2011 Utah legislative outlook on the environment

It is likely that lawmakers in the 2011 legislative session will revisit a controversial stream access bill and try to hammer out when and where it is proper to cross private property in pursuit of recreational activities. The issue pits private property rights against public access to Utah's waterways. Lawmakers tried to fix the problem last year, but it is evident that problems still fester as a result o f a controversial Utah Supreme Court decision. The high court ruled that recreationists have a right to be in public waters, even if those streams or rivers cross private property. Just where those boundaries end – and private property rights begin – is at the heart of the controversial issue to be debated on Capitol Hill. Utah, too, may join several other states in the formulation of a law that will address so-called "E-waste" — with regulations that govern the disposal of equipment such as computers and cell phones.