SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Attorney General’s Office (“AGO”) is deeply concerned about the recent Public Lands Rule issued by the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”), which could have a devastating effect on the health of Utah’s public lands.
Assistant Attorney General Kathy Davis, section director of the Public Lands Section, cautioned, “Utah is America’s leader in proactive conservation, where state and local governments work cooperatively with local BLM employees to improve and restore landscapes while mitigating the risk of catastrophic wildfires. The Biden Administration’s new Rule seems specifically designed to hinder those efforts.”
The new Rule also drew criticism and concern from the highest levels of leadership at the Utah AGO: “The BLM’s efforts should be focused on working with Western States to help make our public lands more productive and resilient,” said Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. “It is disheartening to see the BLM adopt unnecessary layers of bureaucratic red tape that will make landscape improvements much more difficult to implement. The BLM is obliged by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (“FLPMA”) to manage Utah’s public lands under the principles of “multiple-use,” a concept absent from the new rule. We will explore all options to challenge these short-sighted policies.”
The Utah AGO will continue defending Utah’s rights and ensuring Utahns can access and enjoy their public lands.
