyon Trust have conducted a project to eradicate non-native shrubs and trees including tamarisk and Russian olive to protect the wilderness and wild and scenic river character of the canyon, as well as enhance habitat for riparian-dependent wildlife species.

An eight person fire crew will conduct the prescribed fire to burn which includes three to four acres, or 36 piles, of tamarisk and non-native shrubs and trees that remain from the eradication project.

Prescribed fires must meet certain weather-related and environmental factors prior to ignition. BLM fire staff will manage and monitor the prescribed fire activity. Public access will not be restricted or disrupt hiking/camping activities and signs have been posted to notify visitors. Those who have already obtained overnight permits have been notified of the prescribed fire activity.

Smoke will not be visible to the public other than to those who are hiking the canyon.

Smoke emissions will be managed in accordance with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality regulations.

For more information, please contact BLM Arizona Strip District Fire Management Officer Mark Rosenthal at 435-688-3350.

John Robert James Cody, 42, of Washington City, was sentenced Tuesday in 5^th District Court for one court of forcible sexual abuse, three counts of sexual abuse of a child – all 2^nd degree felonies – and one count of sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor.

Deputy County Attorney Ryan Shaum said Judge Eric Ludlow sentenced Cody to serve four to 30 years in prison.

Shaum added that 2^nd degree felonies carry a mandatory sentencing period of one to 15 years.  However, Utah law prohibits an individual from being imprisoned for more than 30 years unless serving a life sentence.

Cody once a taught at Pine View High School, though none of his students were involved in reported incidents reaching back to 2008.

email: news@stgnews.com

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Copyright 2012 St. George News.

OPINION –

“Organic gardening,” like many terms today, is a bit deceitful in its characterization because it assumes that only it (organic gardening) employs the principles espoused. In fact, all gardening, agriculture in general, employs elements of the organic and inorganic.

Organic horticulture is the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants by following the essential principles of organic agriculture in soil building and conservation, pest management, and heirloom variety preservation.

Organic gardening has been oversold and under-delivered. And commercial agriculture has been unfairly demonized. Many false claims and accusations have been made with regard to this debate. I will touch on a few of the issues.

First, organic purists now declare that in order to be an “organic gardener,” you cannot use pesticides, herbicides, commercial fertilizer, or human waste.

Second, without commercial fertilizer, worldwide food production would be cut nearly in half; the ensuing result would be mass starvation.

Third, if you also eliminate chemical pesticides and herbicides, worldwide food production would fall by another 50 percent, relegating most of the world’s population to perpetual starvation.

Fourth, commercial fertilizer is not “synthetic” nor is it composed of “poisons” and “harmful” stuff; some argue otherwise.

Pesticides: If you don’t use some pesticides, peaches, pears, cherries, and apples will all be worm-filled. Dormant oil and other oils are effective pesticides, and they are not poison or harmful to humans or the environment.

Pesticides are designed with just enough poison to kill a tiny bug. Labels show the percentages of active ingredients, they are miniscule; meaning, you could likely drink the entire bottle and it would have no effect on a human being.

In the home garden, little if any pesticides are necessary, except on some fruit. No cool weather crops need pesticides (broccoli, onions, beets, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, etc). Melons and all cucurbits can be managed without pesticides. Corn can be protected with a little oil on the silk or a mild pesticide. With a little labor to keep your garden weed free, you can eliminate herbicides.

Fertilizer: Nitrogen is nitrogen, and it really does not matter where you get it. If you “religiously” refuse to use commercial fertilizer, then you must get it from some other source or accept small, spindly plant growth with reduced production.

Where it rains a lot, nitrogen is not an issue because the rain pulls nitrogen out of the air and provides adequate amounts.

The next best source of nitrogen is manure, cow, horse, chicken, turkey or any other animal manure. But most home gardeners do not have enough animals to provide enough nitrogen via manure for their own gardens, so it must be obtained elsewhere. Throughout most of Asia, human waste is the primary source of crop fertilizer.

