DAILY HERALD: The man largely behind protecting American Fork Canyon: Mark Allen
Mark Allen with one of his horses in this undated photo.
August 13, 2015 11:00 am • Karissa Neely Daily Herald
Mark Allen of Lindon is definitely a modern-day hero to many – not for saving a person, but for saving a canyon.
Early this summer, Allen saw a Facebook post by American Fork resident Karen McCoy about the proposed Mountain Accord land swap of 416 acres of National Forest Service land in American Fork Canyon for 1,400 acres of private land in Salt Lake County’s Little Cottonwood Canyon. As he pondered how little the public knew about the swap, he decided to put his social media marketing skills to work. He contacted McCoy, and with photographer Willie Holdman, put together a dedicated Facebook page, Protect and Preserve American Fork Canyon, to get the word out.
“He wanted to make the page a clearinghouse for information. He said he was doing the Facebook page just to see if people were OK with the swap. If they were, then he felt like ‘it is what it is.’ But if they weren’t, then we’d go from there,” McCoy said. “He did it, and it just took off, it was crazy. The page took off and the public got involved.”
The page got almost 10,000 likes, and people started posting their own experiences and photos to the page. But Allen did not end his involvement there, letting the public find their way forward, and that is why McCoy, Holdman, and American Fork City Councilman Brad Frost call him heroic.
When the public started getting involved, and requiring more and more information, Allen was on the forefront gathering those facts and event times. All three believe that without Allen, the swap would have gone through almost completely unnoticed by Utah County residents and government leaders. As it was, the swell of public opinion and media attention halted the swap.
For the complete story see… http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/the-man-largely-behind-protecting-american-fork-canyon-mark-allen/article_5365239e-754b-53dd-9ccb-89b095a217ad.html
(NOTE: Mark Allen’s story is in direct contrast to Cedar Hills Mayor Gary Gygi. Despite the Mayor’s efforts, the public’s will was successfully heard, AF Canyon Vision Committee dissolved and Mark Allen’s efforts to help citizens protect AF Canyon was successful. See VIDEO of CH Councilmembers’ and others’ comments at AF High School meeting July at…. http://www.cedarhillscitizens.org/video-9-current-former-ch-council-members-attend-preserve-protect-af-canyon-meeting-at-afhs/ )
Follow the effort to “Protect & Preserve American Fork Canyon” at…
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FaceBook – http://on.fb.me/1MCVLmI (bit.ly shortened link)
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