Utah’s new land-grab lawsuit would seize control of America’s public lands

Washington D.C. (August 20th) -- Today, Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes filed an outrageous lawsuit against the United States in the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the federal government’s centuries-old authority to own and manage federal public lands on behalf of the American public. Having repeatedly lost on these issues in the past, Utah is now bringing its long-shot arguments to the Supreme Court. If successful, the suit could turn over to states – and ultimately private industry for development – millions of acres of public lands across 11 Western States and Alaska.  

In response to the news, The Wilderness Society’s Senior Legal Director, Alison Flint, said: 

“While Utahns and the public are out enjoying public lands this summer, their state’s officials have been busy filing extreme lawsuits to undermine and ultimately seize control of federal public lands. They started with a lawsuit to prevent conservation management of public lands by challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule, and they’re ending it with a brazen and undemocratic attempt to force the handover of millions of acres of American’s public lands to the state – and ultimately to private companies planning to develop them. The courts should reject these cynical, outrageous attempts to undermine and take control of America’s public lands.”  

For more information, contact Emily Denny at The Wilderness Society; edenny@tws.org or 202-240-1788