Commercial fertilizer is often called “synthetic” fertilizer, but that is also a false characterization. There is nothing synthetic about commercial fertilizer. Nitrogen and phosphorus are organic. Nitrogen is everywhere. Potash is mined; it’s a naturally occurring mineral. Phosphate is mined; it is a naturally occurring element. And steer manure is loaded with both.

According to Chris Molnar in his article, The Dirt on Fertilizer – Organic vs. Synthetics, “Chemically, these nutrients are identical to nutrients derived from an organic source.”

Commercial fertilizer is also demonized by environmentalists because they say it leaches into the ground water, rivers and lakes, and poisons or contaminates them. It is true that all fertilizer leaches; but what is the difference between nitrogen leaching into them and rain dropping tons of nitrogen into them? Nitrogen is not a poison, and neither is phosphorous or potash, they are everywhere in the earth and they end up in the water whether man has anything to do with it or not.

Environmentalists are now attempting to demonize carbon. Carbon is essential to life; it is not a poison or a pollutant. Increase the amount of carbon in the air and all plants will have more growth, food crops will have greater production. Raise the overall temperature of the earth, and food production goes up, disease goes down, and people are healthier and happier.

Not too much goes to waste in today’s world: Almond hulls are made into feed for animals; cottonseed is processed for feed for dairy cattle; and the contents of sewer sludge is used in a variety of ways, including making commercial fertilizer: all, organic stuff.

Next week I will discuss the use of animal manure in gardening.

email: news@stgnews.com

twitter: @STGnews

Copyright 2012 St. George News.

Utah state Route 14, landslide repair looking east, Cedar Canyon, Utah | Photo courtesy of Civil Air Patrol via UDOT Region Four

Workers plan to open construction safety gates Thursday, May 24, at 3 p.m. allowing the first public passage through Cedar Canyon since an October 2011 landslide destroyed nearly a half-mile of the scenic byway which connects Interstate 15 to U.S. Highway 89 between Cedar City and Kane County.

The dirt road will remain open all hours through the Memorial Day Holiday.  Construction crews plan to resume work on state Route 14 Tuesday, May 29, at 7 a.m., at which time the route will again close during the daytime.  However, motorists will be able to use the dirt road during the night from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with access open all hours through the weekends beginning on Fridays at 5 p.m.

The Restore 14 project team cut time and cost by using massive mining excavation equipment and by designing a roadway plan that reduced the amount of earth and debris to be moved from one-point-one million cubic yards of material to 400-thousand cubic yards.

The $14 million project also addresses the repair and stabilization of other trouble spots between Cedar City and Cedar Breaks National monument where slides and erosion have damaged the road.

Earthwork and structural repairs at these locations are anticipated to continue throughout the summer.

UDOT’s Restore14 website is devoted to the project.

Land Hill is part of the Santa Clara River Reserve – a 6,500-acre area of public land collaboratively managed by BLM and the cities of Ivins and Santa Clara, in part to protect the many prehistoric sites found there, including a high concentration of rock art sites that are preserved on those lands.  The BLM’s St. George Field Office has increased its monitoring efforts, is educating the public about these fragile cultural resource sites, and is pointing out the legal consequences of vandalism activities.

The many petroglyph panels of the Land Hill site reflect the stories and beliefs of the Native Americans who inhabited the area along the Santa Clara River as long as 5,000 years ago.  Preservation of this and other archaeological sites gives future generations a glimpse of cultures that thrived in the past.

Land HIll rock art, Santa Clara, Utah | Photo courtesy of BLM Color Country District, Public Affairs

A few months ago, archaeologist William Banek and law enforcement officer Scott Lowrey of the St. George Field Office began noticing increased instances of scratched graffiti near these ancient petroglyphs.

“This is probably the work of juveniles who don’t understand the value and significance of these resources,” Banek said, who will be stepping up education outreach to local schools and youth organizations to address this issue.

