Utah, Nevada senators to push for land-use bill passage this year
A senator from Utah is working with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid to get land bills passed before Democrats take control of Congress in January. Opponents of Utah Sen. Bob Bennett’s bill, which seeks to shape growth in Washington County, have urged him to get more public input on the bill so it can be revised, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Bennett has attached his bill to a similar one proposed by Reid for White Pine County, Nev., and both would require the sale of thousands of acres of federally owned lands to make way for development. Washington County is the fifth fastest growing county in the country, but Bennett’s bill, which has been panned by the Wilderness Society, is not expected to pass when the Democrats have the majority.