Rep. Mike Noel, R-Pluto, is incensed by HB137 , sponsored by Democrat Rep. Larry Wiley that would create the State Facility Water Conservation Program to reduce water use by state agencies. It's apparently not the bill's usefulness or the need for it that bugs the Conservation Rancher of the Year 1995 — Noel wants to kill it to send a message to the "radical" group he perceives is behind it, the Utah Rivers Council.

It's not news that Noel has no use for environmentalists, but this convoluted punitive action against the Rivers Council breaks fresh ground.

Noel circulated a letter to Republican House members — not meant for the eyes of you, me or them Democrats. "Utah Rivers Council is connected at the hip with SUWA," Noel says, going on to describe the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance as a "radical environmental group" that is protesting oil and gas development on public lands.

Noel implores House Republicans:

Please support me in sending a message to this environmental organization that we won't support bills with their name on them until they clean up their act and stop lying to the people.

They are taking credit on their web site for being moderate and supporting water conservation while with the other hand they are working nefariously with SUWA and other radical organizations to stop the development of Utah's natural resources and stop the use of one of the last renewable resources the state still owns.

Please speak to this so that we can make a strong statement that we are tired as **** and we won't take it any longer.

OK, correct me if I'm wrong — but Noel seems to be asking that a perfectly good water conservation program be deep sixed just because he wants to stick it to the Rivers Council and SUWA.

Note: Those are Noel's asterisks, not mine.