Banek, Lowrey and BLM volunteer site stewards are routinely monitoring the sites. Anyone caught vandalizing rock art or other types of archeological sites may be charged with a misdemeanor or felony, pay fines and restitution costs, and face community service or jail time.

If members of the public have information about this vandalism, they are requested to contact BLM law enforcement rangers at 435-688-3260 or 435-688-3341.

Submitted by BLM Color Country District

Follow BLM on Twitter @BLMUtah

Thursday, May 17:   J.C. Snow Park, 300 East 900 South, in St. George, starting at noon.

Friday, May 18:   Cedar City Main Street Park, 200 North Main, in Cedar City, starting at noon.

Friday, May 18: Hurricane Community Center, 63 S 100 W, in Hurricane,  7 p.m.

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Copyright 2012 St. George News.

A portion of the speech is below, and the full text is available here. Below is a video of the speech here.

“Mr. President, The true greatness of our nation lies in the power and promise of the American dream.  Unfortunately for many individuals and families this dream has become a national nightmare.

“Without the clear priorities and accountability of a budget we continue to careen toward the economic cliff with our massive debt and trillion dollar deficits threatening the prosperity of Americans from every walk of life.  To put it simply, we must change course!

“Restoring the American dream will require more than clever bumper-sticker slogans.  While optimism is an important part of the American dream, hope simply is not a strategy for the kind of course correction our country needs.

“Doing nothing is no longer an option! – Although this President and this Congress have attempted, by not having a budget, to convince the American people that doing nothing is the only option.

“Ignoring our broken entitlement programs, maintaining our complex tax code, and pretending we don’t have a spending problem ensures that our economy will never truly recover and the American dream will not be restored.

“The good news for Americans is that many of us do have solutions to confront and correct the country’s most pressing challenges.  In today’s debate and discussion the nation has seen that changing course and balancing our budget doesn’t take 30 years, nor does it require the kind of drastic cuts that could devastate America’s our most vulnerable citizens.

“As we approach this debate I remind my colleagues of the old adage, “You can make excuses or you can make progress, but you cannot make both.””

Submitted by the offices of Mike Lee

According to My Last Call Radio, Cross Creek is one of the finest adolescent treatment programs available in the country, and has helped thousands of young people suffering from behavioral or substance abuse problems regain their direction as positive responsible forces in society.

Helping kids in crises, is a term generally associated with Cross Creek Programs.

In addition, an integral component of the ongoing success of Cross Creek Programs is acceptance of the fact that family members are often victimized and suffer at the expense of the addict. The entire family must be treated to achieve this success.

Listen to the heart wrenching stories from family members of studio guests who will be calling in from various parts of the country Saturday. Phone lines will be open.

Studio Lines: 435-673-1450 and 888-673-1450 during program hours.

Tune in, call in, Last Call Saturdays, 5-7 p.m. PM, ox News 1450 AM & 96.7 FM, for invigorating and challenging discussions about some of the most perplexing issues we face today.

LAST CALL IS NOW HEARD ON THE INTERNET:  My Last Call with Dan Murphy, and Canyon Media Broadcasting.

ST. GEORGE – The 3A state softball tournament is a little different from the baseball state tournament. In baseball you play two games the first day of the state tournament, in softball if you win your first game, you’re done for the day and advance to Thursday. But if you lose you have to play the opening round of the consolation bracket that day.

Of the four Region 9 teams that made it to the 3A state softball tournament three still remain. All three are still in the winners’ bracket.

The Cedar Lady Reds won their first round game in dominating fashion 16-0 over Union. The Lady Reds advance to take on Tooele who beat Juab 7-0 in the first round. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Valley Complex in Salt Lake.

The Snow Canyon Lady Warriors advanced to the second round after a first round upset of Region 10 No. 1 seed Wasatch 13-6. The Lady Warriors play Grantsville who beat Payson 12-4 in the first round. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at the Valley Complex in Salt Lake City.

