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Washington County attorney says federal delays blocked water reuse, road corridor projects
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Summary
Washington County, Utah, officials told the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands that routine land exchanges and a congressionally authorized Northern Corridor road remain stalled by lengthy federal processes, delaying infrastructure and water projects local officials say are needed for growth.
Eric Clark, County Attorney of Washington County, Utah, told the subcommittee that protracted federal review and agency reversals have delayed projects his county says are critical to water security and growth.
“Running cattle becomes more and more difficult due to constantly changing federal land management and restrictions,” Clark said, describing multi‑decade declines in local timber and grazing access and the effect on rural jobs. Clark identified a planned land exchange meant to secure a county reuse reservoir site for water reuse as a specific example: the BLM estimated an 18‑month timeline but the exchange has remained open for eight years.
Clark also described the Northern Corridor — a road Congress approved in the 2009 Omnibus Public Lands Management Act that the county says was intended to accommodate growth while protecting large tracts of wilderness and conservation acreage. He said that the BLM initially approved a 4.5‑mile northern corridor but later revoked that line of way, removing protections that Washington County said were required by the congressional direction and the county’s mitigation measures.
Clark asked Congress to act on permitting reform, including judicial review, to reduce delays. He urged stronger congressional oversight of how agency handbooks and internal policies are used, arguing that inconsistent agency decisions and long reviews prevent communities from delivering critical infrastructure: “We need consistency in land management decisions. We need those decisions to be completed in a timely, cost effective manner,” Clark said.
The county attorney estimated local taxpayers have incurred millions annually while projects remain delayed and said county staff, biologists and commissioners have spent substantial local funds negotiating mitigation, habitat protections and project design to secure federal approvals.
Ending: Clark closed by urging the subcommittee to cut bureaucratic delays and to ensure federal land managers follow the multiple‑use mandate while coordinating with county partners.
