Will Rock Canyon be Reduced to Rubble?
May 20th, 2009
Hundreds gather at event to save Rock Canyon in Provo
by Jacob Hodgen
This is a tale of forbidden passion and secret romance. Shunned by the community he was raised in, despised by his neighbors, and demonized in the news, this is the story of man who risks it all for what he loves: granite landscaping rocks!
This last Saturday hundreds of Utahns gathered at the mouth of Rock Canyon in Provo to try and and stop a local man who is attempting to turn one of the most popular recreation sites in the valley into a quarry.
A Rocky Issue
Nothing brings a community together like mutual detestation, and with Chris Buttars keeping an uncharacteristically low profile, Utah recently found itself in need of a new state villain. Though you might think this would be a difficult position to keep filled, it really didn't take long before someone heeded the call.
Say hello to Richard Davis of Springdell. For better of worse, Davis's passion for gravel has earned him the ire of Utah.
Mr. Davis owns mining rights to a large section of Rock Canyon in Provo, and his current plan involves the industrious task of turning it into a quarry. The Provo Daily Herald reported, "Utah Valley was stunned to find out what he planned for the 84 acres of striking landscape: to gouge out the red rock and sell it for landscaping decorations. It's as if Yosemite's magnificent cliffs were being blown up to make gravel for driveways, or redwood forests were being cut down to make wood chips for gardens."
Utah is typically proud of its status as the reddest state in the union and is happy to exchange ease of industry for environmental caution, but many people think that Davis has gone too far in setting his sights on such a visible and beloved landmark. And it's not just residents of Provo that are up in arms, since Rock Canyon boasts some of the premier rock climbing locations in the world.
The Event
Saturday's evening-long event was hosted by Preserve Rock Canyon (PRC), a grass roots organization dedicated to its namesake. The gathering was attended by an eclectic mix of outdoor enthusiasts and drew hundreds from across the state. Music was provided at the Rock Canyon amphitheater by "Shake Your Peace," a band that powers its amplifiers with the bicycles they travel on.
Ginger Woolley is an organizer with (PRC). "What we have done is create provide forum so people can express their opinions." she says. Deanne Wright also work with PRC, and she told me that she has already seen multiple semi trailer trucks haul away granite chunk Davis' crew harvested from the mountainside. She says that this preliminary mining was done without a proper permit. "It was illegal, and the city of Provo stopped them for the time being." Deanne is now determined to prevent any more destruction in the canyon.
Laura was one of many people rock climbing during the event. She told me she wasn't pleased she might lose her access to Rock Canyon. "I don't want them to tear it down," she says. "A lot of people use this canyon for recreation. Look how many people are here today," she told me while pointing to the hiking trails and rock faces, all of which were packed with travelers.
Joseph was another climber who expressed anger at the proposal. "There's world-class climbing here. There are guys who put in tens of thousands of dollars of equipment up here into the rock so that we can climb for free. And then some guy wants to make a buck off it." Though he didn't want to see the canyon razed, Joseph did show some sympathy for Davis. "If some guy really bought mining rights, who I am to say he can't have what you paid for. But I think we can find a balance somewhere."
What do you think about the future of rock canyon?
Let us know via the forum below
Learn more about Preserve Rock Canyon at their website:
http://preserverockcanyon.com/
Reader Comments
Christine Ryder
Rock Canyon is also used by geologists frequently. Utah attracts geologists from around the world to study its formations. Colleges and other schools often use Rock Canyon to teach students about Geology because there are so many awesome examples of different aspects of the science in the canyon. Destroying the canyon would remove irreplaceable geological history. But, hey some yards would look pretty nice, right?
