Comments about ‘Congress OKs lands bill’

Once this is passed...there will be 2 million acers of desert that will become utterly WORTHLESS.

This is pathetic. It's one thing to protect lands that are majestic, unique, and awe inspiring, but those lands are already protected....now the democrats are protecting desert. And they are hurting the people that live in/near these places and that use these lands appropriately.

Harry Reid is trying to get a bunch of land here in Nevada designated as wilderness JUST SO THEY CAN'T BUILD A RAILWAY TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN! Not becuase it should be wilderness. It's a pathetic waste.

Unfortunately, public land under the Bush Administration has been used for private exploitation instead of public benefit. This new effort to protect America's treasures promotes a new balance between private and public use of our land, not just Utah's land but United States land to be used into perpetuity, not descrecrated for short-term economic rape of pillage. The value of of the land set aside shouldn't be described as "worthless" in terms of resource development and financial gain, but in terms of the preservation of wilderness for future generations, for the biosphere and ecological benefit which humans have been neglecting and destroying.

The Washington County bill is good legislation and is the product of compromise between Washington County Commissioners (all Republicans), environmental groups, and other stakeholders. This bill should be seen as a model for negotiation and compromise on sensitive land use issues in the southwest. It strikes a good balance between conservation and development.

The bill's success is due in large part to the Vision Dixie planning process that allowed for meaningful public participation and input. Proof that good things happen when local and national elected officials listen to their constituency. Now if only they would do it more often.

Elections have consequences. This is one of the best ones. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND OBAMA!

There were good things in the bill. The problem was they combined bills, ones that were good and ones that almost no one would vote for, and passed the whole thing (at least through the house).

I am glad Rep. Chaffetz voted no.

The key is management. I want my kids to inherit more than 256,000 acres of desert...I want them to inherit a way of life that let's them have access to it, sustain themselves by using its resources...Let's try to balance use. Oil and gas rigs are ugly. But so are BLM fences and roads. I find it ironic that SUWA pushes a radical closure idealism and land grab based on greed for their agenda and criticizes other groups for their greedy land visions. I'm all for setting huge tracts aside to enjoy, and maybe this closure will force new energy development; great. But let me take my grand-children into the wilderness in a jeep or a motorcycle or mountain bikes where they can really experience it. I'm certain I do less damage than a herd of cattle or a flash flood. And the take away for them will be the same as it has been for me: Once you experience it, you'll want to preserve it. Fence it off, but don't fence me out.

to: TAB L UNO This is the 1st statement I have heard that truely covers the concers we should all be seeing and working on. "but in terms of the preservation of wilderness for future generations, for the biosphere and ecological benefit which humans have been neglecting and destroying." Why is it so hard for others to catch onto it? so do they not know about the cyle of the entire world and every living thing on this earth creates something that has to be regulated in a manner not to excede its harm. mother nature(for lack of better word) takes care of her own, humans have to take care of there own. Heres the big one meaning HUMANS ARE NOT ANIMALS we have a brain they have mother nature. ok pretty simple.ie balance;equilibrium;harmonious proportion. it takes more than just humans to save the o-zone layer. I think this is a simple as it gets. I hope more read and understand what you have said,somehow,someway theres got to be understanding of this. I know most farmers and ranchers have an understanding of this.Our elected MUST have!!!!

the article only mentions the good parts of the bill that the framers wanted. Where's the Pork!!

I am beginning to think that you, Arc, either work for Chaffetz or are somehow connected with his office because you have successfully posted comments on pretty much every article about Chaffetz saying how wonderful he is. Anyway, I would like to see what Chaffetz has voted for or done since being elected. I mean, I voted for him to do something not just rubber stamp a no vote on everything. This bill was very much needed for Washington County.

Wilderness means that mountain bikes won't be allowed in the area. Only those who hike or have horses are allowed in the area. (Horses cause way more damage to the soil than mountain bikes do.) Why would we want to restrict our area that way??? This is a bad bill and our freedom to mountain bike, ride atv's and 4 wheeling has just been eliminated. Obama- yes, there is change :(

I just finished building my cabin last year and I don't want neighbors and I think the area around me should be preserved for me to enjoy.

This bill has been languishing in limbo - long after the Pope said there really is no limbo. We need to have these areas protected - if not from the oil/gas developers, then from ourselves - as the Draper Frontrunner station debate / proposal has shown all too well. We, as Utahns, will sell anything we have for money - it is our way.

As for Re:Arc (12:37) - why would you be surprised Chaffetz only rubber-stamps his "NO" vote on anything coming from a dem-controlled congress? Before you cast your vote for him, you should have listened to him speak - he couldn't open his mouth without some anti-everything diatribe. Spencer Bennion was by far a better choice to represent Utah, but when a majority of Utahn's vote straight ticket, the Republican candidates can be as arrogant as Chaffetz was about being a shoe-in, and they don't have to worry about how they say what they say. Chaffetz demonstrated that arrogance very well - but most Utahn's are too blind to see.

Well, the bill passed - it will be signed - the nation's land will be protected - from us. Yeah!

@ wilderness bad,You could get off your machine and go for a hike! Silence, inbetween the birds chirping, no atvs...sounds great!

This is just another Federal Land-Grab, and in an area that's trying to progress and develop it is stifling. The original deal was bad enough - it was 90,000 acres locked up against development or exploration for very needed resources - so we don't rely on foreign oil - remember? and then 25,000 were to be sold off - and the proceeds were going to go to Washington County to pay debt and projects locally. BUT NOooooo, the NEW deal is 250,000 acres locked up by the Feds and only 5,000 to be developed and the proceeds going to the FEDS! What the heck kind of sell-out is this by our supposed "representatives"? You who agree with this idiocy ought to move to the third world - because that's what you are creating here. God save us from this Socialist Government disguising itself as green. "The New Red is Green", people wake-up! This isn't about the environment - it's about federal control over every aspect of your lives, taking away your rights and freedoms, inch by inch, and taxing you into slavery. God save us.

@ concerned, you sound paranoid, take off your tin foil hat and go for a hike....cheaper and better than xanax!

Its public land. For you conservative, let me try to figure a way to explain that public means it belongs to all Americans. The only Americans are Utahans. Many don't even live in the West. This land belong to them.

Maybe Woody can explain it to you. He worte this while working for the WPA.

"This land is your land, this land is my land
From California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me

As I was walking a ribbon of highway
I saw above me an endless skyway
I saw below me a golden valley
This land was made for you and me."

Re: Arc

I am a state delegate who voted for him at convention.

Several years ago, Joe Cannon tried to get a bunch of things though convention mixed with things that most liked. He failed. They haven't tried that again. I am glad Jason voted against this bill twice. Not because there aren't good things in the bill, but because there are too many bad things in it.

You are mistaken or misinformed:

1- The original bill had nearly the exact same amount of wilderness as the version that passed.

2- The proceeds from the land sales go toward local projects in Washington County.

3- As demonstrated by Vision Dixie, very few Washington County residents supported developing ANY public lands, much less the 5,000 acres in the bill that passed or the 25,000 in the original bill.

4- "Red" is usually reserved to refer to communist regimes, not socialist regimes.

Wilderness means that no one but the rich can enjoy the benefits of the land since they are ususally the only ones who can get access into it! Why don't we just call all of the US wilderness and then we will stop using oil and coal and minerals from th earth and can go back to the good old days of horses and candles and wood fireplaces; oops no wood that would release too much carbon into the enviroment just wear a buffalo robe. Sounds great doesn't it. I love this administration.

you forgot to add that you now work on his staff...