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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent

Juab County Commissioners Robert Steele and Wm. Boyd Howarth met with representatives of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in Washington D.C. this past week to request fast action on a proposal to rectify a mistake made when the Mount Nebo Wilderness Act was adopted by Congress more than a decade ago.

"We arrived in Washington D.C. on the evening of Sept. 11," said Howarth, commission chair. "We met in Senator (Bob) Bennett's office with his aide, U. Fitz Elder and had a five minute meeting with Bennett as well."

"We then met with Senator (Jeff) Bingaman (D-NM)," he said.

Bingaman is the majority member of the Energy and Natural Resources Senate Committee, he said.

"We also met with his aide, Kira Finkler," Howarth said.

Commissioners requested the Mount Nebo Wilderness Boundary Adjustment Act, which was referred to Senate Committee after being received from House where it passed, July 23, 2001, after being proposed by Representative Jim Hansen, be speedily considered.

The bill, after being passed by the House, was then sponsored in the Senate by Bob Bennett and read before the 107th Congressional Senate session on July 24, 2001.

After it was received there it was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources where it has remained since then.

"We went from A to Z through the need for the proposed areas to be cherry stemmed from the Wilderness, as they were supposed to be," said Howarth.

Howarth said it was almost impossible for water systems in the Wilderness designated property to be repaired or cared for because no equipment of a motorized nature could be used.

"In Gardner Canyon, Jack Howard has to walk 1 1/2 miles to even check the system," he said."

Once the properties are cherry stemmed, the will still be gated by the Forest Service, but equipment with tires can be taken in, such as cement mixers and trucks, to repair culinary water systems.

In Willow Creek, said Howarth, in 1983 and 1984, the flood years, water ran over a concrete ditch that was constructed to carry irrigation water for the town of Mona. "They couldn't even carry in a cordless drill to make repairs."

"The most difficult task we had was to try to explain to them what a drought in the West was really like," said Howarth. "We wanted them to know how important water is for survival--first is air, then water, then food."

"When we were done, Commissioner (Bob) Steele, asked Ms. Finkler, 'Do you promise to work on it?'" said Howarth. "She said, 'Yes.' So now we will see."

Boundaries to be adjusted and land proposed to be removed or adjusted to exclude the following: (1) MONUMENT SPRINGS--The approximately 8.4 acres of land depicted on the Map as Monument Springs; (2) GARDNER CANYON--The approximately 177.8 acres of land depicted on the Map as Gardner Canyon; (3) BIRCH CREEK--The approximately 5.0 acres of land depicted on the Map as Birch Creek; (4) INGRAM CANYON--The approximately 15.4 acres of land depicted on the Map as Ingram Canyon; (5) WILLOW NORTH A--The approximately 3.4 acres of land depicted on the Map as Willow North A; (6) WILLOW NORTH B--The approximately 6.6 acres of land depicted on the Map as Willow North B; (7) WILLOW SOUTH--The approximately 21.5 acres of land depicted on the Map as Willow South; (8) MENDENHALL CANYON--The approximately 9.8 acres of land depicted on the Map as Mendenhall Canyon; WASH CANYON--The approximately 31.4 acres of land depicted on the Map as Wash Canyon.

Howarth said Bennett also requested that his aide get to work on pushing the bill through the committee.

"The Act was proposed to make adjustments to the boundaries of the Mount Nebo Wilderness Area, and was entitled: Mount Nebo Wilderness Boundary Adjustment Act," said Bennett. "It was designed to cherry stem property which was mistakenly added to the Mount Nebo Wilderness."

In addition, it was proposed the boundary of the Mount Nebo Wilderness be adjusted to exclude the approximately 21.26 acres of private property located in Andrews Canyon, Utah, and depicted on the Map as Dale (Worwood).

Commissioner Robert Steele also has a court-ordered right to a mineral mining holding inside the Mount Nebo Wilderness boundary.

The bill is numbered in the Senate as S 1205 IS.