www.tooeletranscript.com TUESDAY TOOELE RANSCRIPT Abandoned pets T have new friend at Tooele City Animal Shelter. See B1 BULLETIN November 21, 2006 SERVING TOOELE COUNTY SINCE 1894 VOL. 113 NO. 52 50 cents Tooele gas prices still higher than in Salt Lake ATV users by Alleen Lang fight CORRESPONDENT Motorists looking to fuel You would their car for the holiday sea- son will find prices in the have to take together Tooele area anywhere from economics 12 to 25 cents a gallon higher than the lowest prices listed courses to for trail in Bountiful, Orem and Provo, according to UtahGasPrices. understand com, a website linked to the access national consumer-driven gasoline GasBuddy Organization. prices. by Karen Hunt Though few service station STAFF WRITER managers are willing to go on SCOTT MCMILLAN For a few minutes Thursday record as to exactly why gas VICE PRESIDENT OF FLYING evening, Buck Swaney got up is more pricey here, industry on his soapbox — or rather a watchers say it’s a result of plastic toolchest — to empha- simple supply-and-demand ply-and-demand mechanism size the theme of an hour’s market forces, with stations in gas companies use to set prices worth of discussion: Those metro areas along the Wasatch is complex. who use Tooele County trails Front selling a higher volume “You would have to take eco- need to be responsible. of gas than smaller stations nomics courses to understand Swaney, a planning consul- in Tooele County. Local sta- gasoline prices,” McMillan tant who works for Bear West tion managers do say they have said. Consulting, was speaking in little control is setting prices. Feuerbach agreed, saying the south auditorium of the “We monitor big changes in although he has been in the Tooele County Courthouse at local gas prices then call corpo- fuel business since 1977 he is a public hearing organized as rate and they tell us what to do still learning all the variables part of Tooele County’s efforts in terms of setting local prices,” that go into setting gasoline to create a county trail sys- said Robert Feuerbach, Tooele prices. tem. Those in attendance — store manager for Sinclair. Prices vary as much as 20 largely Boy Scout leaders, ATV Sinclair’s price for regular cents a gallon even within Salt users, horseback riders and unleaded gasoline is current- Lake City depending on who hikers — expressed concern ly set at $2.35 a gallon. The supplies the fuel. Some sta- over an increased number of price is almost identical prices tions that shop around for the gates, fences and even trench- at Walker Phillips 66, Go-Fer cheapest gas do not provide es blocking access to trails Gas and Texaco, according their consumers with a consis- old-timers remember using for to UtahGasPrices.com. Store tent quality product, according generations. They were coun- managers at these locations to Feuerbach. tered by a small, less-vocal were unavailable for com- People traveling across group of landowners adamant ment. Utah can expect to pay any- about protecting their private- With a price tag of $2.269, where from $2.59 a gallon at property rights. Flying J is one of the most eco- the Phillips 66 and Texaco in In the spirit of finding a way nomical places to fuel up in the Salina to $2.09 at the Maverick to keep public lands open, Tooele area, but a few miles in Bountiful, according to many of the recreationists down the road at the North UtahGasPrices.com. emphasized that their fellow Salt Lake Flying J fuel costs “It’s a funny thing,” riders needed to show more only $2.179 per gallon. Feuerbach said. “No one respect for the environment Those kinds of discrepancies — and report those who abuse complained when Utah’s gas photography / Troy Boman make local consumers angry. it. They also suggested a bet- was 30 cents a gallon cheaper Lake Point gas prices range from $2.26 to $2.35 per gallon, offering some of the least expensive gas in the Scott McMillan, vice presi- ter mapping system and trail than it was anywhere else.” county. However, county prices are on average 18 cents more per galloon than in Salt Lake County. dent of Flying J, said the sup- markers to keep people on the right paths and off private property. “It’s a great start,” said Tooele New BLM ranger will patrol Five Mile Pass, Knolls City resident Evan Smith. “I’m SEE TRAILS ON A3 by Mark Watson Officers will spend several STAFF WRITER hours each week in the Five Mile For those who like to play Pass area, which is swamped on Tooele County’s public lands each weekend because of its County cattle it’s important to know the rules abundance of