Resolution # 01-12 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOX ELDER COUNTY COMMISSION SUPPORTING WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, the Box Elder County Commission has an interest in protecting the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of Box Elder County, through the preservation and protection of the environment, natural resources and protection of individual property rights; and preservation and protection of the environment and natural resources is vital the economic stability of Box Elder County; and the County Commission has worked closely with U.S. Representative James V. Hansen in creating the "Pilot Range Wilderness" area and in working to resolve this critical issue that preserves the county's natural resources; and this legislation is consistent with Box Elder County's General Plan and other county laws and policies that strive to preserve the quality of life, environmental quality and economic stability of the county; and H.R. 2488 has been extensively reviewed by the following NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Box Elder County Commission supports H.R. 2488 and Chairman Hansen's efforts to establish the "Pilot Range Wildemess" area, and implementation of such; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Commission urges the United PASSED AND ADOPTED this 25th day of July, 2001 Spell Comm Steen & Wagen Augees Rece Royal K. Norman, Chairman Steven L. Holmgren, ATTEST Xu Ann Adana LuAnn Adams, Redorder/Clerk Suzanne R. Rees, Mr. HEFLEY. Okay; we do have a vote on. I think it is a single vote. I think maybe this would be a good time to break and recess long enough to go over and do the vote and then come back and hear our witnesses. So the Committee stands in recess. [Recess.] Mr. HEFLEY. The Committee will come back to order. STATEMENT OF TOM FULTON, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR LAND AND MINERALS MANAGEMENT, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Mr. FULTON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Department of the Interior supports H.R. 2488 which, as introduced, designates over 37,000 acres of land in Western Utah as wilderness. We would like the opportunity to work with the Committee on clarifying and technical amendments to the legislation before the Committee completes its consideration of the bill. The proposed Pilot Range Wilderness Area lies in Box Elder County, Utah, located approximately 115 miles northwest of Salt Lake City, along the Utah and Nevada state line. The Pilots are a north-south trending mountain range with canyons training east to a large alkali flat and west to a broad valley that extends into Nevada. The Pilot Range meets the scenic and natural resource values required of the Wilderness Act. The Pilot Range was not included as a wilderness study area in the Bureau of Land Management wilderness inventory completed in 1980. The checkerboard ownership pattern of the lands did not originally lend itself to that designation. However, between 1989 and 1993, the BLM concluded a series of land exchanges with willing private landowners that consolidated public ownership in the Pilot Range. Last fall, Congress passed the Utah West Desert Land Exchange Act, which exchanged over 200,000 acres of state and Federal lands. Included in that exchange were 3,600 acres of state land within the Pilot Range. With that acquisition, the area proposed for wilderness in this bill contains no state in-holdings. We would like the opportunity to work with the Committee to make technical corrections or clarify a number of provisions in the bill; for example, the current language in Section 2(b) regarding incorporating acquired private lands into the proposed wilderness should be modified to clarify that only acquired private lands with wilderness character would be added to the Pilot Range Wilderness. It is also our understanding that the Chairman may be proposing some modifications to the acreage of the wilderness area, and we would like the opportunity to work with the Committee on those changes. In 1998, the Box Elder County Commission developed an access road management plan. This plan is a product of recommendations. The plan was sponsored by Box Elder County with the benefit of public review, including input from BLM. The BLM then adopted this through a Federal Register notice. We would also like to work with the Committee on Section 2(f) of the bill regarding protection of military needs on the nearby Utah Test and Training Range and Dugway Proving Ground. We are in complete agreement on the importance of the mission of these military bases. We would like to consider expanding the scope of the proposed MOU to include all aspects of military use in the proposed Pilot Range Wilderness, including placement of and access to communications and tracking systems. In addition, we would like to work with the Committee to incorporate provisions into the bill to ensure the protection of a particular species of cutthroat trout currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of H.R. 2488, and I would be pleased to answer any questions the Committee might ask. [The prepared statement of Mr. Fulton follows:] Statement of Tom Fulton, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, on