Hatch throws clout behind ‘Northern Corridor’

A bill proposed by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch would demand federal agencies make way for a controversial new “northern corridor” roadway across the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. Introduced this month to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the proposal would require a route be designated across the reserve and remove any additional environmental restrictions or requirements from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Washington Parkway, which local officials have argued is needed to keep up with traffic demands expected because of population growth, has met resistance from federal agencies because of environmental concerns over how it might impact the scenic Red Cliffs area. "I proposed the Comprehensive Washington County Travel Management Plan because the BLM has not yet complied with a 2009 mandate requiring development of a northern transportation route," Hatch said. "My provision could not be included in the Senate’s highway bill, so I will continue to work with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to help address the needs of Washington County on this matter." Designated a National Conservation Area as part of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act in 2009, the reserve acts as habitat for sensitive populations of federally protected desert tortoise and has been a popular outdoor recreation area because of its proximity, butting up against the St. George metropolitan area. Conservation groups were quick to oppose Hatch’s bill, arguing that it would violate the deal made six years earlier when area officials agreed to the terms of the 2009 bill. When the reserve was created, Washington County unlocked more than 300,000 acres of land for future development in exchange for preserving 44,000 acres of tortoise habitat, and changing the rules now would violate the public trust, said Tom Butine, president of the southwest Utah conservation organization Citizens for Dixie’s Future...more