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SALT LAKE CITY -- U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar is touring Utah and looking for ways to resolve some long-standing conflicts over public lands that make up more than half of the state.
President Obama's point man on public lands came to Utah with a simple message Monday: "Relax. Let's talk."
Ken Salazar took a conciliatory stance in a meeting with state officials. Salazar first had breakfast at Gov. Gary Herbert's mansion Monday, then held a town hall-style meeting at the Utah Capitol before setting out on a tour of a wind farm near Milford.
Many thought that meeting might lead to fireworks. But, in fact, it was a very tame affair filled with pledges of cooperation and dialogue.
"For the people of Utah, I would just say, 'Be not afraid,'" Salazar said.
Lawmakers have been beating up on the federal government for months and even passed a bill allowing the state to seize federal lands.
So when Salazar, the landlord of all that land, came to Utah's Capitol Hill Monday morning, some thought he might be entering the lion's den. But in fact, it was more like a friendly gathering of pussycats.
There were certainly references to long, bitter controversies: oil and gas drilling, wilderness, road access, endangered species, water rights. But the overall tone was friendly.
Salazar promised dialogue, cooperation and compromise, and he advocated step-by-step resolution of disputes rather than sweeping legislation.
"We're going to do some really good things together," Salazar said. "But they're going to be done also in a way that's in the best interests of the people of Utah, so it's not going to be people 2,000 miles away calling the shots for the future of the public lands of Utah."
"I believe this is a new beginning, Mr. Secretary, really a new spirit of cooperation," said Gov. Gary Herbert. "A new era of understanding, a new opportunity for us to come together on these issues and see if we can't find solutions, as we are good stewards of the land. The people of Utah understand stewardship."
Some environmentalists not impressed
Some environmentalists feel largely shut out of the governor's process and were not impressed with pledges of negotiation.
Salazar met at the State Capitol, before a packed room, with the governor's Balanced Resource Council where he heard about a list of concerns related to public lands issues.
Some touchy issues came up, like regulation of grazing, and thorny, bitter conflicts were mentioned, such as county rights-of-way across federal land.
"I think it was a lot of fluff," said Krista Bowers, an environmentalist who works with many local groups. "I think it was a good photo-op for them."
The diverse audience was full of environmentalists, lawmakers and other policymakers hoping to air their own concerns before the Interior Secretary. Instead, they were asked to fill out cards and turn them in with the promise that Salazar would read them.
"I think it was a lot of fluff," said Krista Bowers, an environmentalist who works with many local groups. "I think it was a good photo-op for them."
But Salazar said he valued dialogue and the efforts of the Balanced Resource Council. He said he will use the information as part of his mission to help the Obama administration form a new conservation agenda for the 21st century.
Sen. Orrin Hatch apparently isn't pleased, either. He sent a sharply-worded letter to Salazar Monday, asking him to bring a more balanced approach to the management of the state's public lands.
The senator wrote, "It falls upon your shoulders to work to reverse the trend toward severe dissatisfaction among the industries our nation depends on for its energy needs, and to help restore jobs."
Hatch also thanked Salazar for not moving unilaterally to recommend new national monuments in Utah.
Cooperation, local involvement stressed for national issues
Salazar also spoke of rumblings that the Obama administration might create new national monuments in Utah. He said the presentation he'll make to the president in November will address conservation policy as a whole and won't involve designating any national monuments.
Salazar said he favors an approach that involves local and county governments. "My belief has always been that the best ideas to go forward are the ideas that are embraced by the local community and by the citizens," he said.
Using federal legislation without involving the local communities is the wrong way to go, Salazar said.
Salazar and Herbert portrayed themselves as being on the same wave-length, a show that didn't sit well with some environmentalists.
"I hope to use the template that Gov. Herbert has started here in Utah to do the same kind of thing in other places around the country," he said.
That leaves people like Bowers skeptical. "I think we're going to have a lot more oil and gas development," she said. "I think true visionaries Tim DeChristopher -- who was charged criminally for entering fake bids for oil and gas leases on BLM land -- are going to be prosecuted for standing up to the rights of the land because the land does have rights."
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Story compiled with contributions from E-mail: John Hollenhorst, Marc Giauque and the Associated Press.**
