INTERSTATE HIGH JINKS

Bilbray has the option of requesting that the public-lands subcommittee hear his Red Rock bill, but it's possible that English's compromise will be approved and that the 2,900 acres will be excluded. Even if the bill makes it out of the subcommittee without such a compromise, it could be amended at another point.

If that happens, it will be, in large part, because of the efforts of Arizona lawmakers. And Bilbray says that's what has him so upset.

"I have never seen an out-of-state delegation go to bat for a corporation that's based in their state involving environmental land in another state," Bilbray says. "We've never done it to Arizona, we've never done it with Utah, Montana, even though there may be Nevada developers involved in those areas."
On that point, David Steele, who formerly handled public-lands issues as an aide to U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini, agrees. "The way Western congressional delegation members have dealt with public-lands issues is if the state delegation is in agreement on the issue, other members just don't get involved in it from outside the state," he says.