H.R. 2488 Thank you for the opportunity to testify regarding H.R. 2488. The Department appreciates Chairman Hansen's efforts in continuing to address wilderness in Utah. The Department of the Interior supports H.R. 2488, which designates over 37,000 acres of land in western Utah as wilderness. We would like the opportunity to work with the Committee on clarifying and technical amendments to the legislation before the Committee completes its consideration of this bill. The proposed Pilot Range Wilderness Area lies in Box Elder County, Utah. Rising to over 10,761 feet, Pilot Peak served as a beacon for travelers headed to California in the 1840s and, for some, a beacon of false hope. Travelers who had completed the hot, dry trek across the Great Salt Lake Desert found water in the springs along the eastern base of the range. Located approximately 115 miles northwest of Salt Lake City, along the Utah and Nevada state line, the Pilots are a north-south trending mountain range, with canyons draining east to a large alkali flat, and west to a broad valley that extends into Nevada. The rugged terrain (ridges, side canyons and valley bottoms) meets the requirements of the Wilderness Act. Diverse vegetation complements the topography by providing screening from human activity. Opportunities for hunting, camping, hiking, and photography are outstanding. Horseback riding and pack trips are abundant throughout the area. The Pilot Range also meets the scenic and natural resource values required in the Wilderness Act. Elk, bighorn sheep, and deer roam throughout, and the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout are present in Bettridge Creek in the southern part of the proposed wilderness. The Pilot Range was not included as a Wilderness Study Area (WSA) in the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) wilderness inventory completed in 1980. The checkerboard ownership pattern of the lands did not originally lend itself to that designation. However, between 1989 and 1993, the BLM concluded a series of land exchanges with willing private landowners that consolidated public ownership in the Pilot Range. A subsequent BLM wilderness inventory, concluded in 1999, found the area to have significant wilderness characteristics. Last fall, Congress passed the Utah West Desert Land Exchange Act (Public Law 106-301), which exchanged over 200,000 acres of state and federal lands. Included in that exchange were 3,600 acres of State land within the Pilot Range. With that acquisition, the area proposed for wilderness in this bill contains no state inholdings. We would like the opportunity to work with the Committee to make technical corrections or clarify a number of provisions in the bill. For example, the current language in section 2(b) regarding incorporating acquired private lands into the proposed Wilderness should be modified to clarify that only acquired private lands with wilderness character would be added to the Pilot Range Wilderness. Section 1(a) of the bill specifies a map of the wilderness area. We would like the opportunity to work with Chairman Hansen on that map before H.R. 2488 is reported out of Committee. It is also our understanding that the Chairman may be proposing some modifications to the acreage of the wilderness area and we would like the opportunity to work with the Committee on those changes. In July 1998, the Box Elder County Commission developed an access road management plan. This plan is a product of recommendations made by a team sponsored by Box Elder County with the benefit of public review, including input from BLM. The BLM then adopted this ordinance through a Federal Register notice. We would like the opportunity to work with the Committee to ensure that the map is consistent with the county's road management plan. We would also like to work with the Committee on section 2(f) of the bill regarding protection of military needs on the nearby Utah Test and Training Range and Dugway Proving Ground. We are in complete agreement on the importance of the mission of these military bases. The language of section 2(f) of this bill must adequately provide for military interests while protecting the wilderness resources and BLM's management of the wilderness area. For example, we would like to consider expanding the scope of the proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) to include all aspects of military use in the proposed Pilot Range Wilderness, including placement of and access to communications and tracking systems. In addition, we would like to work with the Committee to incorporate provisions into the bill to ensure the protection of the Lahontan cutthroat trout (listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act) and its habitat. Also, because Public Law 106-65 (October 5, 1999) prohibits land use planning on BLM lands within the Utah Test and Training Range, we would like to work with the Committee to add language to clarify Congressional direction in this matter. Finally, the reference to section 4(d)(7) of the Wilderness Act in section 2(c) of this bill should be to section 4(d)(8) of the Wilderness Act. