This came across my desk today:
Newest federal land sell-off plan: Today’s most viewed story in LA Times online
June 6, 2006
Today’s Los Angeles Times highlights the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act, the most recent quid pro quo deal for the West’s public lands. Washington County, Utah is home to red rock wilderness, threatened desert tortoises and great weather; and has been attracting retirees to communities like St. George in increasing numbers in the past few years.
Following the precedent set by Harry Reid in Nevada in 2004, Utah Republican Senator Robert Bennett is about to introduce a bill that would allow sale of up to 25,000 acres of federal land for development.
What does the public get in return?
* 219,000 acres of wilderness designation–half of which is land already being protected as part of Zion National Park.
* A 66,000-acre tortoise preserve with a highway running through it.
The bill will be introduced in the coming weeks and is expected to be followed by others like it for Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico, where there is similar pressure for developable land.
As one County Commissioner baldly states, “We’re in it for the land.”
Here is the article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-landbill6jun06,1,4464841.story
You can see a photo gallery also at the above site.
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Eyes in the West Are on Federal Land Sale
Proceeds from U.S. acreage outside Zion park would be used for local development.
By Julie Cart, Times Staff Writer
June 6, 2006
ST. GEORGE, Utah — Its mild climate, stunning scenery and proximity to several national parks have helped make Washington County one of the five fastest-growing counties in the nation. But like many rural Western counties, it has little room to expand: 87% of its land is owned by the federal government.
Now, Utah’s congressional delegation has a plan to remedy the problem, one that is being closely watched by nearly a dozen Western counties with similar growing pains. The plan is also being scrutinized by conservationists who warn that it would set a dangerous precedent, making thousands of acres of public land available for private development as well as offering a windfall for local agencies and special deals for politically influential officials and property owners.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 
adsuba@yahoo.com (please don’t share)
I am currently at student at DSC (Dixie State College) working on a research paper on water conservation. Little did I expect to find as I dug deeper into the Lake Powell Pipeline Plan. Monumental corruption within local and federal government am I finding.
If you found that LA article about development interesting, I strongly suggest reading an argument presented to the house committe in July 2000 by a real-estate developer who was being bought out by the gov’t (http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/archives/106cong/parks/00jul13/doyle.htm).
What is really interesting is that it seems that public land is being purchased or acquisitioned by the gov’t and then sold back to the same developers it is being purchased from–essentially the profits are being made in the backpockets of the same political leaders supposedly protecting public lands (Leavitt now heads up the EPA and was the first to introduce several bills which sell off public lands in Utah, including the Escalante Monument area).
The sickest part of this whole plot? Biological depletion of the Colorado River due primariy to Global Warming and over consumption suggest that the lands to be developed will run out of water, regardless of whether or not the Lake Powell Pipeline is to be built. Primary officials are well aware of this.
In a report called the Hydrosphere Study, simple water conservation efforts would eliminate the need to build the pipeline, produce water to support an additional 250,000 homes to the already existing population of Washington County across the Arizona Strip, and eliminate absolute biological destruction and devestation to valuable eco-systems in the area.
However, visions of widespread suburbia spreading across the desert equal extra monies to political powers. By selling off public lands with the excuse of using it to build the Lake Powell Pipeline, sales taxes throughout the state will be increased for 25+ years, and all lands acquisitioned will be done tax exempt or paid for by original owners, allowing gov’t officials to reap a huge profit. Expected projected costs for building the pipeline are at $500 million, with a great portion of that going towards buying the land.
Ironically, there is a very great chance that water from this pipeline will never even make it to Washington County. What’s even worse is that putting a direct tap into the Colorado River not only effects the State of Utah; it also effects the surrounding states (such as Nevada, California, Colorado, and New Mexico) primary water source.
Anyway, until there are more people down here that actually care about what’s going on, I really doubt that anything will be done to stop this development. I have conducted small surveys to identify whether selling off public land is a priority for locals here, only to find out that most people who live here really don’t have any interest at all–they’d rather be golfing.
Thanks for letting me share my perspective. 🙂