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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Outdoor Retailers are again weighing in on Utah land issues.
The Outdoor Industry Association, which brings its twice yearly retailers convention to Salt Lake City is opposed to a growth plan for Washington County.
The association issued a statement against the plan just days before a congressional subcommittee is scheduled to take up the matter.
The group says the plan increases urban sprawl in the St. George area and doesn't do enough to protect wilderness.
The association wants the bill withdrawn pending more public hearings.
The bill is sponsored by Republican Senator Bob Bennett and Democratic Representative Jim Matheson. It suggests a plan for growth in Utah's most quickly expanding urban area. It would also set aside wilderness and designate Utah's first-ever wild and scenic rivers.
The powerful association has threatened in the past to move its trade shows from Salt Lake City because they didn't believe the state was doing enough to protect wilderness.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
