On Wednesday, Utah Republican Sen. Bob Bennett and Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson unveiled a historic land-use plan for Washington County, one that officials in nearby Iron, Beaver and Millard counties may seek to mimic.

"Our interests are different from Washington County, but the process they're using here could help us with the issues we have," said Iron County Commissioner Dennis Stowell, who attended Wednesday's ceremony in St. George.

The Washington County model sets aside 221,000 wilderness acres, expands Zion National Park, grants the Virgin River scenic status and enhances habitat protection for the rare desert tortoise and the bear claw poppy.

At the same time, it pinpoints utility, transportation and water corridors while designating areas available for growth in one the nation's fastest-booming counties.

The plan, 2 1/2 years in the making with input from dozens of parties, still must clear Congress. But neighboring Nevada pushed through similar legislation several years ago for Lincoln and Clark counties.

Bennett, standing beneath rain-washed red sandstone cliffs at St. George's Pioneer Park, reminded about 50 people who attended Wednesday's ceremony that the draft plan remains open. A formal comment period will begin soon, and he plans to introduce the measure this spring in the U.S. Senate.

"It's not a finished product," Bennett said.

Utah's junior senator isn't ready to embrace the Washington County concept for other Utah counties - yet.

"Let's get this done, see how it's received and see how other counties feel about it," Bennett said. "I've said to everyone, let's not start putting those stakeholders together and having those meetings" until the Washington County process plays out.

But Matheson, who will shepherd the plan in the U.S. House, says combining county plans might make more sense than creating separate bills for each of Utah's 29 counties.

"If there is a successful outcome," he said, "it may make sense to group some counties together."

Washington County Commissioner Alan Gardner said after the Nevada counties adopted similar legislation, it was logical for his county to step forward.

"We have a lot of the same issues," Gardner said. "Other counties are anxious to see what happens."

Randy Johnson, who facilitated the Washington County proposal, is working with other southwestern Utah counties in forming their own plans.

If Congress signs off on Washington County's blueprint, Johnson sees a good chance of Iron, Beaver and Millard counties consolidating their plans into a single piece of legislation.

"The counties have a lot of issues in common," Johnson said.

The most-contentious issue in Washington County was wilderness. Ultimately, the proposal calls for a patchwork of wilderness areas, including Cougar Canyon, Red Mountain, Deep Creek and Canaan Canyon.

While environmental groups complain of being left out of much of the Washington County talks, some good still could come from it, according to Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Executive Director Scott Groene.

"We could learn a lot from the failures of the process," Groene said.

Stowell, the Iron County commissioner, argues wilderness issues do not pose as much of a hurdle in his county, where the commission has been discussing expansion of Cedar Breaks National Monument and elevating it to a national park.

Iron County would face a critter conundrum: prairie dogs.

The county's land-use plan probably would call for creating a permanent reserve for the threatened animal, Stowell said.

mhavnes@sltrib.com

gehrke@sltrib.com