Chop: 1 of the fastest growing counties in the country; Combine: 2 bushels of local developers; Squeeze: 10 local politicians; Fold in 1 Senator, 1 Congressman, 1 pipeline to the Colorado River. Bake until half-done. Cover with faux wilderness. Makes 0 servings. Light and fluffy: the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act. From Utah. duh.
New West's Rocky Mountain Media Grok blog this week featured the Washington County bill, including a Deseret News article citing this New York Times editorial as evidence of a growing national opposition to the bill.
The Outdoor Industry Association joined the growing chorus of calls for Bennett to withdraw his bill, saying that "the land plan could hurt the health of Americans by closing trails and open space that can be used for outdoor physical activity." They also didn't like the fact that, "the legislation would sell off up to 25,000 acres of federal land surrounding St. George, increasing urban sprawl and greatly decreasing close-to-home recreation opportunities."
According to Environment & Energy Daily, of the four controversial "quid pro quo" wilderness bills currently making the rounds on the Hill, one is opposed unanimously by national and grassroots conservation groups, local activists, and national opinion, and that's Bennett's Washington County bill. The others, for all their controversy and problems, were at least negotiated with local stakeholders -- but Bennett's bill is a half-baked, back-room deal for local developers, with no stakeholder negotiation or public involvement. It is so not ready for prime time. There's controversial, and then there's just plain shoddy piece of junk legislation. Bennett's is both.