WASHINGTON — Environmentalists aren't the only opponents to a controversial piece of public lands legislation that supporters say balances development and conservation in fast-growing Washington County.

Time appears the biggest hurdle for the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act of 2006 as the congressional schedule is rapidly coming to a close. If it does not pass by the end of the session, set for sometime in December, it would have to be reintroduced next year and take more time to get through — which would suit the bill's opponents just fine.

Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, told the Senate Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee on Thursday that the bill must pass to manage the growing population in Washington County within the region's public lands and resources. He said water developments, transmission lines and highways cross public lands, making it hard for future development planning.

"The federal government must play a significant and active role in securing the future and continued viability of these areas," Bennett said. "And that is why this legislation is so critical."

The bill would sell 24,300 acres in two phases, Bennett said. Proceeds from the sale would fund conservation projects within Washington County. It also designates 219,725 acres as wilderness, including some in Zion National Park, designates utility corridors and trails for off-highway vehicles, among other items.

"This bill has been mischaracterized substantially," Bennett said, saying there is no need to listen to those who want to push the bill off or not have it go through this year. "There is nothing we will learn next year that we don't already know."

Bennett emphasized that he patterned the bill after similar bills introduced by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., which helped manage land in Nevada's Clark and Lincoln counties.

"These bills show that you can strike a successful balance between conservation measures and economic development initiatives, while protecting both the public lands and the communities that depend on them," Bennett told the subcommittee.

Washington County Commissioner Alan Gardner explained how the county is growing rapidly with 1,000 new residents coming in a month.

"It is a formidable task to try to balance the preservation of special places, while at the same time assuring that growth will be accommodated in a visionary manner that provides and maintains a high quality of life," Gardner said. "Utah needs this bill."

He said it would "establish policies that will allow us to develop a vision for the future, and then gives us the tools to accomplish the various elements of that vision."