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. . ~ CARTER URGED TO RECONSIDER CUTOFF OF WATER PROJECTS THE DENVER POST Sun., Mar. 6, 1977 To The Denver Post: I HAVE lodged my protest concerning the arbitrary and insensitive decision made by President Carter that wipes out in one stroke of a pen the long, lean years of hard work, planning and hope for a better rural life here in Colorado West. By his deletion of funding for the Dolores, Fruitland Mesa and Savery-Pot Hook reclamation projects he h~s dealt a blow to our faltering agricultural economy, already facing the bleakest drought period in 82 years of recorded weather history. On Fruitland Mesa, a beautiful upland fz:~~~nga~0a which I have been intimately acquainted with for some 22 years, the present Gould Reser- voir, and inadequate source in the drier years, is nearly dry. This much-needed project has been LAW since 1964, and the President tells us it needs more study! It I S been studied to death! Meanwhile, many small family farmers will go without water for their crops and livestock, with no hope of future water development. Just recently, the Dolores Project repayment contract was over- whelmingly approved by the local voters who pay the bills. In my own Uncompahgre Valley, the Da~ Project repayment contract was approved by a 7 to 1 margin, with ~east 5,000 total votes cast (more than usually turn out for a congressional election). Are these people, who must ultimately repay a good part of the cost, to be considered morons incepable of deciding what is or isnlt economically or environmentally sound? It is my belief that President Carter had incredibly bad advice. The East always fought the Western reclamation--ever since it was first proposed by Teddy Roosevelt. Also, I suspect that some of this co~nsel had its origin in the militant environmental organizations. As a pro- fessionally trained ecologist with two degrees from Colorado State UniverSity, I have little pati~nce with these pseudo-scientific people who hide their political "axe-grinding" behind the facade of ecology. These zealots have taken over what was only a decade ago an honered and respected profession, and have parlayed it into a well-heeled "enforce- ment" lobby that seemingly wants to dictate every facet of our existence. On analysis, this lobby eppears to consist of an arrogant "elite," who believe they are better-qualified than anyone else to manage our national resource affairs. Mr. Carter ha.s undermined the work of many good and loyal Western congressmen of his own party by his hasty action. Surely, if he values their support on other strategic aspects of his legislative program, he would be well-edvised to listen carefully to their protests. A goodly number of these congressmen won their seats handily in same of the 27 ~.