Down to the Wire for Wash. County Land Bill

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) If Congress doesn't approve a bill to alternately sell and preserve thousands of acres in Washington County during its lame-duck session in December, Utah could be in trouble. The bill's so-sponsor Senator Bob Bennett says delays will be costly.

"It puts it back maybe two full years and if we slip in the next Congress, four years," says Bennett. "We go too much farther and the growth in Washington County occurs without some of these land use issues being settled, we will look back and say 'Why didn't we handle some of this when we had the opportunity.'"

Bennett and Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson have worked for nearly a year to get consensus in Utah and D.C. on their land-use measure. Traditionally the Senate subcommittee on the issue saves land-use bills for the tail end of the session - which has Bennett nervous. He is banking on the success of similar bills for Nevada last year backed by Democrat Harry Reid. The new Senate Majority leader has not endorsed the Washington County measure, but Bennett expects he will be friendly, since he hails from a Western state dominated by federally-owned land.

If the measure doesn't survive December's lame-duck session, Bennett says the responsibility for its success in a Democratic congress will fall to co-sponsor Jim Matheson.

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