Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- All five members of Utah's Congressional delegation "urgently" requested President Obama's intervention in any move to cut off funding for the Central Utah Project.
The letter, signed Tuesday by the three Utah representatives and two senators, stresses the steep federal investments that have been made so far to create a system to help Utah capture its share of the Colorado River.
"The construction cuts proposed by (Interior Secretary Ken Salazar) would prevent the final delivery of that water to the vast majority of Utahns," the letter reads. "Ending this project before the completion of its final stage would turn the past federal investment into a budget boondoggle."
Fears the remainder of the funding for the $2 billion project will meet with an ax during 2012 led Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to send a letter last week to Salazar and have a telephone conversation with a top official in Salazar's office.
Although Hatch said his fears had been allayed somewhat, concern still persists that the project's future is in jeopardy because of political dynamics.
Since his appointment by Obama as Interior secretary, Salazar has drawn the ire of conservative Congressional lawmakers in the West because of what they say are land management policies that hamstring the oil and gas industry and most notably jobs.
Utah's own legislative leaders from the Republican Party have also lashed out, calling for a return of local control to public lands.
Salazar has visited with Utah policymakers several times, assuring that he only seeks to restore balance that was tipped in favor of industry during the Bush years.
The Utah delegation, in urging President Obama's action on the CUP threat, requested a meeting with him to detail the implications that would follow a cut to the water project. It was signed by Sens. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, and Hatch, as well as Reps. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, Rob Bishop, R-Utah and Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah.
E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com
