James Love: “I am pleased that this bill is being considered today. This bill is both timely and extremely important to my…”

“I am pleased that this bill is being considered today. This bill is both timely and extremely important to my constituents. This summer, tens of thousands of acres have burned throughout Utah. Unfortunately, many regions in the State remain at high risk due to prolonged drought. One of these regions is Juab County, which sits within my district. Juab County consists of more than 2 million acres of land, much of which is covered with dry, flammable vegetation. The county is also experiencing a years-long drought. In fact, last year, the USDA designated the county as a disaster area due to the damages caused by the drought. More than 70 percent of Juab is controlled by the Federal Government. While significant Federal ownership and control of land in Utah is often a source of contention, Juab County has developed a cooperative and constructive relationship with their local Federal partners. The Forest Service currently owns a small property, just over 2 acres, within the town of Nephi, the county seat of Juab County. It has been vacant and unused for years and was identified as available for disposal several years ago. This property is known as the Nephi Work Center. My bill, the Juab County Conveyance Act, would simply convey this property to the county. Juab intends to use this property to house their wildlands fire team, which is part of their special service fire district.…”