But Jim Hansen doesn't feel the commission will vote on his home state's bases anyway - a sign that the former U.S. representative believes Beehive State installations are safe from a direct attack.

A vote of the full commission is required to add any installations to the Defense Department's recommended closure list, released last week.

"I doubt there will be a vote on Hill or any other base," Hansen said in an interview Friday.

Hansen does, however, plan to be the Base Realignment and Closure Commission's representative on a visit to Hill next week. He will follow that with a visit to Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, which under the Pentagon's plan would lose upwards of 650 positions.

Representatives from the southwest Idaho community likely will be among those at a June 7 hearing in Salt Lake City, scheduled so that communities adversely affected by the Pentagon's plan can "educate the Commissioners and their staff on their disagreements with the Department of Defense base recommendations," Commission Chairman Anthony Principi said in a statement Thursday.

The regional hearing is among 16 scheduled to be held in June and July. The commission has until Sept. 8 to report its findings and suggestions to President Bush.

Rep. Rob Bishop said he was disappointed by the June 7 date, saying he had anticipated a meeting in mid-July.

"That's extremely tight for our staff to try to get everything ready," Bishop said.

Hansen's recusal does not necessarily prevent him from casting ballots that could indirectly affect Utah.

Bishop noted that some commissioners had questioned why New Mexico's Cannon Air Force Base should be closed.

Under the Pentagon's plan, six of Cannon's F-16 fighter jets would go to flying units at Hill, which in exchange would release some of its older jets to another base.

"If they take the 30s from Hill and don't bring the 40s we could really be in big trouble," said Bishop, referring to the jets by their numerical production block identifier. "Here once again is where Jim Hansen is going to play a key role in ensuring we're treated fairly."

mlaplante@sltrib.com

gehrke@sltrib.com