Utah, wilds groups make progress on rural roads

Gov. Mike Leavitt and local environmentalists found a little room for agreement on the controversy swirling around the rural roads crisscrossing federal lands in Utah.

But environmentalists had hoped for more from Thursday's closed-door meeting, and they are still plenty nervous.

"We thought it was a good first step," said Heidi McIntosh, conservation director with Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, which has butted heads with the state time and again. "But we think there are significant problems with the governor and Department of Interior's approach that excludes the public and leaves wilderness lands vulnerable to bogus road claims. We think there's reason to continue to talk and continue to look for common ground."

Leavitt reiterated his pledge the state would not pursue ownership of any dirt roads inside sensitive areas like national parks, refuges and wilderness areas, at least not at the moment. But he also said counties or even the state could seek ownership of those roads sometime in the future.

"Our commitment is to make progress on the vast majority of roads where there is agreement," said Leavitt's spokeswoman Natalie Gochnour. "We'll save (disputed routes) for another day. The agreement we signed with the Department of Interior did not prejudice any future claims."

Leavitt and Interior Secretary Gale Norton signed a memorandum of understanding that sets up a road map whereby the state and federal government can settle their long-standing disputes over thousands of miles of roads on federal lands by handing over title to the state.

At issue are so-called "RS2477" roads, most of them dirt trails and Jeep roads created through a provision of the Mining Act of 1866 that allowed states to claim rights of way across federal land. The law was repealed in 1976, but any road in place prior to that time would still qualify as a local right of way under the old law.

Environmentalists have been skeptical of the deal since it was announced last month, and to ease those concerns, Leavitt met with his critics.

"This was a very cordial meeting and we appreciate the governor meeting with us," said Lawson LeGate, southwest region representative of the Sierra Club. "But we should have been at the table from the beginning. That was a major flaw and it is a potential source of continued trouble and controversy."