Hatch, Bennett: No to Red Rock Bill

Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett voice their strong opposition to a proposed bill that would designate 9.4 million acres in Utah as wilderness. Says Hatch: "The authors of the legislation were careful to name it 'America's Red Rock Wilderness Act,' not 'Utah's Red Rock Wilderness Act,' even though the bill's only purpose is to designate more than one-sixth of my state as formal wilderness. ... I would be surprised if there were many members of Congress who would not take at least some offense at a proposal to set aside a sixth of their state or district without their consultation or input." Says Bennett: "The red rock legislation fails to meet the mark in all respects. It does not represent progress, but rather the entrenchment of a small cross-section of interest groups who refuse to acknowledge there is a better way" (see Hatch and Bennett press releases).