Half-Baked, Back-Room Deal for Local Developers
By Franklin Seal, New West Unfiltered 9-14-06
According to Environment & Energy Daily, of the four controversial "quid pro quo" wilderness bills, one is opposed unanimously by national and grassroots conservation groups, local activists, and national opinion, and that's Bennett's Washington County bill. The others, for all their controversy and problems, were at least negotiated with local stakeholders -- but Bennett's bill is a half-baked, back-room deal for local developers, with no stakeholder negotiation or public involvement. It is so not ready for prime time. There's controversial, and then there's just plain shoddy piece of junk legislation. Bennett's is both.
Technorati Tags: wilderness, environment, activism, nature, public lands
Comments
telling us that the county has only utilized a paltry 9% of it's developable lands, it is clear to see the true intentions of the bill's proponents. Get rich quick by selling off public lands for private development, at the expense of one of the most amazing corners of our state. I have yet to hear of anyone NOT in the Utah government, or the Washington County Commission, say anything positive about this bill. I hope Congress is hearing what I'm hearing.
You can't build your way out of sprawl. I suggest everyone, especially politicians read the book "Collapse - How societies choose to fail or succeed" by Jared Diamond.
It's an excellent book chronicling past societies such as Easter Island and the Norse in Greenland and where they are now. There are some very interesting parallels and they aren't the positive kind.