Dear Mr. Xxxx,
Thank you for contacting my office regarding the Red Rock Wilderness Act. At a time when 66% of Utah's land is owned by the federal government, adding another 9.5 million acres to the roll is not prudent policy. I would also like to note that not one member of the Utah delegation is supporting this bill.
There is no doubt portions of Red Rock Country in southern Utah deserve the recognition the National Wilderness Preservation System would give. However, the crafters of this bill are not simply concerned with wilderness preservation, they are simply using the sanctified wilderness designation as a tool to curb American energy development.
Portions of rural Utah that would be locked up under this bill (portions that do not merit wilderness designation) would no longer be open to various forms of recreation. This change would also restrict energy development on our public lands. The State of Utah and the US Treasury could benefit immensely from the revenue such energy projects would produce. Utah can take the lead in our nation's quest for energy independence and I support the responsible development of Utah lands.
Upon passage, 9.5 million acres of Utah land will be off-limits to outdoor enthusiasts and recreation seekers. Off-highway vehicle users are the lifeline for some rural Utah cities and towns, and if this bill passes, those towns will fall deeper and deeper into economic recession. The OHV markets, as well as the energy market provide some of the most dependable and high paying jobs for rural Utahns. I will fight against such legislative attempts to seize these jobs and harm Utah towns through massive wilderness designations.
Scattered throughout this bill are examples of duplicate and undeserving designations which will expand the federal bureaucracy. I would like to highlight one of these examples. Section 2 (c) of the Wilderness Act of 1964 describes wilderness as, "generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable."
The proposed Glen Canyon Wilderness Area does not meet these criteria. Glen Canyon is a manmade reservoir that provides water, electricity, and a recreation destination to citizens of Utah and the west. Glen Canyon has appropriately been deemed a National Recreation Area under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service (the NPS currently has a maintenance backlog of projects on federal lands of $9 billion). This is not the time to expand the role of the federal government on Utah lands.
I wish this bill were simply about the preservation of our pristine Utah lands. There are destinations in Utah's Red Rock Country that ought to be preserved forever. Unfortunately, this bill has turned into a vehicle for a select few in Washington to prevent American energy independence and to pass their ulterior agendas at the expense of the citizens of Utah.
Sincerely,
Jason Chaffetz
Member of Congress
Seriously though... I swear everytime I look at one of these links the sponsor is almost always a NY politician.