Resolution would curtail designation of Utah lands as wilderness

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance attorney Steven Bloch was placed under oath Wednesday at the start of his response to a piece of legislation and then not allowed to respond to closing remarks by the chairman of the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee.

Committee members voted in favor of HJR10, which urges Congress to let Utah's congressional delegation have the final say before public lands in their state are designated as "wilderness" by lawmakers in Washington. Congress is currently considering a bill that would designate about 9 million acres in Utah as wilderness territory, which opponents say would critically limit needed uses of that land.

The Utah House has given its approval of HJR10 and the resolution now moves on to the full Senate.

Bloch was the only person present during the committee meeting Wednesday who spoke against the resolution and he was the only one placed under oath, a request made by Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem. In an attempt to show that SUWA does not represent the wishes of a majority of Utahns, Dayton and others asked Bloch about SUWA's contributors and membership.

Bloch said the nonprofit SUWA does not legally have to disclose who its contributors are and that Utahns make up about half of its membership. Bloch and lawmakers passionately disagreed on how much of an impact designating millions of acres will have on energy and economic development, public access to those lands and access by ranchers.