The Spectrum

LTE

12/1/06

Bill is about more than debts with feds

The Sagebrush Rebellion argument for passing the land bill is without merit. The bill is not just about settling old debts with the federal government. It's not about what's "fair" for the western states regarding how much land is owned and managed by the feds. It's about growing our county to potentially 800,000 without studying the impacts of this development on our quality of life when available private land will take us to over 350,000 by 2035.

It's about putting areas such as the 62,000 acre Red Cliffs Desert Reserve at risk for encroachment - an area which was set aside in exchange for over 300,000 acres allotted for private development in Washington County. It's about integrity and not backpedaling on prior agreements. It's about setting up a corridor for a Lake Powell pipeline that hasn't had enough discussion or review to establish its need. It's about the citizens of Washington County who want answers before this land is sold when we're already up to our ears in development. It's about land "speculators" who want powerful people to ensure they get as much money as possible for their investment, which is never what "speculators" are guaranteed.

Lisa Rutherford

Ivins