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Utah Public Lands

Republican lawmakers are calling for states in the West to control more of their own land, instead of the federal government having the control.

A group of lawmakers submitted a friend of the court brief to support Utah’s case before the U.S. Supreme Court as the state hopes to take control of 18.5 million acres of unappropriated land.

🏜️ What land is it?: The public land Utah wants to bring back under state control doesn’t include national parks, national monuments and national forests — much of it is desert scape or farm lands, not necessarily the photo-worthy landscapes some people think of when they hear the term public lands.

Here's what some of the lawmakers said:

Is there opposition to the idea?: Shortly after Utah filed its suit, team members at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) stopped by the Deseret News for an on-the-record editorial board meeting to argue in favor of keeping the lands in the hands of the federal government.

Opponents to the state’s lawsuit see it as corrosive to conservation by not having the federal government manage the lands.

Read more about how western politicians are frustrated because so much of Utah land isn’t owned by the state.

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FROM OUR SPONSOR UTAH PUBLIC LANDS

Let Utah Manage Utah Land

Utah has filed a landmark lawsuit over control of unappropriated federal lands. State statute prohibits the privatization of public lands except in rare circumstances, underscoring Utah’s commitment to keeping public lands in public hands and locally controlled. Learn more: standforourland.utah.gov.

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