Clinton to protect Utah wilderness area
9/17/96
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Subject: Clinton to protect Utah wilderness area
Organization: Copyright 1996 by Reuters
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 17:20:11 PDT
FLOSSMOOR, Ill. (Reuter) - President Clinton plans to declare nearly two million
acres
of redrock canyons and plateaus in Utah a national monument, protecting the land
from
mining, a senior administration official said Tuesday.
``I fully expect the president will say tomorrow that he does intend to proceed
with
the national monument designation for this very pristine and beautiful area,''
said
the official, who was accompanying Clinton on a four-day campaign swing.
``There are some procedural questions about how to make that announcement that
are
still being wrestled with,'' the official said. Clinton plans to announce his
decision
during a visit Wednesday to the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Clinton, using his visit to the Grand Canyon to underscore his environmental
record,
was expected to protect the land from mining, road-building and other
development.
The plan would safeguard 1.7-1.8 million acres , including Grand Staircase
adjacent
to Bryce Canyon National Park, Kaiparowits Plateau adjacent to Glen Canyon
National
Recreation Area, and Esclante basin adjacent to Capital Reef National Park,
according to the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, which supports the move.
Utah's congressional delegation opposes the idea, saying it would lock up
resources,
including a tract of high-quality coal that Andalex Resources Corp -- a Dutch-
owned
company -- wants to mine.
Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt, a Republican, met in Washington Tuesday with White
House
Chief of Staff Leon Panetta to try to stop the move.