Article from Salt Lake Tribune, September 18, 2009:
After 20 years, Red Rock bill gets first hearing in Congress Wilderness » Legislation to get first committee hearing
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Emery County Public Lands Council (PLC) is considering developing federal legislation which would finalize the wilderness designation debate. Some past events that have lead up to this action being considered include:
The Wilderness Act of 1964 defined wilderness and directed some federal agencies to inventory federal lands under their jurisdiction for wilderness qualities and make a recommendation to congress for their designation. Lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management were not included in the directive.
In 1976, the Federal Land Planning and Management Act (FLPMA) directed the Secretary of the Interior to inventory all lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, determine which of those lands were suitable to be designated as wilderness and make a recommendation to congress. BLM completed the inventory, made the recommendation, and congress, in 1983, chose to designate 450,000 acres within Emery County as Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). The study areas were to be evaluated and either designated wilderness or revert to management practices under the common resource management plans. As long as these WSAs existed, they were to be managed to a “non-impairment” standard. BLM managers could only allow activities within the WSA boundaries which would not impair the wilderness characteristics which qualified them as wilderness. Twenty six years after their designation, the WSAs still exist as they did in 1983 and congress has not acted to designate or undesignate them as wilderness.
In 1989, Rep. Wayne Owens introduced the Citizens Wilderness Proposal to congress. The proposal advocated the designation of 5.7 million acres of wilderness in Utah. The Citizen’s Proposal later became America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act and has been introduced in each session of congress since.
In 1996, President Bill Clinton designated 1.9 million acres within Garfield and Kane Counties as the Grand Staircase, Escalante National Monument under authority of the Antiquities Act. This designation was made without consultation with state or local authorities and president Clinton made the announcement while visiting a neighboring state. Many believe that the San Rafael Swell was also a candidate for designation at this time.
In 1998 and 2000, Emery County attempted to pass federal legislation which would designate some limited wilderness areas in an effort to finalize the issue. The concepts of National Heritage Areas and National Conservation Areas were also part of these legislative efforts. Both bills were unsuccessful.
In 2002, the George W. Bush administration entertained the idea of designating a San Rafael Swell National Monument. Utah Governor Mike Leavitt announced the possibility of this designation in his State of the State speech. A surprised Emery County populace managed to have the monument designation concept placed on the ballot as a referendum where it was narrowly defeated.
The Washington County Bill was passed in 2008 as part of a gigantic Omnibus Lands Use Bill. The Washington County Bill designated about 250,000 acres of Wilderness, almost half of which lies within Zion National Park. Included in the bill is language that declares the inventory process in Washington County complete and further that lands not designated wilderness by this bill would not be designated, but managed under existing resource management plans. Other language that appeals to the Lands Council are sections that eliminate buffer zones around wilderness areas and water language that protects against instream water rights being granted to BLM.
2009: America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act is introduced in the 111th congress. The act proposes designation of 9.4 million acres of wilderness in Utah, and 1.4 million acres in Emery County. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) sponsors the bill in the House, with 134 co-sponsors. Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill) sponsors the bill in the senate and claims 21 co-sponsors.
A series of eight public meetings have been sponsored by the PLC to solicit response from the public. At each meeting, this question has been asked of the attendees: Would you support legislation which 1) designates existing Wilderness Study Areas as Wilderness, 2) retains current management and use of other resources, including livestock grazing, water use, wildlife, motorized recreation, heritage resources and mineral development?
The Wilderness Act of 1964 defined wilderness and directed some federal agencies to inventory federal lands under their jurisdiction for wilderness qualities and make a recommendation to congress for their designation. Lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management were not included in the directive.
In 1976, the Federal Land Planning and Management Act (FLPMA) directed the Secretary of the Interior to inventory all lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, determine which of those lands were suitable to be designated as wilderness and make a recommendation to congress. BLM completed the inventory, made the recommendation, and congress, in 1983, chose to designate 450,000 acres within Emery County as Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). The study areas were to be evaluated and either designated wilderness or revert to management practices under the common resource management plans. As long as these WSAs existed, they were to be managed to a “non-impairment” standard. BLM managers could only allow activities within the WSA boundaries which would not impair the wilderness characteristics which qualified them as wilderness. Twenty six years after their designation, the WSAs still exist as they did in 1983 and congress has not acted to designate or undesignate them as wilderness.
In 1989, Rep. Wayne Owens introduced the Citizens Wilderness Proposal to congress. The proposal advocated the designation of 5.7 million acres of wilderness in Utah. The Citizen’s Proposal later became America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act and has been introduced in each session of congress since.
In 1996, President Bill Clinton designated 1.9 million acres within Garfield and Kane Counties as the Grand Staircase, Escalante National Monument under authority of the Antiquities Act. This designation was made without consultation with state or local authorities and president Clinton made the announcement while visiting a neighboring state. Many believe that the San Rafael Swell was also a candidate for designation at this time.
In 1998 and 2000, Emery County attempted to pass federal legislation which would designate some limited wilderness areas in an effort to finalize the issue. The concepts of National Heritage Areas and National Conservation Areas were also part of these legislative efforts. Both bills were unsuccessful.
In 2002, the George W. Bush administration entertained the idea of designating a San Rafael Swell National Monument. Utah Governor Mike Leavitt announced the possibility of this designation in his State of the State speech. A surprised Emery County populace managed to have the monument designation concept placed on the ballot as a referendum where it was narrowly defeated.
The Washington County Bill was passed in 2008 as part of a gigantic Omnibus Lands Use Bill. The Washington County Bill designated about 250,000 acres of Wilderness, almost half of which lies within Zion National Park. Included in the bill is language that declares the inventory process in Washington County complete and further that lands not designated wilderness by this bill would not be designated, but managed under existing resource management plans. Other language that appeals to the Lands Council are sections that eliminate buffer zones around wilderness areas and water language that protects against instream water rights being granted to BLM.
2009: America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act is introduced in the 111th congress. The act proposes designation of 9.4 million acres of wilderness in Utah, and 1.4 million acres in Emery County. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) sponsors the bill in the House, with 134 co-sponsors. Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill) sponsors the bill in the senate and claims 21 co-sponsors.
A series of eight public meetings have been sponsored by the PLC to solicit response from the public. At each meeting, this question has been asked of the attendees: Would you support legislation which 1) designates existing Wilderness Study Areas as Wilderness, 2) retains current management and use of other resources, including livestock grazing, water use, wildlife, motorized recreation, heritage resources and mineral development?
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