Jim Matheson: “I rise as the sixth generation of Utah, and I come from the West. I come from a State with public lands. Quite frankly…”

“I rise as the sixth generation of Utah, and I come from the West. I come from a State with public lands. Quite frankly, public lands in the West are what this issue is all about that we talk about tonight; and I have grown up with a legacy of the use of those public lands in my State. My roots are in southern Utah. Some of my family is involved in grazing on public lands in Utah. It is a remarkable State. It is like a lot of the Western States, and it has got a lot of remarkable public lands, some places that are very special. As time has evolved, a lot of people around the world have discovered those lands as well; and I think it is safe to say, and I think there would be consensus at some point, that there is a lot of land out there that is worthy of protection because of its remarkable value. When I talk about the public lands debate, I know tonight we are talking about the issue of RS 2477 and designation of roads, but it is really part of the overall public lands debate we have in our State and in the West. I look back over my lifetime about how that debate has been carried out. When I think about it, I think about so much emotion and so much effort that has gone into this debate, but there has been no progress. I am alarmed by the lack of progress. As the West continues to grow and the population grows and the pressures develop, it is time for us to try to come together and try to make progress on these issues and resolve these issues as best we can.”