Senate approves sweeping public lands bill

The Senate passed Thursday a massive package of public lands bills that would create 2 million acres more of wilderness areas nationwide — and includes a bill debated for years to decide which areas of Utah's fast-growing Washington County should be protected as pristine, and which may be developed.

The overall package also includes several smaller Utah land trade bills to help a Boy Scout camp, a ranch for troubled youth, Park City open space and shooting range in Bountiful. It would also study giving federal protection to alternate routes by those who followed the Mormon Pioneer, Pony Express, California and Oregon National Historic Trails.

The bill passed 73-21 after a one-man filibuster by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., had blocked it for months —and had even required a rare Sunday vote this week to quash his maneuvering. Coburn complained that the bill, which combines more than 160 land bills, includes wasteful spending, would block oil and gas drilling, and would hurt private property rights.

The package now moves to the House for consideration.

The Utah congressional delegation — and even environmental groups —were ecstatic that the Senate finally passed the Washington County lands bill, which has been debated and rewritten over many years to try to find a compromise between protecting wild areas and serving the needs of the fast growing area.

"This is a very gratifying day for everyone in southern Utah that has been seeking solutions to the wilderness problems in their backyards for more than a decade," said Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, who had sponsored the Washington County bill along with Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.

Matheson said, "For the first time, people who live and work in Washington County have come together on a plan that envisions preserving the remarkable quality of life here." He added, "I am encouraged by how far we've come in this effort, knowing that we're not yet across the finish line."

Even Bill Meadows, president of the Wilderness Society, was happy. "The passage of this bill will mean permanent protection for some of the nation's most remarkable wild lands as well as the promise of a new future for wilderness protection in the state of Utah." He added, "Getting to this day was no easy task."

Washington County Commissioner Jim Eardely said, "This has been a very thorough process that has led not only to this legislation, but also the Vision Dixie planning process. We believe this bill sets a historic precedent."

Among provisions of the bill are: