ST. GEORGE, Utah — A proposal made by Utah congresswoman Celeste Maloy has some people in the southern part of the state over concerns of a massive land grab.
"I really feel that there's something almost godly about this landscape. It's immensity. Its grandeur leaves people breathless, but it also gives us a kind of scope or place in the world," shared Stacey Wittek with Conserve Southwest Utah Public Lands.
Wittek is an outdoors photographer in a place with plenty to take pictures of. She's now worried about the amendment placed by Maloy into the so-called "Big Beautiful Budget Bill" being considered by lawmakers in Washington.
"I've offered an amendment with my colleague that selects over 60 targeted regional parcels totaling a little over 10,000 acres to be conveyed to the Water District, the City of St. George, and Washington County at fair market value," Maloy said while announcing her amendment.
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Most of the areas proposed to be sold are being billed to help create water infrastructure, or for space to create affordable housing. But Wittek claims the sale is being done without the public having a chance to weigh in or to learn how it could impact the local environment.
"Good governance requires listening to your constituents," added Wittek.
The City of St. George is endorsing the plan and the increased water storage, while local residents fear it’s a bill being swept under the radar and could give the Washington County Water Conservancy too much power over the land.
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"We were surprised," complained Steve Block, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance legal director. "This is not 'Schoolhouse Rock', this is not how a bill becomes a law."
On Friday, Maloy responded to critics who claim the amendment takes away transparency.
"I know there are people who are upset, which is what is part of the process as well," she told FOX 13 News. "If people will slow down, look at the maps and read the descriptions,
they'll realize that there's a lot more public input than they're giving me credit for.
"And also, it's a very thoughtful, very targeted, measured approach to keep the economy in Southern Utah strong and to make sure that we're paying down our debt and deficit."
Maloy added that her amendment would transfer one-third of 1% of federal land in Utah, and is needed in Washington County where she says 80% of the land is federally owned.
