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Show The Park Record Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, May 20-23, 2017 A-5 COUNTY SEAT COUNTY EDITOR: ANGELIQUE McNAUGHTON 649-9014 EXT. 112 | Countynews@parkrecord.com County may join effort to oppose transfer of public lands Council weighs merits of the Public Lands Initiative ANGELIQUE MCNAUGHTON The Park Record Summit County Council members say they are strongly considering pulling out of U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) public lands initiative because the current draft of the bill is “inconsistent with our community’s values.” Wednesday, the County Council discussed whether they want to maintain the county’s involvement with the bill or pursue a separate piece of legislation, which would include passing a resolution supporting federal control of millions of acres throughout the state. “We do run the risk of being labeled as a stakeholder that supports the overall bill,” said County Councilor Roger Armstrong. “We should reengage, but if we can’t get what we want from the bill itself, perhaps, we pull out and pursue our own bill. If the public lands initiative doesn’t get support, we might still be able to get the protections that we need because, on our end, this is not a partisan piece of legislation that we put together. It is something that benefits a number of stakeholders and it protects critical watersheds.” Bishop and U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) have been working for nearly four years with various stakeholders to come up with a proposal to improve the management of public lands, particularly in the south- ANGELIQUE MCNAUGHTON / PARK RECORD From left: Lisa Lundquist, Dena Fleming, Heidi and Peter Gatch, and Becky Yih, were all smiles on Wednesday after the County Council agreed to reconsider its role in U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) public lands initiative. Nearly 20 members of the “Keep Public Lands in Public Hands” attended the council’s discussion. ern part of the state. The legislation addressed land protection, conservation, recreation and economic development for more than 18 million acres of land. It was crafted from proposals submitted by Summit, Duchesne, Uintah, Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan Counties. The draft said approximately 26, 701 acres that are located in Summit, Duchesne and Uintah Counties would be added to the 456,000 acres of existing wilderness in the Uinta Mountains. It also would establish three special management areas, including the Widdop Mountain, East Fork Smiths Fork and Little West Fork Blacks Fork. Since the bill’s introduction, it has been heavily scrutinized by groups who oppose the transfer of federal public lands to the state, including the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club. A group of nearly 20 volunteers that are part of the “Keep Public Lands in Public Hands” campaign attended the County Council discussion about the matter on DENNIS HANLON Your Tuhaye Connection Wednesday. County Councilor Glenn Wright said he is opposed to an all-encompassing bill, adding “the views of other counties are dramatically different than our own.” “They have very different concerns than what we have here and I think we need to uphold our values,” Wright said. “I would be in favor of a Summit County-only bill, but I am very sympathetic to the staff’s concerns about time spent on it because we don’t know if it would go very far.” Janna Young, director of intergovernmental affairs, advised council members to weigh the risks associated with running a separate bill. She said the public lands proposal could move forward and pass without the county’s revisions included. “He’s (Bishop) got limited political capital and he really won’t be pushing for our bill,” Young said. “Now may be the only time to get these watershed Please see Public lands, A-6 COME HOME TO TUHAYE A Spectacular Golf Course Community Just Minutes from Park City 435.640.5851 dennis.hanlon@sothebysrealty.com Call Dennis for a complete list of homes and lots for sale in Tuhaye. CROWN JEWEL OF TUHAYE 3 BD | 4 BA | 6,345 SF | $3,390,000 Talisker Membership Included 3595 Ridgeway Drive FABULOUS VIEWS AND FINISHES 5 BD | 7 BA | 5,780 SF | $2,245,000 Talisker Membership Included 9045 Twin Peaks Drive ©MMXVII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Square footage is an estimate only. ENJOY THE TALISKER LIFESTYLE 3 BD | 5 BA | 3,323 SF | $1,395,000 Talisker Membership Included 3006 Painted Bear Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. |