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| November 16th, 2006 |
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Media Contact(s): Peter Carr (202) 224-9854,
Jared Whitley (202) 224-0134 |
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Printable Version |
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HATCH ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTS WASHINGTON COUNTY GROWTH AND CONSERVATION ACT
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| The Washington County Growth and Conservation Act will increase the protected wilderness allotted to Zion National Park (pictured). |
Washington – Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) today testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to voice his support for the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act of 2006 (S. 3636). Hatch’s prepared remarks follow.
Mr. Chairman, let me first thank you and the members of the committee for holding this hearing today.
I am pleased that Washington County Commissioner Alan Gardner will be giving his testimony this afternoon. Alan is one of Utah’s most seasoned and wise public officials, especially as it relates to difficult public land issues.
I hope the members of this committee consider carefully his comments and keep in mind that unlike land managers and biologists, Alan, as county commissioner, must balance all of the various interests in Washington County. He has more of a stake in maintaining his county’s beauty and natural resources than anyone else I know. Yet he also must plan for the water, transportation, and recreation needs for one of our nation’s driest regions and fastest growing populations.
It is my opinion that Alan Gardner and his companion commissioners, Jim Eardley and Denny Drake, are best positioned to find that difficult balance among competing interests, because no other decision maker is forced to consider all of the interests at stake in planning for the future.
It is the central role these commissioners played in crafting this proposal which compels me to support enthusiastically the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act. I congratulate Senator Bennett for what I consider to be an outstanding job of putting this complicated proposal into a sound legislative package, and I am a proud cosponsor.
Mr. Chairman, let’s consider Washington County for a moment. It is easily one of the most spectacular settings in the nation. It is host to Zion National Park, the Dixie National Forest, the Pine Valley Wilderness, Sand Hollow Reservoir, Snow Canyon State Park, beautiful sand dunes, plenty of red rock cliffs, an important critical habitat reserve for the desert tortoise, and many other valuable natural resources.
For the most part, these resources sit on public lands. Only 16.1 percent of Washington County is private land, which must be shared by the people of the county for their homes and businesses. Consider that Washington County’s population has doubled every decade since 1970, and that during this period the share of private land has not changed significantly. Clearly the county has some tough decisions to make, and this legislation will go a long way to allowing the county to manage its growth wisely.
Washington County is the driest county in the second driest state in the union. This legislation would go a long way to helping to meet these critical water needs. The county has a superb record of managing its water resources in a way that not only is very efficient, but also environmentally friendly, and that would continue with this bill.
The legislation also addresses the county’s growing transportation needs by laying out important new transportation corridors that would best manage traffic concerns into the future.
Finally, the bill addresses the future recreational and conservation needs of Washington County. The Washington County Growth and Conservation Act strikes a careful balance between the need for new motorized recreational routes and the establishment of new wilderness areas.
I think what you’ll find, Mr. Chairman, is that this bill is about finding balance in a very complicated scenario. You’ll find that opponents of this legislation tend to focus on one particular interest and feel free to ignore competing needs in Washington County. They are not required to compromise, which is why they are not empowered by the population to make these tough decisions.
Their voices should be heard, though, and I can tell you, Mr. Chairman, that I have rarely seen a more public and inclusive policy making process than the one that produced the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act. Every conceivable interest was represented with a seat at the table and included in all of the discussions, which, by the way, were open to the general public. These public meetings were numerous, in-depth, informative, and non scripted. There are some who are unhappy with the outcome, but that is often inevitable with difficult issues. All in all, Mr. Chairman, I believe this legislation is fair and balanced.
Again, I thank you for holding this hearing and urge the committee’s expedited handling of the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act.
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