T he Spectrum.com

Article published Dec 1, 2006
Let's get real and talk about Washington County's future

Who is telling the truth about the Washington County Land Bill? In the last two weeks, two opinion pieces have appeared in The Spectrum and have left readers wondering where the truth about the bill is to be found.

On Nov. 19, Washington County Water Conservancy District General Manager Ron Thompson asserted that the bill has no connection to the Lake Powell Pipeline. On Nov. 26, The Spectrum's own Jennifer Weaver argued that it is only fair that the bill should pass because some Westerners are angry about federal land ownership.

Despite these writers' best attempts, The Spectrum's readers can see through the rhetoric. For example, the land bill authorizes a right of way through Washington County for the Lake Powell pipeline. How can Thompson say that the two are not connected?

What Thompson doesn't want us to know is that our local water supplies can readily be stretched to accommodate 210,000 more residents in addition to the 140,000 we already have. Yes, we will have to develop additional local water sources and stop turning our lawns into wetlands, but any objective analysis of the numbers shows that we can fill water tanks and toilets for 350,000 residents without building the Lake Powell pipeline.

Furthermore, the 1,100 locals who participated in Vision Dixie's "Chip Game" now see that Washington County has plenty of private land to fit the target population of 350,000 by 2035 - and have private land left over.

So if more than 350,000 people can fit on the private land currently available in Washington County to accommodate the next 30 years of growth, why do we need to sell off BLM land for development?

The answer? Selling BLM land would facilitate our population growth beyond 350,000 residents and thereby create the need for the Lake Powell pipeline.

Does this seem like the tail wagging the dog?

This is why the land bill and the Lake Powell Pipeline are intricately connected: without the proposed BLM land sales, the pipeline won't be necessary.

And the Sagebrush Rebellion? When President Bush proposed selling at least 300,000 acres of Forest Service and BLM land earlier this year, guess who balked the loudest? Hunters, anglers and ATV-ers - a Republican-dominated voting block.

It turns out that Republicans care about using public land just as much as Democrats.

Why will the Sagebrush Rebellion never regain its mid-80s momentum? Americans love public land more than ever and will make great efforts to protect their right to its multiple uses: hiking, hunting, backpacking, four-wheeling, mountain biking, horseback riding, gathering Christmas trees and more.

And as America becomes more urbanized, the West's public lands become more prized as public resources. The vast majority of Americans - especially Washington County residents - don't want to lose their "multiple uses" to subdivisions and sprawl.

This is one lesson that the Washington County land bill has taught us all: the politics of public lands in our increasingly urban Washington County have shifted. Too many local residents care too deeply about the scenery and recreation that our public lands provide to let a sprawl-fueling plan slip into action.

The days of "rolling over" are over.

Over the last four weeks, more than 1,700 local residents signed a petition asking Sen. Bennett and Rep. Matheson to "let citizens have their say before any federal legislation is passed" and "withdraw the [land bill] and instead, be guided by the Vision Dixie process to develop a growth management plan for the future." This large number of signatures, gathered mainly by mothers and grandmothers, make it clear that the Land Bill faces widespread local opposition - not just from a handful of people.

Whether the bill passes or not, it is time for us as a community to roll up our sleeves and start working on a new growth management plan that fits the new political reality of our urbanizing Washington County. Vision Dixie is our start. When the new year begins, let's join together and make this planning process real and meaningful.

Only this time around let's be completely honest with each other. Do we need to sell public land? Do we want to sell public land? Do we need the pipeline? Do we want the pipeline? Which roads do we need? Which roads do we want? Which utility corridors are necessary, which are excessive? How do we protect our air quality, night sky and access to sanity-preserving urban open space?

The most important question for our grandchildren is this: what growth management model is best for our community as a whole. Do we follow Las Vegas' example or is another example - perhaps Portland - our preference?

The good news now is that for the first time, the residents and leaders of our county have started a genuine and respectful dialogue about these important questions. It is increasingly "safe" for us to express our own desires for Washington County's future, even if this contradicts a proposal from elected or appointed leaders. Our leaders are showing signs of maturity as the dialogue evolves and deserve credit for respectfully engaging in the process. These are all encouraging signs pointing towards a better plan for a better future.

So what do you say? How about we move forward as a community and keep our eyes on the prize: a future for the grandchildren of Washington County that will make us all proud?

Lin Alder is a member of the Citizens for Dixie's Future.