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Former federal officials urge Utah to commit to Central Utah Project completion
Summary
Former Senator Jake Garn and Wayne Owens told the Utah Senate that a clear, upfront state commitment is essential for the Central Utah Project to secure federal appropriations; lawmakers pressed witnesses for specifics about cash‑flow guarantees and a pending fiscal mechanism.
Former federal officials told the Utah State Senate on Feb. 19 that the state must make an unmistakable, early commitment to its cost share for the Central Utah Project (CUP) if Utah expects federal appropriations to continue.
Former U.S. Senator Jake Garn and Wayne Owens addressed the Senate in a Committee of the Whole hearing on SB207, the bill addressing Central Utah Project cost‑share funding. Garn, recounting decades of involvement with the project, said delays and cost overruns had been caused in part by mismanagement and that the state should not suffer ‘‘timidity’’ in meeting its share. ‘‘We must come up with our share,’’ Garn said, urging an absolute commitment from the legislature so that ‘‘no one in Washington can say, ‘maybe they didn’t mean it.’’’
Wayne Owens, who helped rewrite the federal reauthorization, told senators the CUP Completion Act had been structured to balance fiscal and environmental concerns and to make the project a model for future water work. Owens said the legislation permits…
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