Dixie Residents Less Supportive of Public Lands Sale Proposal

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Preliminary results from a year long public planning process in Utah's Dixie suggest locals aren't as willing to sell their public land to developers as elected officials may think.

"Basically people supported the idea of some public land conversion, but probably a lesser degree than was contemplated in the last iteration of the lands bill," says Ted Knowlton, planning director of Envision Utah, the main sponsor of the Vision Dixie process, which is nearing conclusion.

The effort was inspired, in part, by a controversial proposal from Senator Bob Bennett and Congressman Jim Matheson to manage growth and preserve land in Washington County. The bill also called for the sale of nearly 25-thousand acres of public lands for development. It died late last year in Congress, amid stiff opposition.

Bennett and Matheson have both vowed to reintroduce it this year and say they are open to revising the plan based on recommendations from "Vision Dixie." Knowlton says the surveys also show a public interest in focusing future growth inward on existing cities.

"One of the things we heard is there's a pretty good appetite to let cities zone for higher density - especially if it's in the context of a mixed-use development or walkable development," says Knowlton. "Those concepts really resonated with people."

Knowlton says a final report on Vision Dixie should be ready by September. That means Matheson and Bennett will have only a short time to revise, reintroduce and rally support for their controversial proposal before Congress adjourns for the year.

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