Noel's bill would give legislative oversight of local wilderness measures

SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Mike Noel, known for railing against the federal government's control over federal lands, says it is not hypocritical to require state lawmakers to sign off on any local land bills dealing with potential wilderness designations.

"We do in fact have a fiduciary responsibility to protect the resources of the state," Noel told a committee of lawmakers Thursday.

His HB176 would require counties to work with the state's public lands policy office and get a legislative nod of approval before any local land use bills are floated at the congressional level.

"A resolution would then come before this committee for approval," the Kanab Republican told members of the House Natural Resources Committee.

Such oversight, he stressed, is necessary to take a wider view of potential implications of locally driven land use legislation, such as impacts to adjacent counties. If the full body of the Utah Legislature gives approval, that also signals unified support for such land use designations, he added.

"This actually was a discussion I had with GOP Sen. Mike Lee," Noel said. "He could see the wisdom in having legislative oversight."

Rep. Joel Briscoe, D-Salt Lake, worried aloud that making counties jump through such a legislative hurdle would add more confusion, and more negotiators, to the mix.

"This has the potential to add 104 new negotiators on these designations," he pointed out, adding it could mire the process in bureaucratic malaise.

Kane County Commissioner Dirk Clayson said rural counties for years have been begging the state to be more of an advocate of local needs and a more active partner at the planning table — and Noel's measure would accomplish that.

The bill advanced to the full House over the objections of Briscoe and Rep. Christine Watkins, D-Price, who argued that the legislation is overly restrictive and has the potential to shoot down any local progress made on land bills designating potential wilderness areas.

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