Spurred by enviros, Democrats successfully fought back a bill in the U.S. House yesterday that they said would do far too little to protect wildlands in Utah. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah), would create a 1.3 million-acre national conservation area in the redrock country of southeastern Utah, but critics said it would not do enough to restrict off-road vehicle use and could undermine wilderness protection for the area. After Democrats managed to attach a number of amendments that would have strengthened the legislation, Cannon pulled the bill from consideration. Still, it could resurface if Cannon gathers enough support.
