Emery County is continuing work on their lands bill, hoping to match the results and decisiveness of the bill passed by Washington County in 2009. Three other Utah Counties are doing the same.
The Emery County Public Lands Council discussed their progress at the meeting held on Tuesday, and revealed that the latest language and maps can be found on the county website at www.emerycounty.com/publiclands/landuseplan.html.
Though many in the crowd prodded for a date by which the bill may be finished, the Council has not set a definite one. The closest thing to an answer came from Randy Johnson, who represents the County in Washington. He said that Emery County is working on the bill with the goal of introducing it in the current Congress.
Though Robert Bennet, who championed the Washington County bill is no longer in the senate, the County has support from Utah’s Washington Delegation. They hope to receive further support from Senator Mike Lee’s office. A staffer for the Senator, Vick Iverson introduced himself to the Council at the meeting. He said the Senator’s office plans to be “fully engaged with Emery County”, and looks forward to working with the counties in Utah, “the rural counties, especially.”
Also during the meeting, the Forest Service explained that they decided to leave the Paradise Creek Route near Potter’s Ponds open for vehicles 60 inches or narrower. They also reported that they had rescheduled a planned public open house on the Grabin Prescribed Burn for May 12 at the Emery County Courthouse from 5 to 7 p.m.
Representatives from the Division of Wildlife Resources announced that they had received eight applications for their Wildlife Board, and of the eight, Mike King, former President of the College of Eastern Utah was selected by the governor to fill the opening. The DWR will hold a Regional Advisory Meeting in Green River at the John Wesley Powell Museum in Green River next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
The Council will hold another work meeting on May 12 at 9 a.m. The next public lands meeting will be June 7 at 10 a.m. with a work meeting before, at 8 a.m.