Washington County commissioners are considering taking action to oppose a proposal to lease public lands for oil and gas drilling as close as two miles from Zion National Park.
The Spectrum reports that commissioners on Tuesday considered a resolution stating they are "actively opposed" to the proposal and calling on the Bureau of Land Management to ensure any leases wouldn't negatively affect tourism, traffic or water resources.
Washington County is traditionally supportive of natural resource development, but the proposed resolution nates that the support is conditional on those uses being developed "responsibly."
Washington County hasn't had an active oil and gas lease since 2005, and no drilling has taken place for decades.
The BLM's public comment period regarding the drilling has been extended from Feb. 10 to March 9.