Some of Arizona's most beautiful scenery, including the southern foothills of the Superstition Mountains, is at risk of being lost forever.

Once again, obstinacy in the Legislature is working against the interests of future generations. State-trust-land reform appears to be dead, a situation that benefits no one but home builders.

Gov. Janet Napolitano tried to broker a compromise this legislative session, pulling together a select group of lawmakers. They made progress on the bigger issues.

They agreed cities and counties would have to pay appraised value for trust land designated suitable for preservation, a change from previous proposals that gave away land. Government, however, would not have to compete at auction.

They agreed to let the State Land Department fund its operations from auction proceeds. They were willing to give the department additional tools so it could become a land planner as well as a seller, which is essential to avoiding the pitfalls of haphazard growth. That's crucial to the orderly development of the vast Superstition Vistas east of Mesa and south of Apache Junction.

Then home builders and cattlemen insisted the package ban communities from using developer-impact fees to purchase trust land. That hurts efforts to preserve suitable state-owned parcels on the fringes of the southeast Valley. And it's a huge obstacle to preserving scenic parts of the 275-square-mile Superstition Vistas.

Communities would have the right to buy trust land, but one less means to pay for it.

The pro-reform side said no. Home builders and their legislative allies accused the conservationists of negotiating in bad faith, insisting that reform proponents always intended to go for a citizen initiative.

Right. They wanted to spend the time and money to collect signatures - in a short time frame - and mount a statewide campaign against a well-funded opponent that was able to narrowly derail a similar initiative in 2006. That doesn't stand up to logic.

The best way to achieve trust-land reform is through the Legislature, with a bill both sides can accept.

The only ones who gain from legislative stalemate are those who look at a mountainside and see profit. An antiquated system that values 9.2 million acres of trust land simply for its ability to make a buck works just fine for them.

It should have been simple to settle the dispute about developer-impact fees. The fees are on the books, charged by cities so new development pays its share for streets, water, sewers and parks. Preserve land is a park. It's not unreasonable for a community to use existing impact fees to help buy trust land.

No one was pushing for a new fee, said Michel Haener, the governor's point person on legislative affairs.

Arizona is home to gorgeous vistas, breathtaking mountains, unequaled scenery. Legislators have a duty to see that this treasure is preserved for generations to come. Trust land should have been a legislative priority. If a citizen initiative becomes the only way to accomplish this goal, remember who made it necessary. It wasn't those who want change. - Wednesday