Utah: outdoor capital?

Gov. Mike Leavitt and Lt. Gov. Olene Walker announced plans Saturday to capitalize on and optimize the economic value of Utah's outdoor recreation industry.

"Our objective is to make Utah the outdoor recreation capital of the world," said Leavitt. "We have the facilities, we have the land and we have the industry."

The governor, who will be sworn in Wednesday as chief of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, signed an executive order creating an Outdoor Recreation Economic Ecosystem task force and directed the state planning coordinator to assist the group. Walker, who succeeds the governor, said she would make certain the panel follows through on its mission within two years.

The action follows criticism by outdoor retailers who threatened again this past week to pull their big trade shows out of Salt Lake City. Industry officials complained the third-term Republican was failing to deliver a promise to restore some measure of protection for millions of acres of federal land in Utah.

On Saturday, Leavitt stood next to powder skis and climbing equipment inside a shop to announce he was creating the outdoor task force.

The team will be made up of representatives from the outdoor industry, state government and rural county commissioners and will be charged with specific duties, including:

• Developing a market plan to promote Utah's outdoor recreation industry

• Identifying the state's premier outdoor recreation destinations and natural assets

• Assessing the land management practices already in place to ensure that those areas are adequately protected

• Targeting outdoor recreation manufacturing, retailing and tourism

• Assuring that local economies benefit from outdoor recreation economy

• Recommending how outdoor recreation and heritage tourism experiences can be integrated

"Outdoor recreation is a growing vibrant part of our economy," Leavitt said. "We are uniquely positioned as a state to grow in this industry because of the natural wonders in the land that we have in Utah."

Leavitt also requests the state planning coordinator use whatever tools available to protect roadless lands consisting of 5,000 contiguous acres or more that have wilderness characteristics.

"Through my administration we will work with this task force and I expect to see some results," Walker said. "We all enjoy Utah's recreational activities, so it's only fitting that we join together with the various groups to make certain those activities will be there for our children's children."