Green Groups to Continue Fight Against Stalled Wash Co Land Bill

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Now that Congress has put off a vote on a bill to sell tens of thousands of acres of public land in Washington County, environmental groups hope a slower, more public process will take place.

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Executive Director Scott Groene says his group is not simply opposed to the sale of public lands, but the philosophy of the bill, which he says would actually encourage sprawl rather than smart growth.

"It put more public land on the market, it fueled sprawl by putting money into water development without any efforts toward water conservation," says Groene. "So it will actually make the sprawl problem worse."

Groene claims the bill was written without enough public input and hopes the delay will lead its sponsors, Senator Bob Bennett and Representative Jim Matheson, to see value in the ongoing "Vision Dixie" project which addresses similar issues in a forum with local leaders, citizens and environmental groups.

Bennett says it will be Matheson's job to get the Washington County land bill passed next year when the Democratic-controlled Congress convenes.

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