The final Region 9 team remaining in the state tournament is the Canyon View Lady Falcons, who beat Uintah 8-7 in the first round. The Lady Falcons take on the top seed out of Region 11, Bear River, who beat North Sanpete 2-0 in the first round. Bear River and the Lady Falcons take the field at the Valley Complex in Salt Lake City; first pitch is also at 2 p.m.

The other quarterfinal matchup in the winners’ bracket has Juan Diego taking on Spanish Fork. Juan Diego beat Pine View in the first round 5-4 while Spanish Fork crushed Stansbury 9-0. The Juan Diego vs. Spanish Fork game is also at the Valley Complex in Salt Lake City and will start at 2 p.m.

The Pine View Lady Panthers, who lost to Juan Diego, went down to the consolation bracket where Stansbury sent the team packing 11-1. The Lady Panthers end their season at 12-12 on the season.

Again different from the baseball tournament, softball winners’ bracket teams that lose the 2 p.m. games will have to play again at 4 p.m. against teams in the consolation bracket.

So, the winner of the Lady Reds vs. Tooele will advance to play the winner of the Lady Warriors vs. Grantsville. The loser from the Lady Reds vs. Tooele will play Uintah in the consolation bracket second round at 4 p.m. at the Valley Complex in Salt Lake City.

The loser of the Lady Warriors vs. Grantsville game will play Stansbury in the consolation bracket second round at 4 p.m. at the Valley Complex in Salt Lake City.

Wasatch awaits the loser of the Juan Diego vs. Spanish Fork game while Juab will play the loser of the Lady Falcons vs. Bear River game. Both consolation games will be at 4 p.m. at the Valley Complex in Salt Lake.

The semifinals in the winner’s bracket and third round of the consolation bracket start Friday at noon.

For more STATE TOURNAMENT talk, tune into Blake’s Take weekdays from 5-6 p.m. on KZNU Sports Radio – 93.1 FM 1450 AM – or online streaming live on KZNU Sports website: www.kznusports.com

sports@stgnews.com

Twitter:  @BlakesTake

ST. GEORGE – The Snow Canyon Warriors and the Canyon View Falcons are the only two Region 9 teams left in the 3A state baseball tournament. Both teams are still in the winners bracket going 2-0 last Saturday. They play each other on Thursday in the winners bracket semi finals.

The Warriors beat defending state champions Juan Diego 3-1 in the first round and beat Payson 3-0 in the second round. Both games were at Juan Diego.

The Falcons go to host their games, routing Union 18-0 in round one and smashing Delta 10-1 in the second round.

The other two Region 9 teams did not fair so well. Cedar and Dixie both went 0-2 and are out of the tournament.

Cedar was shutout of both tournament games. Losing to Wasatch 1-0 in the first round and then losing to Morgan 7-0 in the opening round of the consolation bracket.

While only four teams remain in the winners bracket, there are still eight teams in the consolation bracket that have a chance to win it all. Consolation bracket games also start on Thursday morning. Park City takes on Grantsville while Wasatch plays Juan Diego. The winners of those games will play each other while the losers are out. The bottom half of the consolation bracket pits Payson against Morgan and Delta against Stansbury. The winners of those games will also play each other and the losers will be out of the state tournament. The winners of the games will meet at 4:30 p.m. at Kearns High School.

The winner’s bracket has the Warriors playing the Falcons at 11:00 a.m., and No. 1 ranked Spanish Fork taking on Carbon at 1:30 p.m. The winners will meet on Friday at 4:30 p.m. while the losers will drop to the consolation bracket and will play at either 11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.

For more STATE TOURNAMENT talk, tune into Blake’s Take weekdays from 5-6 p.m. on KZNU Sports Radio – 93.1 FM 1450 AM – or online streaming live on KZNU Sports website: www.kznusports.com

sports@stgnews.com

Twitter:  @BlakesTake