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S.J.R. 10

             1     

JOINT RESOLUTION ON THE PROTECTION OF THE

             2     
GREATER CANYONLANDS REGION

             3     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Jim Dabakis

             6     
House Sponsor: Patrice M. Arent

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This joint resolution of the Legislature calls on the United States Congress and the
             11      President of the United States to take action to protect the publicly owned, world-class
             12      resources of the Greater Canyonlands region as a natural, undeveloped area for the
             13      recreational use and enjoyment for Utahns and Americans for generations to come.
             14      Highlighted Provisions:
             15          This resolution:
             16          .    requests that the United States Congress and the President of the United States take
             17      immediate action to protect the Greater Canyonlands region as a natural, pristine,
             18      and undeveloped area for enjoyment, recreation, and use by current and future
             19      generations;
             20          .    finds the protection of this area to be in the best interest of Utahns and Americans;
             21      and
             22          .    calls for public input and discussion on how the land should best be protected for
             23      recreational purposes.
             24      Special Clauses:
             25          None
             26     
             27      Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:


             28          WHEREAS, Greater Canyonlands is a true national treasure, sweeping across a 1.5
             29      million acre network of canyons and mesas filled with scientific, cultural, historic, and
             30      recreational treasures;
             31          WHEREAS, Greater Canyonlands should be protected as a natural, undeveloped area
             32      for the recreational use and enjoyment of Utahns and Americans for generations to come;
             33          WHEREAS, Greater Canyonlands is the largest undeveloped area of land remaining in
             34      the continental United States;
             35          WHEREAS, Greater Canyonlands' complex maze of gorges, plateaus, mountains,
             36      basins, natural bridges, arches, and spires rivals the Grand Canyon in importance and scale;
             37          WHEREAS, outdoor recreation contributes over $5.8 billion annually to Utah's
             38      economy, provides nearly $300 million in yearly state tax revenues, and supports 65,000 Utah
             39      jobs;
             40          WHEREAS, these numbers do not include items such as boats, recreational vehicles,
             41      land purchases and leases, and the transportation, manufacturing, leisure, and hospitality
             42      industries;
             43          WHEREAS, protecting the area around Canyonlands National Park will send an
             44      important message to the outdoor industry that Utah and America value their industry and
             45      contributions;
             46          WHEREAS, such permanent protection of lands managed by the National Park Service,
             47      the United States Bureau of Land Management, and the United States Forest Service would
             48      create a model for effective cross-agency cooperation;
             49          WHEREAS, 440,000 people visit Canyonlands National Park and the surrounding area
             50      each year to hike, camp, drive all-terrain vehicles, hunt, river raft, mountain bike, base jump,
             51      jeep, hang glide, and dozens of other outdoor activities;
             52          WHEREAS, the Greater Canyonlands region currently has over 2,000 miles of roads
             53      and trails and hundreds of paths and hiking trails that provide access to unparalleled natural
             54      beauty and pristine landscapes;
             55          WHEREAS, Utah's pioneering spirit and independence was forged in the open frontier,
             56      and Utah and its citizens have a responsibility to be good stewards of these lands and protect
             57      these experiences and our heritage for future generations;
             58          WHEREAS, Greater Canyonlands' remoteness has preserved historic and scientific


             59      resources beyond the national parklands and provided unmatched opportunities for research,
             60      solitude, and renewal from a largely untapped library of 12,000 years of human history, an
             61      unparalleled story of the southwestern frontier spanning from Ice Age mammoth hunters to
             62      ancestral puebloans to pioneers, early settlers, and uranium prospectors;
             63          WHEREAS, with isolation and good air quality, with no towns or highways crossing
             64      the region, Greater Canyonlands is one of the few places to still offer a view of stars at their
             65      clearest against an absolutely black night sky;
             66          WHEREAS, Greater Canyonlands also secures critical watersheds along the Colorado
             67      and Green as well as the Dirty Devil and San Rafael rivers, securing a critical resource for
             68      present and future generations;
             69          WHEREAS, Canyonlands National Park was originally envisioned to encompass the
             70      entire greater Canyonlands region and was included in proposals by the National Park Service
             71      in 1935, President Roosevelt in 1940, Interior Secretary Udall in 1961, and President Johnson
             72      in 1971;
             73          WHEREAS, the federal government owns and manages most of the land found within
             74      the Greater Canyonlands region; and
             75          WHEREAS, there are few, if any, costs required to acquire and protect the land in its
             76      entirety:
             77          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
             78      requests that the United States Congress and the President of the United States take immediate
             79      action to protect the Greater Canyonlands region as a natural, pristine, and undeveloped area
             80      for enjoyment, recreation, and use by current and future generations.
             81          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature declares the protection of the
             82      Greater Canyonlands region to be in the best interest of Utahns and Americans.
             83          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature calls for public input and
             84      discussion on how the land should best be protected for recreational purposes.
             85          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Majority
             86      Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives,
             87      the United States Secretary of the Interior, Canyonlands National Park, and the members of
             88      Utah's congressional delegation.





Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-4-13 3:41 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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