The gist of a public hearing to be held this week about the possibility of a “business park” at the site of the old Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant is not, as some might have you believe, the choice between a wildlife refuge and tourism jobs versus a business park and industrial jobs.

If indeed, that were the choice, it might present some difficulty for county commissioners and the public.

Industrial jobs, after all, provide a real future for a community and its children. Tourism jobs, while not to be discarded, are at the lower end of the pay scale.

But, as we said, that is not the choice.

Because so far as we know there is not currently any business or industry that might want to locate on the property. This, in fact, is just what those who support the business park have said. The business park proposal is for a speculative set-aside.

Thus, the real choice is between wildlife refuge and the complete unknown. That being the case, we choose wildlife refuge.