You can help stop this by calling Sen. Harkin’s office at 202-224-3254 and leaving this message:

 “Sen. Harkin has been a strong supporter of protecting Utah’s wilderness lands so I want him to oppose a bill that would hurt those lands.  It is the “Washington County Growth and Conservation Act” (S.2834).  Sen. Bennett is trying to get this bill, which failed to pass the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, attached to the Continuing Resolution.  I’d like Sen. Harkin to contact the staff of the Appropriations Committee and also Sen. Reid and Sen. Durbin to express his opposition to S.2834 and to any effort to attach it to the Continuing Resolution.”

Please, if at all possible, make your phone call by Monday.

The “Washington County Growth and Conservation Act”  is bad for several reasons:  it leaves out most of the land eligible for wilderness that would be designated by Sen. Durbin’s “America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act” of which Sen. Harkin is a cosponsor and even removes some protections for land that are already in place; it would require the sale of federal public lands and give a significant portion of the proceeds to County gov’t. for local infrastructure projects – a horrible precedent as public lands should remain in public hands; it would allow off-road vehicle activity in an area that is set aside to protect the endangered desert tortoise. 

We had hoped to improve this bill to the point where it could be supported, but Sen. Bennett cut off the discussions.

Many thanks,

Clayton Daughenbaugh