Hatch Comments on Utah Lawsuit Against Wild Lands Policy

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) commented on the announcement today made by Governor Gary Herbert and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff that Utah will be suing the federal government over its new wild lands designation policy.

"I commend the Governor and Attorney General of the state of Utah for leading the court battle against a wild lands policy that has already had and will continue to have detrimental effects on developing Utah's natural resources. With a majority of land in Utah owned by the federal government, the needs of local communities must be balanced with the need to preserve and protect areas that truly have wilderness characteristics.

The Wild Lands designation was announced two days before Christmas without any congressional or local input. It is apparent the Obama Administration is clearly pandering to extremist environmental organizations.

I am currently working on legislation that will release federal lands from wilderness protections; as well as legislation that underscores that it is the responsibility of Congress to designate wilderness areas and not the administration.

At a time when gas prices are reaching an all-time high and our country is facing severe economic challenges, the administration continues to obstruct domestic energy development. This action is absolutely irresponsible and harmful to the pocketbooks of American families, and I pledge to continue to fight these policies at every turn. "

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