The Republican-dominated U.S. Senate Tuesday, Feb. 12, passed the most comprehensive conservation legislation in more than a decade, legislation that protects lands in nearly every state in the Union.
In Utah, it created 661,000 acres of wilderness in Emery County, 300,000 acres for a national recreation area and protects 63 miles of the Green River.
You may recall that this bill was single-handedly killed a year ago by Sen. Mike Lee, a man who has supposedly sworn to serve the people of Utah. Fortunately, it came up this year as a formal bill, and it passed 92-8.
According to The Washington Post, Lee, “emerged as the legislation’s most vocal opponent.” But the bill was supported by Sen. Mitt Romney.
Aren’t we fortunate that there are 92 senators who are concerned with protecting the environment of Utah?
Richard Koehn, Salt Lake City