trails and close and be on your best behavior proximity to highly populated because there is a new a ranger Utah and Salt Lake Counties. production in town. “I love the outdoors and I Tamsen Johnson, who was love law enforcement,” Johnson strong, crops sworn in by Utah State BLM said. “I grew up in Box Elder Director Selma Sierra last Friday, County and I’ve been around will join Randy Griffin as a new law enforcement my whole life. still declining My dad is chief of the police law enforcement officer for the by Jesse Fruhwirth department at Weber State Bureau of Land Management’s and Mark Watson Northern Utah division, which University.” Johnson earned masters and STAFF WRITERS includes Tooele County. Johnson Statistics compiled by the will patrol hot recreational areas doctoral degrees in criminal jus- tice at Weber State and spent U.S. Department of Agriculture in the region including Five Mile show steady declines in alfalfa Pass, a popular ATV area along the past two summers working as a student with the Salt Lake and wheat production in Tooele the border between Utah and County. However, in contrast to Tooele counties. Field Office of the BLM. This summer she spent 18 weeks at those crops and despite con- “Now we’ll have another law sistent drops in cattle herds enforcement officer packing a the Federal Law Enforcement Office at Glynco, Ga — a boot statewide, cattle production in gun at Five Mile,” said Glenn Tooele has dropped only slight- Carpenter, manager of BLM’s Salt camp for federal agents. “We covered firearms, defen- ly, nearly sustaining a 25-year Lake Field Office. “We’ve been high set last year. photography / Troy Boman sive tactics, arrest tactics and counting the days until Tamsen’s Tooele cattle production return from the Federal Law New Bureau of Land Management agent Tamson Johnson was sworn in as a full-time ranger Friday morning at the Salt Lake Field office. SEE BLM ON A2 remained steady in 2006 with Enforcement Training Center.” 27,000 head — just 1,000 below the high mark set in 2004-05. Statewide, cattle populations Committee created to wade into Stansbury Lake cleanup have dropped over 10 percent from 920,000 in 2002 to 820,000 By Alleen Lang of years of frustration over about why he spearheaded the then. ers of Remax Stansbury Park in 2006. CORRESPONDENT uncontrolled weed growth in formation of the new commit- “If we can’t harness what we real estate, they depend on “Raising cattle is still a A handful of volunteers the lake and an underground tee. He said the committee know and turn the lake around the community for their live- very viable business in Tooele turned out to roll up their “fix-the-lake” Internet cam- — as well as his decision to now, I will probably sell my lihood. Currently, lakeside County and Utah,” said Leland sleeves and tackle the tough paign launched this fall, said seek a trustee seat — came house,” O’Donnell said. property is priced 20 to 30 per- Hogan, president of the Utah problem of the failing ecosys- John O’Donnell, Stansbury out of frustrations at being The risk that a downward cent higher than other lots in Farm Bureau Federation. “We tem of Stansbury Lake with Park Recreation and Greenbelt stonewalled by trustees when spiral in lake conditions will Stansbury Park, but the prices have a lot of home cattle ranch- the formation of an official Service Agency trustee. While he approached them with his result in falling real estate could slide if lake quality is es in Utah and the best way to lake committee Saturday. the people behind the Internet concerns about the lake in prices was the motivation for not improved. take care of public and private The group, made up of campaign remain anonymous, 2005. He said the situation Toni and Steve Goodsell to land is by grazing cattle. In fact, local residents, was born out O’Donnell was outspoken now is more dire than it was attend the meeting. As own- SEE STANSBURY ON A2 SEE AG ON A2 INSIDE Cloudy through OPEN FORUM A4 SPORTS A10 Thursday. Highs at DOINGS A6 HOMETOWN B1 Swimmers sweep Bees in non-league duel. 56 Tuesday and 55 OBITUARIES A8 CROSSWORD B2 See A10 Wednesday. TV LISTINGS A9 CLASSIFIEDS B2 A2 TUESDAY November 21, 2006 ETCETERA ... Corrections BLM continued from page A1 The name of a longtime spon- sor of NASCAR racing, “Busch” behavioral science,” Johnson beer, was misspelled in the Nov. said. She also spent 12 weeks 16 article “Second year brings of field training this fall in taste of NASCAR to Miller the St. George and Las Vegas Park.” The Transcript-Bulletin areas. apologizes for the error.