(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) House and senate Democrats, Pat Jones, D-Salt Lake, Ben McAdams, D-Salt Lake, Joel Briscoe, D-Salt Lake, and Brian King, D-Salt Lake, from left, respond in opposition to the several bills involving public lands being pushed by Utah lawmakers during the legislature on Tuesday, Feburary 21, 2012 which is almost certain to see a protracted expensive court battle. Several aggressive steps were taken on Tuesday to take control of millions of acres of federal lands as a package of public-lands bills breezed through the House of Natural Resources Committee. (Al Hartmann | Tribune File Photo) Hikers cool off beneath Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. (Brett Prettyman | Tribune file photo) This file photo shows Grosvner Arch near Kodachrome Basin State Park and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. BLM Geologist Doug Powell makes his way through a rock garden of "Hoodoo's in the Escalante Grandstaircase National Monument east of Kanab. Hartmann/photo 10/3/05 (Brandon Loomis | The Salt Lake Tribune) Canyon Country Youth Corps Program Manager Alexander Nees shows a spot on Oct. 24 along Birch Creek, a tributary to the Escalante River, where non-native Russian olive trees have crowded out willows and other native plants — and with them grazing cattle and wildlife. The youth workers in his conservation corps are among many private and public agencies working to restore the Escalante watershed.