It would be incredibly good for our economy. It would mean 900 jobs, good-paying jobs, almost twice what the average pay scale is in the state of Utah. You have to have some type of an industry for the dads to work at so we can have the moms and the daughters and the sons run the service stations and motels and restaurants. Many ranchers who have grazed cattle on the public lands for generations say they would also suffer, even though they would still be allowed to graze in any new wilderness areas. Hardy Redd says the reality is that today's cowboys drive pickups and tow their horses long distances to reach the range land.
Wilderness areas prohibit motorized vehicles, making continued grazing there impractical.
My experience is that people who run livestock in wilderness areas say, yeah, they allow us to run the livestock, but they restrict us so much they make it uneconomic or make it very, very difficult to go in and repair a water system or haul salt in or maintain fences or things like that. Ken Sleight runs a guest ranch right near one of Redd's ranges near Moab, Utah. He thinks those who oppose the environmentalists' bill are losing sight of the big picture. A former cattleman, himself, he now guides tourists on raft trips through Canyonlands National Park. It doesn't belong to the Hardy Redds or the other ranchers.