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Commentary: County boundaries have no bearing on wilderness

I grew up in Price, Utah, just an hour from the San Rafael Swell. Any decisions that could impact this part of Southern Utah catch my attention. If repetition is critical to developing a “sense of place,” my love for the Swell stems from almost weekly visits throughout my childhood.

In May, 2018, Rep. John Curtis and Sen. Orrin Hatch introduced the Emery County Public Land Management Act (HB 5727 and S. 2809). The first thing I noticed about the bill is that all decision-making ends at county lines. Why is this? Does upper Horseshoe Canyon have less wilderness character just because it is in Wayne County?