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President George W. Bush recently signed into law a bill which will bring essential water to citizens of Juab County and provide for the reasonable access to established mining claims and private property.

When Congress passed the 1984 Utah Wilderness Bill the new wilderness boundaries included several water systems, 21 acres of private land and patented mining claims in the newly created Mt. Nebo Wilderness Area. This circumstance made it extremely difficult to maintain the water systems delivering essential water to citizens of Juab County, and after many years of unsuccessfully trying to work within the bureaucratic system it became clear that the only way to address the problem was to amend the wilderness boundaries of the Mt. Nebo Wilderness.

Sponsored by Rep. James Hansen and Sen. Bob Bennett, HR 451 provided for a boundary adjustment in the Mt. Nebo Wilderness Area to accomplish these goals. It was signed into law by President Bush on December 16.

"Congressman Hansen carried the bill very well in the House and Senator Bennett saved the day in the Senate," said Juab County Commissioner William Boyd Howarth. "Senator Bennett stayed with this bill right down to the wire and worked very hard to ensure its passage."

The new law results in an increase in the total acreage of the wilderness area and maintains management of the land by the U.S. Forest Service.