Utah Congressman Jim Matheson announced plans to protect more than 26,000 acres of land in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City. Matheson made the announcement at the offices of Conservation Alliance member Black Diamond Equipement (see photo above.)
"This is the first major Wasatch Front watershed protection legislation in Utah since the Wilderness Act of 1984," Matheson told dozens gathered for the event.
The land-protection measure proposes to set aside 15,541 acres as wilderness and another 10,480 acres as "special management" areas with concessions to heli-skiing. While the proposal does away with an ATV trail, it preserves another for mountain biking.