Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (April 23, 2013) – Last week, Senator Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Holt (D-NJ) introduced a bill that would designate 9.1 million acres in Utah as wilderness . These 9.1 million acres, referred to as the ill-named Red Rock Wilderness Act, would designate large swaths of land as wilderness without the support of the people that actually live there. While we admire the Senator from Illinois and the Congressman from New Jersey for their efforts to involve themselves in the local land-use planning process, it is not their job to step on the people of Utah in the process.  This bill does not have the support of any members of Utah’s Congressional delegation, the governor, or locally elected officials. Nevertheless, Eastern Democrats introduce this bill year after year, and it has become yet another example of Eastern Democrats viewing the West as their playground without any regard for the people who live there.   
 
If the members from Illinois or New Jersey ever visited Utah - or actually spoke to the people in Utah - they might realize that their proposal is nothing more than a fundraising tool for special interest groups and not a serious public policy proposal.  The federal government owns 35 million acres of land within Utah, or about 68% of the state. 36% of these federal lands are already protected and off-limits to development. A large majority of these lands include the "red rocks" of southern Utah and the state’s five national parks. Utah has a strong record on conservation - with thousands of visitors and millions of dollars in economic activity each year to prove it.
 
It is safe to assume that Senator Durbin and Congressman Holt would not appreciate a Member of Congress from Utah making 9.1 million acres of land (roughly the size of two New Jerseys) off-limits in their respective states, and as mother always said, treat others the way you would want to be treated.  

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