After reading the article in The Daily Sentinel on March 29, I was relieved to hear that the land deal between Mr. Leany and a local energy company is not going to happen.

As I was driving toward Rifle recently, I was immediately struck by the number of oil-field service companies that have set up storage yards along I-70 from De Beque all of the way to Rifle. I pulled off the road at Rulison and took several pictures of two companies who have set up business at the off/on ramps.

Despite the economic benefit the oil industry has brought Mesa County and Grand Junction, I cannot imagine that any of us want this type of business or development of any kind to blight the base of Mount Garfield. I appreciate the county wanting to pay a fair price for this land, but the commissioners should make the sale price secondary in importance, considering the long term affect that development of this sort would have on this area.

I did some ownership research and discovered that there is a large parcel nearby that is owned by the city of Grand Junction. Maybe the city would be interested in participating in this purchase. Let’s not let one of the main entrances to the Grand Valley become another casualty to the energy business. Buy this land and put it into some sort of conservation easement for the good of us all.

FRANK PAYNE
Palisade

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