ST. GEORGE — Three months after its apparent demise in Congress, the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act is quietly being resurrected.

"It hasn't hurt to let the dust settle," said Alyson Heyrend, spokeswoman for Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, who sponsored the legislation in the House. Sen. Bob Bennett sponsored the bill in the Senate. "I think the opponents exaggerated the effects of the bill. They mischaracterized what the bill would have done," Heyrend said.

The legislation was widely criticized by environmental groups and others after it was introduced to the public in July 2006. Supporters of the bill included the Washington County commissioners, a core group of elected officials and public employees, and the bill's sponsors.

Critics of the bill said it didn't protect enough wilderness, would inappropriately sell off up to 25,000 acres of public lands and fuel development in Washington County. Proponents said the bill would set aside much-needed utility and transportation corridors, protect wilderness and designate the state's first Wild and Scenic River, create recreational opportunities and help fund conservation projects.

Although the bill was heard in subcommittee hearings, it never moved on to a hearing in the full House or Senate, effectively killing any possibility of its passage during the 109th Congress.

The Sierra Club hailed the bill's defeat during the waning moments of Congress as a major victory, touting the bill's failure as one of its "Top 10" achievements in Utah during 2006.

"It has to be clearly understood that a different and more forward-looking leadership is in charge of Congress now," said Lawson LeGate, who directs the Salt Lake City field office of the Sierra Club. "This notion of treating public lands like a cash cow is absolutely unacceptable. A bill that in any way resembles the previous bill won't have a chance."

Washington County Commissioners Jim Eardley, Alan Gardner and Denny Drake admit they are in new territory with the new Congress, but they haven't given up on the bill.

"Frankly, to get something like that done, we probably had a friendlier Congress in the 109th," said Eardley. "But we think it's worth another effort. It needs to be done for Washington County's sake."

Both Bennett and Matheson will be in Washington County this week and plan to discuss the bill with the commissioners, Eardley said. Bennett will also meet with students at Dixie High School on Tuesday to view a student-produced presentation on the public lands bill and the issues surrounding it.

"It's a good piece of legislation. We're not ready to give up on it yet," said Eardley. "If it becomes clear that the bill would become unrecognizable (because of proposed changes) then we would simply pull it and wait for another day."