From the Office of Utah Congressman Jim Matheson
MATHESON NEWS
Second Congressional District
For Further Information
Alyson Heyrend: (801) 455-5593 (cell)
www.house.gov/matheson
July 11, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BENNETT, MATHESON INTRODUCE WASHINGTON COUNTY LAND BILL ADDRESSING CONSERVATION AND GROWTH
Committees to Hold Hearings This Summer
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Striking a successful balance between conservation and responsible growth initiatives in Utah's Washington County, Senator Bob Bennett and Rep. Jim Matheson today introduced legislation to address these critical land management needs in one of the country's fastest growing counties.
"No one disputes the dramatic growth occurring in Washington County," said Bennett. "But we can't simply acknowledge the growth; we have to find a way to responsibly manage it. Congressman Matheson and I have produced a bill that provides a balanced framework for managing the growth, while also adopting substantial conservation measures. This bill will help ensure a high quality of life for future generations in Washington County."
"As promised, we looked at hundreds of comments from stakeholders about the draft proposal. I am pleased that the bill incorporates many important changes that help us balance protection for public lands with responsible growth," said Matheson.
The Washington County Growth & Conservation Act of 2006, introduced in the Senate today by Bennett, and this week in the House of Representatives by Matheson, was modeled after similar legislation authored by Nevada Senators Harry Reid (D) and John Ensign (R). Successfully addressing growth in Nevada's Clark and Lincoln Counties, the Reid-Ensign bills were approved unanimously in the Senate and the House.
A draft of the proposal, unveiled by Bennett and Matheson in March, was based on data gathered over two years by the Washington County Land Use Planning Process and Working Group. Since its release, open houses were held in Washington County for Utahns to learn more about the proposed plan and submit comments to the county and to Bennett's and Matheson's offices. Since this draft was offered for public review, numerous suggestions and recommendations have been received, resulting in significant changes from the initial draft.
Changes include:
- Removal of a proposed dam site in the environmentally sensitive Beaver Dam Wash area;
- Postponement of a specific Northern Corridor route pending more study.
Further, discussions continue regarding the addition of more wilderness, as well as greater protection for an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in the ecologically sensitive southwest area of Washington County.
During stakeholder discussions about the bill, Washington County officials and the Nature Conservancy, the Oquirrh Institute and Envision Utah reached agreement on a locally-driven process regarding future growth and development in the county. That process will direct the selection, sale and eventual use of the lands identified for disposal. This action ensures that long-term planning for responsible growth and development will occur.
"I appreciate the response our offices have received on the draft proposal and the progress we have made as a result of continued input from various stakeholders," added Bennett. "Suggestions have helped to improve this legislation. The result is a balanced, comprehensive bill. But we're not through; this bill will now be the subject of committee hearings and additional steps in the legislative process which could very well include further revisions to the language."
Sen. Orrin Hatch, a cosponsor of the Senate measure, said, "This bill is the product of a very comprehensive, inclusive and open process. And because of that, it is a very comprehensive and inclusive proposal. I congratulate Washington County, Senator Bennett and Representative Matheson for their leadership on doing this the hard way but the right way, and I'm proud to be a cosponsor."
Highlights of the Washington County Growth & Conservation Act of 2006 include:
- Designation of 165.5 miles of the Virgin River in and adjacent to Zion National Park under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the first such designation in Utah history.
- Addition of 219,725 acres of land to the National Wilderness Preservation System including 123,743 acres of National Park Service land within Zion National Park, 93,340 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and 2,642 acres of Forest Service land. This will increase the percentage of wilderness acreage in the county from 3.4 percent to 17.5 percent.
- Creation of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area to provide long-term protection for the desert tortoise and recreational opportunities.
- Disposal of non-environmentally sensitive public land, representing approximately 1.5 percent of lands in Washington County, to be identified through a locally-driven growth planning process.
- Enhanced management of Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use through the creation of the High Desert OHV Trail System identified through a public process, and provides additional resources for responsible management and enforcement.
- Establishment of critical water, transportation and utility corridors.
- Creation of a special account to fund conservation projects and federal and non-federal initiatives within Washington County, including the following:
- Protection and management of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area;
- Processing wilderness designations;
- Projects relating to parks, trails, and natural areas; and
- Trail repair and reconstruction within the Dixie National Forest.
The bill will now be sent to the Senate Energy Committee, where it will the subject of hearings later this month, and the House Resources Committee, where it is expected to be the subject of hearings later this summer.
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Alyson Heyrend
Communications Director
240 East Morris Ave. #235
South Salt Lake, UT 84115
(801) 486-1236 (phone)
(801) 455-5593 (cell)
(801) 486-1417 (fax)