Kanab, Utah

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kanab is a city in Kane County, Utah, United States. The population was 3,564 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kane County^GR6. Locals refer to Kanab as "Little Hollywood" due to its history as a filming location for western movies. Kanab is situated centrally between Bryce Canyon National Park, the Grand Canyon (North Rim), and Zion National Park.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Controversy
4 Kanab Ambersnail
5 Notable Residents
6 Mayors of Kanab
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] Geography

Kanab is located at 37°2′8″N, 112°31′52″W (37.035510, -112.531112)^GR1. The city is located in the western Colorado Plateau.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 36.4 km² (14.1 mi²). 36.3 km² (14.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.28%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 3,564 people, 1,335 households, and 978 families residing in the city. The population density was 98.2/km² (254.2/mi²). There were 1,492 housing units at an average density of 41.1/km² (106.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.77% White, 0.06% African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.

There were 1,335 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,125, and the median income for a family was $40,778. Males had a median income of $31,741 versus $19,116 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,128. About 4.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Controversy

On January 10, 2006, the mayor and city council passed Resolution 1-1-06R, titled The Natural Family: A Vision for the City of Kanab, codifying the definition of a "natural family":

We envision a local culture that upholds the marriage of a woman to a man, and a man to a woman, as ordained of God... We see our homes as open to a full quiver of children, the source of family continuity and social growth. We envision young women growing into wives, homemakers, and mothers; and we see young men growing into husbands, home-builders, and fathers.

The text of Kanab's Natural Family Resolution is identical to a draft resolution created by the Sutherland Institute, a political think tank based in Utah that works towards public policy reform to reflect its notion of "traditional values". Echoing language from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Family: A Proclamation to the World, the Sutherland Institute wrote the draft resolution and sent it to every city in Utah, hoping to see it adopted in as many places as possible. So far, Kanab is the only city to adopt the resolution.

The resolution inspired the ire of syndicated travel columnist Arthur Frommer. He urged readers to avoid visiting the Zion National Park gateway because its city government was discriminating against gay men and lesbians. The city's businesses have already begun to feel the economic fallout. A classic car club scrapped a convention at the Shilo Inn, costing the hotel $14,000. Not all businesses support the resolution and some display signage on their business indicative of their opposition.

[edit] Kanab Ambersnail

Three Lakes, a privately-owned wet meadow near Kanab, is one of only two natural habitats for the Kanab Ambersnail. The snail was listed as an endangered species in 1992 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a species of conservation priority for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

The snail's habitat is threatened by commercial development by the owner of Three Lakes.