In the waning hours of the 109th Congress' brief, lame-duck session, the Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act (S.2788) failed to pass when a package of "energy" bills to which it was attached was killed by Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma). Due to severe time constraints, the land trade legislation was bundled with 13 other bills that backers were trying to move out of the Energy and Resources Committee. Even though S.2788 was revenue neutral, had consensus support, and was non-controversial, concerns about fiscal issues relating to the other bills caused the defeat of the entire legislative package.

Grand Canyon Trust will join with our partners to reintroduce the bill in 2007. Our objective is to have it passed in the early part of the first session of the 110th Congress.