To No. 1.

Southern Utah's largest city - and its suburbs - is the nation's fastest growing metropolitan area over the past five years, according to a new U.S. Census report.

The St. George metro area grew by nearly 32 percent between 2000 and 2005, adding nearly 29,000 new residents during that span. The region, which essentially includes all of surrounding Washington County, is now home to an estimated 118,885 people, the census report said.

"We certainly have been discovered," Washington County Commissioner James Eardley said Monday. "It's amazing to see people move in here. That has created real competition for real estate. And affordable housing is a real issue. But it has been generally beneficial for our economy. We've gained a lot of economic strength as a result of growth and development that we haven't enjoyed in the the past."

Provo-Orem was ranked the nation's seventh-fastest- growing metro area, according to the census report, increasing its population by just more than 20 percent during the five-year span. The Utah County hub now has an estimated population of 452,851.

Ogden-Clearfield was ranked 60th; Logan was 91st; and Salt Lake City 107th in the survey that took in 361 areas with populations in excess of 100,000.

Among the smaller, "micropolitan areas" - regions with between 10,000 and 50,000 residents - Heber City was ranked third. The Wasatch County hub and its surrounding communities grew by almost 25 percent during the 5-year span, and now boasts a regional population of 18,974.

"I can't say it's a surprise," said Heber City Manager Mark Anderson. "It's fair to say that we think this is a pretty desirable place to live. We've seen improved transportation to Salt Lake City, more people are telecommuting and we have unparalleled access to recreational opportunities. We also got a lot of exposure from the Olympics."

However, he added, "this also puts a lot of pressure on us as a community to respond to the issues that come with additional growth."

Cedar City ranked 19th in the micropolitan survey, Brigham City was 60th and Vernal -booming once again from energy development - was 83rd.

Not all view the incredible growth in St. George as something to be happy about. In fact, it has become a hotly contested topic with the introduction of a county land-use bill by U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett and Rep. Jim Matheson.

Opponents of the bill - which proposes the sale of up to 25,000 acres of federal land, new roads and right-of-way corridors for for utility projects like the St. George pipeline - argue it will only exacerbate what they contend is already an unsustainable growth model.

"If we don't get a handle on limiting growth at some point, we're going to ruin it," contends St. George developer Brooks Pace.

Eardley says the Bennett-Matheson bill - which was formally introduced earlier this summer - is badly needed, and the sooner the better.

"The land-use issues we have to deal with are current, not somewhere out in the future," he said. "This bill attempts to address issues that have lingered for decades."

jbaird@sltrib.com

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Tribune reporter Judy Fahys contributed to this story.