PUBLIC STATEMENT
Today, the U.S, House of Representatives passed S.47, the Natural Resources Management Act, under suspension of the rules, which prohibited amendments to the bill and required a two-thirds majority to pass.
“The bill contains numerous conservation wins, and we applaud the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, one of America’s most popular conservation programs,” said Travis Bruner, conservation director for the Grand Canyon Trust. "The Land and Water Conservation Fund allocates oil and gas royalties for the acquisition of public lands to ensure and increase the public’s access to such lands. We've used the fund ourselves to make sure an important piece of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument near Calf Creek didn't become a second-home development."
In Utah’s portion of the Colorado Plateau in Emery County, the bill designates 660,000 acres of new wilderness, a small new national monument, a new national recreation area, and names two sections of the Green River as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
“The Emery County portion of the package is much improved from the version of the bill we opposed as recently as last fall. That’s thanks to our allies at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Senator Dick Durbin who is a true redrock champion,” said Tim Peterson, Cultural Landscapes Director for Grand Canyon Trust. “Though it’s a big step in the right direction, the passage of this bill is just the start for the San Rafael country.”
“One bill seldom solves every issue, and we still have work to do,” Peterson continued. “A large swath of Emery County is left unprotected by this legislation, including thousands of exceptional rock-art panels and threatened cultural sites attributed to the Fremont culture that are still in the crosshairs of the oil and gas industry. We look forward to exploring the best ways possible to preserve our cultural heritage for future generations. It’s far too valuable to sacrifice for fossil fuels.”
The Natural Resources Management Act also designates 1.3 million acres of wilderness across the nation and creates six new national park units. The public lands package now heads to the president’s desk for his signature.
