Submission Number: UBR-DEIS-00608 

Received: 2/11/2021 2:06:38 PM
Commenter: Ray Dillman
Organization: 
State: Utah

Agency: STB
Initiative: Uinta Basin Railway EIS
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
I own a small cabin on 160 acres in Argyle Cayon estates. My property will be crossed on its southeast border by the proposed railway on all three of the proposed routes. The mouth of the proposed tunnel is within a few hundred yards of the stream which crosses my property. The portion of my property and adjacent property that would be crossed by the proposed railroad is heavily forested with centuries-old Colorado Blue Spruce and Limber Pines. Beautiful small groups of Quaking Aspen surround the stream and dot the hillsides. Finding and purchasing the property fulfilled a dream that originated in childhood. I spent my early years from birth to age 16 in the Uinta Basin and the most memorable of those days were spent roaming the hills and valleys of Duchesne County. Fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, and exploring the beauty and diversity that is so plentiful there became the core of my childhood happiness. This property we call Dillman's Argyle Canyon Ranch sits at 9,100 feet at the mountain's crest and descends on down the canyon. It is heavily forested in parts and much of it is open to magnificent views of the mountains and valleys to the south. My family's roots run deep in the Uinta Basin. My great grandfather Simon Peter Dillman arrived in Ashley Valley, now Vernal, in 1877. My grandfather Ray Eugene Dillman and my father Ray Earl Dillman were both raised and lived much of their lives in Duchesne County. My great grandfather William Miles owned one of the first ranches in Nine Mile Canyon, close to Argyle, where he raised seven daughters. One of them my grandmother, Mildred Miles Dillman who authored 'History of Duchesne County.'Thus the name 'Nine Mile Canyon." Owning and enjoying this property has long been a dream and now that dream has been realized I fear it will be destroyed by the greedy desires of a few powerful oil companies. I have carefully reviewed all aspects of the proposed railway and it seems very clear to me that this is an ill-conceived plan to profit a few at the expense of many who have more than a monetary interest.