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of H.R. 2488, I am pleased to answer any questions that the Committee may have. Mr. HEFLEY. Thank you, Mr. Fulton. Colonel Tom Larkin, who is the director of the Utah Test and Training Range for the United States Air Force. Colonel Larkin? STATEMENT OF COLONEL TOM LARKIN, DIRECTOR, UTAH TEST AND TRAINING RANGE, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE Colonel LARKIN. Thank you, sir. Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, thank you and good afternoon. We also thank you for the chance for early coordination on this bill and the chance to talk about the impacts of this bill on the Air Force Utah Test and Training Range, commonly known as the U-T-T-R or UTTR. As the 388th Fighter Wing range director, my organization provides operational oversight of the UTTR. I will begin by saying that maintaining continued access to the UTTR is absolutely vital to the Department of Defense, our civilian test customers, and we take our stewardship responsibility seriously as we weigh our military priorities with environmental con cerns. The mission of the UTTR is to train warriors and test weapons, and the UTTR is the primary training range for the 388th Fighter Wing and the 419th Fighter Wing, stationed at Hill Air Force Base. Both of these wings, in the last 4 and a half years, have deployed to combat zones 12 times, and the 388th has recently deployed twice on counter-drug operations. At the UTTR, we fly about 15,800 sorties every year. Of those, approximately 390 are test sorties; another 1,000 are large bomber sorties: B-1, B-2s, B-52 sorties. Another 2,500 are Navy and Marine sorties, and another 200 are allied air force sorties. Additionally, we conduct cruise missile testing, ground weapons testing, NASA support, industry testing as well as support to universities and high schools. At the UTTR, we test about 99 percent of all the air-to-ground weapons in the U.S. inventory, which, simply stated, means that if we strap it to an airplane and use it to attack ground targets, we are testing it there at the UTTR. My comments on the wilderness bill, H.R. 2488: this legislation ensures the proposed wilderness area does not adversely affect our ability to conduct realistic military training and testing operations. It is my opinion that military range operations and wilderness areas can be compatible. In this bill, it is of particular note that low-level overflight will not be restricted. Also critical is language allowing us to use and maintain current on-the-ground electronic systems as well as installation of required follow-on systems. I must also emphasize the importance of the language concerning emergency access and/or control or restriction of public access. If an accident occurs on the range, it is vital that we have immediate access and authority to control all access and to include the public to the area concerned without any requirement to gain approval from other agencies. This access is required to protect the lives of air crew; ensure the safety of the public and for the protection of classified materials and programs. A case in point: we have had an F-16 go down in the Fish Springs Wilderness Study Area, and we were able to recover that aircraft with only minor environmental impact. My review of this proposed bill indicates no immediate impact to military or national security operations on the UTTR. However, additional language that would protect the interests of other national agencies and civilian research and test operations may be desirable in some form, perhaps an MOU. In summary, training and reliable weapons give us the edge needed for victory. We must continue to train and test realistically. At the UTTR, providing one of the world's best test and training ranges while preserving the wilderness environment is, can and should be compatible. Of the 1.7 million acres of DOD land within the UTTR complex, less than 1 percent is developed for military operations, while the remaining 99 percent is maintained in a wildernesslike condition. The condition of the UTTR is due in large part to the efforts of the United States Air Force and to protect this environment in accordance with public law. We protect this environment to guarantee our continued access to this range and because it is the right thing to do. I repeat: the access to the entire range is of vital importance to the Department of Defense, other national agencies and civilian institutions and industry. At this time, I would like to go forward to the map and give you a quick visual overview of the range and answer any of your questions. This range is truly a national treasure. I dropped my first live bombs on this range many years ago. It is a great place. It is unique also in that it is only about 45 miles to 70 miles away from our home base there, Hill Air Force Base. We do not have to expend much in the way of time and fuel to get to this range. It is about 92 miles across at the widest point; then, from the northern tip to the southern tail there, it is about 200 miles. The range is divided along Interstate I-80 at about the two-thirds part, and where the wilderness area sits, it is the intersection of three of the critical sub-airspaces: A, B and restricted area 6404 Charlie. And that is part of our land bridge between the two-I am sorry; air |