Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt could be called Utah's landlord, since his department controls lands covering 60 percent of the state. Utah's members of Congress told him Wednesday the tenants are unhappy and want several quick repairs.
They sought help to save a plan to both protect the desert tortoise and allow development near St. George, help to restore proposed cuts in Central Utah Project funding and help to change rules that are chasing film crews off public lands.In an hourlong meeting with the delegation, Babbitt made no promises - but the congressional delegation said he gave encouragement that he will help seek solutions.
"He showed he is pragmatic and would like to solve problems and solve them quickly," said Rep. Karen Shepherd, D-Utah.
Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, pushed for the meeting to discuss problems with efforts to protect the desert tortoise, "But while we had his attention, we brought up everything else," he said.
The desert tortoise is a threatened species, and it is unlawful to kill, hurt or harass it - which has tied up development on potential tortoise habitat around St. George.
To untie it, leaders and developers there have worked three years to voluntarily develop a habitat conservation plan to create a large 44-square-mile sanctuary where no development would be allowed. It would ensure preservation of the tortoise, and allow development elsewhere.
However, Bennett said the plan is teetering on collapse because the Interior Department is proposing much lower than expected values for state and private lands that would have to be traded for other federal lands for the sanctuary.
The agency says the land isn't worth much because presence of the tortoise has limited development, and lowered its value.
"He (Babbitt) doesn't want to see this plan fall apart and will try to save it. . . . He wants to avoid the sort of conflict where everybody starts suing everybody else," Bennett said.
He said the delegation warned Babbitt that the largest landowner involved in trades is the state of Utah, and it could sue if federal actions hurt the value of school trust lands.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, also asked Babbitt to help restore $5.27 million in funding that the Clinton administration is planning to cut from Central Utah Project requests.
The Central Valley Water Conservancy District requested $25.77 million for next year, but the Office of Management and Budget has informally proposed trimming it to $20.5 million.
Hatch said Congress reauthorized the CUP last year as a model project supported by a coalition of environmentalists, water users, power companies and others. "Full funding is essential toward completing the project in a timely manner," he said.
Rep. Bill Orton, D-Utah, said Babbitt also showed willingness to use emergency procedures to change a 45-day waiting rule for permits to shoot films on public lands, which Interior started enforcing recently after complaints from environmental groups.
"He said he likes having the film industry in Utah, and will do all he can to keep it there," Orton said, adding the 45-day wait is often too long for the hurry-up-and-shoot movie industry.
The delegation wants Babbitt to use emergency procedures to change rules and allow waiving the waiting period for relatively non-controversial types of filming.
Shepherd said the movie industry has agreed to having two categories for permits - one for mere use of scenery in background shots, and another tougher-to-obtain one where explosives or dangerous stunts are involved, "and most people in that industry are environmentalists."
The delegation also expressed concern to Babbitt about proposed grazing fee increases, ability of counties to build roads in southern Utah and a proposal by Hatch to form a task force on the impact of tourism on local government in Moab - which has its population quadruple from tourists visiting national parks in summer months.
Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, was the only member of the delegation who did not attend the meeting.