Natural Gas Drilling To Continue At Artifact-Rich Utah Canyon After Agreement Signed

SALT LAKE CITY — An agreement to protect a Utah canyon decorated by ancient American Indian art is expected to allow energy development in the area to move forward.

The pact is scheduled to be signed Jan. 5 by federal and state agencies, conservation and archaeology groups, tribal leaders and Denver-based gas driller Bill Barrett Corp.

It calls for road work to cut down on abrasive dust that can erode the rock art panels of Nine Mile Canyon.

The canyon – actually 78 miles long – has been called the world's longest art gallery, with thousands of prehistoric drawings.

Bill Barrett Corp. is awaiting federal environmental approval to add 800 gas wells on high plateaus accessible only from Nine Mile Canyon. The company says it's happy for the agreement after years of dispute.

Comments

[sachazg]

01:35 AM on 12/26/2009

I mean jeeez... they are only irreplaceable & might teach us something about our culture... Is there nothing that these damn gas companies are willing to spare?

[stargazer13]

10:58 AM on 12/26/2009

I live there believe me when I say that gas drilling does not hurt these petrographic picture ,s !!

people who work for these companies are just like you and me they care for their environment

I can not believe how people rush to judgment !! about these worker,s not caring they care !!

[RockyMissouri]

01:01 AM on 12/25/2009

You have got to be joking!! Greed wins out, EVERY TIME!!

[stargazer13]

11:08 AM on 12/26/2009

natural gas is greener then oil !! I live in the area !! and these workers I know some personally and can tell you this is not about greed D*mm Oil barons give every one a bad name !!

the people who work on these rigs care deeply about there environment ! I am a tree hugger !!

and am considered a environmentalist where I live which is close to where these artifacts are located !!

they have been drilling natural gas well,s as well as oil wells around there for Years first well drilled in this area in 1911 this road was built to give access to vernal thur Price Utah . Gas companies did not build this road the state did !! 100 years of car and truck travel hauling good ,s visiting family and so on !! pisses me off when people talk about these thypes of things and have no Idea what there talking about !!

[tompoe]

12:32 PM on 12/24/2009

I object!

[LittleMittens]

09:03 AM on 12/24/2009

Effin white Mormons, they'd sell their mammas if they could make a profit. No value for anyone else's history...

[stargazer13]

11:08 AM on 12/26/2009

That is not a true statement !! period !!

[simpleperson]

10:40 PM on 12/26/2009

You sound bitter...did your mom sell you.

[zombywulf]

05:20 PM on 12/23/2009

Hey it's just a bunch of scratching on some rocks, isn't it more important that they get the gas out so the gas company people can get richer?

[escribacat]

01:17 AM on 12/24/2009

Well said, zomby.

[stargazer13]

11:14 AM on 12/26/2009

we the people who live in the area love our rock paintings ! we do and have protected them !

this road was built by the state not the gas companies for over a hundred years cars and trucks have been using this road between Price and Vernal Utah !!

we care about our native art !! it is not the local,s who destroy it ! it is not the rig or rig hands who destroy it ! it is people from out of the area that come and say wow that,s cool and then commence to trying to chip off a painting to take home with them !! geez wiz

I live in this area and I know this story very well !!

[zombywulf]

01:34 PM on 12/26/2009

There ya go, it's the illegal aliens destroying it