Monday, Gov. Olene Walker, surrounded by a group of state, federal, local and private leaders, announced a new plan to resolve decades-long wilderness and public lands disputes in the state of Utah.

"The time has come to bring everyone to the same table in a spirit of trust, cooperation and shared vision to resolve these issues," Walker said. "I am confident the members of this group share mine and the Lt. Governor’s goal to reach consensus, create solutions, and see the process through to closure one region at a time. We’ve gone from a top-down to a bottom-up approach, and we’re going to make things happen."

The plan is to set up "wilderness work groups" in various areas across Utah as determined by officials in each region, charging each group with the goal to find the best land use and management strategy for each area. The groups will be similar in makeup - each will include government leaders and representatives from various private groups - but will vary in representation by geographic area.

"The chairs at the table won’t change much as we work across the state," said Lt. Gov. Gayle McKeachnie. "What will change are the faces. We’ll always include representatives from the counties, the federal government, the environmental and outdoor groups, and the state, but the individuals who sit in will likely change. Since local issues are best solved at the local level with cooperation from the state, we want those most involved in the issues of a specific area to be part of the team in that area."

The slots, while flexible, will generally represent a cross-section of those needing to be part of the process as the various groups move ahead. Consistently included will be representatives from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM); county commissioners; the Governor’s Office; the Utah State Department of Natural Resources; the Utah State Department of Agriculture; the oil, gas and mining industries; recreation and environmental groups; and the Schools and Institutional Trust Land Administration (SITLA).

The state’s congressional delegation will also be an integral part of the process. Once a group has reached consensus on the best use for a parcel of land, state officials will work with Utah’s congressional delegation to draft and pass legislation in Washington, D.C., officially designating each region for specific uses.

The governor and lieutenant governor also announced Monday that the first of the workgroups would convene in Washington County early in June, as soon as specific representatives could be chosen and schedules could be coordinated.

"We are excited to get started," said Alan Gardner, Washington County Commissioner. "It’s time to end the stalemate, and it makes sense to start in Washington County. Across the border, Nevada has had success resolving similar issues with a similar process, and we are pleased that everyone is gathering in the same room to work together."

Utah Bureau of Land Management State Director Sally Wisely shared similar sentiments.

"This is an encouraging development," she said. "Nobody wants to see this issue resolved more than the BLM. We know the land and the resources and look forward to sharing this information with those stakeholders seeking a solution."

Also involved will be representatives from the environmental and outdoor groups of the state. Organizations such as the Sierra Club and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) will play a major role in the proceedings of each work group.

It is important to note the process is not designed with an end date in mind. Recognizing that issues of this magnitude require careful consideration and factoring in the variance in circumstance from one region to another, Walker and McKeachnie have chosen to focus on a productive process rather than a specific outcome.

"Anyone who has any history with these issues knows how difficult the task ahead is," said Walker. "The difference this time is that everyone will have a say before deals are made. Everyone will agree before action is taken. We know it will take time to build consensus, but it will be well worth the effort and we’re confident we can do it together."

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The Utah Film Commission’s advertising and marketing pieces were recognized recently for excellence at the Association of Film Commissioners International’s Locations Trade Show in Santa Monica, California. Competing against states, provinces and countries worldwide, Utah’s full-page color ad and direct mail pieces were awarded first prize in the advertising and marketing competition.

"Where’s My Light," one of the winners from the Utah Film Commission Commercial Competition took third place in competition with visual campaigns from around the world, produced by ad agencies on far greater budgets than those available to Utah’s commercial producers. "Buffalo Football," another commercial from the competition, received honorable mention in Santa Monica.

"We are very pleased that our advertising and marketing pieces consistently are recognized by professionals in the motion picture industry for their effectiveness in advertising the state and showcasing originality," said Leigh von der Esch, director of the Utah Film Commission. "These awards for work done in house and by professionals who produced our commercials for free, show that great creativity and professionalism can outshine merely big budgets."

While in Santa Monica, Utah Film Commission representatives saw hundreds of industry professionals come to the Utah booth. The state was well represented geographically with film commissioners from Park City, Moab to Monument Valley, Central Utah and Kanab-Kane County.

"It was a great show with a lot of very good prospects and leads to follow-up for potential filming in the state. Industry professionals were excited to hear about the recent legislation for film incentives," said von der Esch. "Our on-line location library was very well received and we are hopeful this new technology will assist us in serving the production community in-state and out-of-state."

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