Utah Upset Over Public Lands

Utah is taking a stand against the federal government’s management of unappropriated land within its borders. 

Utah officials filed a lawsuit petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s indefinite control over unappropriated land in the state. BLM-managed lands cannot be developed, and Utah Governor Spencer Cox argues that the BLM hasn’t been keeping the public lands accessible. 

By the numbers: 

• 34% of Utah is managed by BLM
• That’s 18.5M unappropriated acres 
• Over ⅔ of Utah land is controlled by the federal government

Soundbite: “Even if you believe that Washington bureaucrats should manage land from 2,000 miles away, you simply have to admit they have not done a very good job.” — Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz 

Conservation concerns: Opponents of the filing include conservation groups. They’re concerned about short-sighted state development, and one even called the move an “election-year stunt.” 

Tangent: Utah, alongside Wyoming and a handful of farm groups like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, is also suing the BLM and U.S. Interior Department over the Public Lands Rule. They say the rule skips over requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, and will wreak havoc on ranching by disrupting multiple-use management. 

Where this goes: If Utah wins the legal battle, the state would be looking to grab hold of the BLM-managed land for recreation, conservation, and wildlife habitat. The unappropriated lands are slated for livestock grazing, energy production, and more.