Washington » Rep. Jim Matheson's effort to designate more land in the canyons east of the Salt Lake Valley as wilderness hit a snag Thursday when a Forest Service official expressed serious doubts during the first congressional hearing on the legislation.

Joel Holtrop, deputy chief of the National Forest System, said existing law already protects the vital watershed in canyons such as Parleys and Mill Creek. He also questioned the wisdom of expanding wilderness areas -- which preclude development and some forms of recreation -- so close to a bustling metropolis.

"Much of the land that would be designated as wilderness is close to Salt Lake City and provides a wide variety of current

uses that are not compatible with a wilderness designation," Holtrop told the House Natural Resources subcommittee.

Matheson, who has worked on the Wasatch wilderness and watershed bill for more than a year, bristled at the Obama administration's resistance. He said the Forest Service's written criticisms contained "misinformation."

"Frankly," Matheson said, "the testimony does not reflect the substance of my office's discussions that have taken place with the Forest Service the past few weeks."

As an example, Matheson said, his bill would protect popular mountain biking trails, while the administration expressed concerns that bikers would be shut out.

Both sides promised to continue working on the legislation, which Matheson introduced in April, and neither said the objections were a deal breaker.

Under questioning by Matheson, Holtrop said the Forest Service concern about the proximity of wilderness to cities is general and not directed specifically at this proposal.

While Holtrop expressed skepticism at the need for increased wilderness, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker told the committee it is vital.

"Further development not only threatens the water supply for the valley's growing population, it also threatens to permanently destroy the existing wilderness quality of lands contained in this legislation," Becker said in his written remarks. "If we fail to adequately protect the Wasatch Mountains with strict limitations on development, we will have lost a treasure beyond words."

Matheson's bill, which also is supported by Snowbird and the environmental group Save Our Canyons, would protect an additional 26,000 acres in the canyons where the valley gets much of its water. Some areas would get full wilderness protections, while 10,000 acres would be deemed special management areas, allowing helicopters to drop skiers in the backcountry.

One of the measure's critical compromises would stop Snowbird's plan to expand into White Pine Canyon, a favorite for backcountry skiers, in exchange for land in American Fork Canyon. But the town of Alta opposes this land swap because it also would eliminate the Alta Ski Area's desire to build a lift up Flagstaff Peak.

Alta Mayor Tom Pollard testified before the subcommittee, of which Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, is the ranking member.

Pollard said the chairlift is necessary to fight potential avalanches. The town currently uses military artillery to induce avalanches, but the town and the Army want to end this practice. The mayor said the chairlift would allow crews to safely drop small explosives to mitigate bigger avalanches.

Matheson said Alta's interests are twofold. The town has a serious concern about avalanches, but it also wants to expand skiing into the area. Pollard hinted at this, but didn't outright say it.

He told the subcommittee that the lift "would allow skier access and provide an additional safeguard against avalanches through skier compaction."

Matheson said it doesn't make environmental sense to allow Alta to expand into Flagstaff Peak and he argues there are other ways to fight avalanches.

"I do not believe it is necessary to build a ski lift to address the avalanche issue," he said.

Pollard, who said he supports the other portions of the bill, wants environmentalists, backcountry skiers and the congressman to relent.

"We've been frustrated," Pollard said, "by the unwillingness of the involved parties to compromise."

mcanham@sltrib.com