BY BRIAN MAFFLY
Nearly $400 billion worth of high-quality coal lies under lands protected by the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, but the best thing for Utah would be to leave this black bounty where it is — in favor of embracing cleaner energy sources and outdoor recreation, both of which abound in the Beehive State.
So says a new report from the group Alliance for a Better Utah that highlights the coal industry's ever-dimming future and rising prospects of eco-based tourism.
"Outdoor recreation provides 76 times as many jobs in Utah as coal — 122,000 versus 1,600 — and 27 times as much in salary and wages — $3.6 billion versus $132.8 million," said Jonathan Ruga, an Alliance for a Better Utah board member...