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THE NATURE CONSERVANCY ENDORSES REVISED
WASHINGTON COUNTY LANDS BILL

New Legislation Offers Improved Benefits for Conservation and the Preservation of Washington County’s Quality of Life

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — April 9, 2008 — The Nature Conservancy today welcomed the introduction of revised federal legislation to balance growth and conservation in Washington County, Utah, and urged its passage.

The Washington County Growth & Conservation Act of 2008 will generate revenues that fund the protection of Washington County’s most important lands and waters, increase preservation initiatives for key plant and animal habitat, and designate new and substantial Wilderness Areas, National Conservation Areas and Wild and Scenic Rivers.

As revised, the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act of 2008 has been greatly improved from the 2006 version and has earned our support,” said Dave Livermore, The Nature Conservancy’s Utah State Director. “If passed, this new bill will go a long way towards protecting the key natural areas which make Washington County such a special place.”

When the bill was originally introduced in 2006, The Nature Conservancy felt it did not strike the right balance between growth and conservation. Since that time, however, Senator Bennett, Congressman Matheson, local civic leaders and key stakeholders, including the Conservancy, have been working assiduously to improve the bill with encouraging results.

“We applaud Senator Bennett, Congressman Matheson and other key civic leaders and stakeholders who have worked together over this past year to greatly improve this legislation,” said Livermore. “While we would like to see more funding specifically identified for habitat restoration and sensitive species recovery, the Conservancy supports this bill and is encouraged by its potential.” 

In addition to key Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River designations, the revised Washington County Growth & Conservation Act of 2008 includes the following significant enhancements. If passed, the measure will:

• Invest millions of dollars in worthy conservation projects to preserve Washington County’s ecologically important lands and waters.
• Fund this investment through the sale of surplus, non-ecologically significant BLM land. Land sales would be capped at 9,052 acres and all sales will be subject to federal environmental review and a thorough public input process.
• Honor the Quality Growth Principals developed by the Vision Dixie planning process in all land sales.
• Eliminate federal funding and land designations that support the potential Lake Powell pipeline.
• Create new National Conservation Areas that increase protection for ecologically important areas, such as the Beaver Dam Slope.
• Encourage federal/state/private partnerships to help manage and conserve key natural areas.

“Public lands bills need to achieve meaningful conservation – both through land designations and the allocation of funds,” said Nat Williams, the Conservancy’s Director of Government Relations. “This bill does that and sets a higher standard for similar measures being considered in other western states.”

As the bill moves through the hearing process, one enhancement the Conservancy will seek is increased funding for habitat restoration, stewardship and species recovery efforts. The Conservancy believes this added emphasis will further improve the revised bill. Additionally the Conservancy will seek assurances that funds will be spent promptly on high priority conservation projects.

“The bottom-line is that the Conservancy believes this revised legislation holds great promise for the future of Washington County and sets a good precedent,” said Livermore. “We must act now to save Washington County’s natural heritage, and this bill is a major step in the right direction.”

The Nature Conservancy has been involved in the preservation of Washington County’s unique ecosystems for more than 20 years. Washington County is the most ecologically diverse county in Utah and one of the most ecologically significant counties in the United States, supporting a wealth of rare and unique plants and animals, including 12 species protected under the Endangered Species Act. One of the fastest growing counties in the nation, this region has a clear and urgent need to balance its rapid development with the conservation of its natural lands and waters.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.