Utah
Utah appeals court upholds public records release on wolves
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Court of Appeals has sided with a journalist pursuing records about state contracts with an organization lobbying to remove the Gray Wolf from federal endangered species protections.
In a ruling made public late Friday, the Court sided with Eric Peterson and the Utah Investigative Journalism Project over expense reports from Big Game Forever related to its contract work with Utah’s Department of Natural Resources. The agency granted Peterson’s request for those reports, but redacted some portions of the records. Peterson challenged the redactions and the Utah State Records Committee reversed DNR’s decision.
That prompted Big Game Forever to go to court to challenge the records committee’s decision. A lower court ruled in Peterson and the Utah Investigative Journalism Project’s favor. Big Game Forever appealed.
The Utah Court of Appeals unanimously sided with Peterson and the Utah Investigative Journalism Project again.
Big Game Forever has received millions of dollars from the state of Utah over the years in efforts to lobby for wolf delisting.
“Big Game has subcontracted with numerous vendors, and it claims to have dealt with two consistent problems: (1) ‘frequent death threats and harassment regarding the work it (and its vendors) performs’ and (2) competitors’ efforts to poach its subcontractors in an attempt to compete for future contracts. Thus, Big Game has taken, in its judgment, ‘all reasonable measures’ to maintain and protect the confidentiality of its subcontractors’ identities,” Judge Gregory Orme wrote in the ruling, adding that an audit of the group’s first contract suggested there was a lack of sufficient safeguards around the money.
While a subsequent contract had expenditure disclosures, there was a provision that any information contained in them “would be protected,” Judge Orme wrote. That was the rationale for denying Peterson’s records request. When the case ultimately made it to court, a judge rejected the idea that the names of vendors was a “trade secret” and that releasing names or other information would be harmful.
The Utah Court of Appeals agreed and ruled the information could be released under Utah’s Government Records Access Management Act (GRAMA), the law that governs public records.
“In applying this balancing test, the court weighed Big Game’s interest in protecting against unfair competition and its interest in protecting the subcontractors’ safety against the public’s interest in knowing how public funds are spent. The court stated that Big Game made only conclusory statements that its subcontractors had ‘historically been targeted by extremist animal rights groups’ without providing ‘any specifics as to the conduct by animal rights groups,’” Judge Orme wrote.
“Conversely, the court determined that ‘the public’s interest in obtaining access to the information regarding who is receiving public funds, and what they are doing to perform the public contract, is high’ and that ‘[t]he public has a great interest in the accountability and transparency of the expenditure of millions of dollars under the public contracts with Big Game.’ After balancing these considerations, the court concluded that ‘even if the subcontractor list is properly classified as protected, the interest favoring access is greater than or equal to the interest favoring restriction of access.’”
The judges ruled that Big Game Forever did not raise a sufficient enough challenge to the lower court’s decision to balance interests.
“Big Game’s argument on balancing in the commercial-information context is limited to the assertions that it ‘derives economic value from keeping the names of its subcontractors confidential’ and that ‘[c]onsidering the consequences to Big Game if these names were disclosed, Big Game’s interest in preventing disclosure outweighs the public’s interest in learning them,’” Judge Orme wrote. “In the context of challenging the district court’s … balancing of interests, these conclusory statements do not meaningfully engage with the district court’s reasoning and are thus insufficient to carry Big Game’s burden of persuasion on appeal.”
Emails to the Utah Investigative Journalism Project and an attorney representing Big Game Forever requesting comment on the Court’s ruling were not immediately returned on Saturday.
Read the Utah Court of Appeals ruling here:
While Big Game Forever was advocating for wolf delisting, there are signs that lawmakers on Utah’s Capitol Hill have questions about what they are ultimately getting for it. During a budget hearing in February before the Utah State Legislature’s Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee, Assistant House Majority Whip Casey Snider, R-Paradise, said the state has contributed a lot of money to the effort.
“I actually am very supportive of delisting wolves and having wolves under state management. But I’m not necessarily, and haven’t been, supportive of this blank check that’s contributed itself through time with not much accountability,” he said, adding he had concerns about “just continuing to throw money down this hole.”
Don Peay, representing an organization called Hunter Nation, pushed back in the hearing and insisted that Big Game Forever’s efforts were successful in getting a wolf delisting in parts of Utah.
“We got the little teeny sliver that goes from I-15 Idaho border down to Ogden, up to Evanston,” Peay replied. “So that little portion of Utah is now, wolves on that side of the boundary are not endangered species.”
Hunter Nation sought $500,000 for its wolf delisting efforts this year. The legislature approved $250,000.
Utah’s Department of Agriculture & Food has been bracing for the possibility of wolves entering Utah after Colorado voters approved their reintroduction. Under current federal laws, they must be trapped and relocated.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Utah and Salt Lake County a total of $3.5 million in grants to assess potentially polluted properties for eventual cleanup and redevelopment.
The agency announced a $2 million grant to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality and $1.5 million to Salt Lake County to conduct environmental assessments and inventory brownfield sites for cleanup. Brownfields are sites that may be difficult to redevelop or expand because of “the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant,” according to the agency.
“These brownfields grants will help Utah communities clean up contaminated sites and unlock opportunities for redevelopment and investment,” EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western said in a news release announcing the grants earlier this week. “By transforming underused properties into community assets, EPA is helping create healthier neighborhoods and stronger local economies.”
The two grants awarded to Utah and Salt Lake County are among more than $248 million awarded to nearly 200 communities nationwide for brownfield assessment and cleanup. Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality plans to focus the resources on several areas in Ogden, Heber City and Fillmore, among others, according to Bill Rees, who leads Utah’s brownfield cleanup program.
“What we do is work to secure the funding and then begin to reach out to our communities across the state, say, ‘Listen, there’s opportunity to do some assessment work in your community if you’re interested,’ and then work with our rural partners, work with our urban partners to see if there are sites that will fit that bill,” he told KSL.
The state has received similar grants in the past, and Rees said the money can help local governments determine what to do with ailing properties such as old schools, hospitals or private property that have gone to waste.
“Is there asbestos in it, or is there hazardous material in it? Or could there be something that’s impacting the soil or the groundwater, and a policymaker needs to make a decision?” asked Rees. “Knowledge allows you to make good decisions.”
The $1.5 million awarded to Salt Lake County is the largest brownfields assessment grant the county has ever received, according to a county press release.
“This grant is a real win for our communities,” said Mayor Jenny Wilson. “This funding will let us do vital environmental work on a larger scale and in more neighborhoods. It reflects exactly the kind of partnership between local and federal government that gets results for residents.”
The county grant funds will be used to help create cleanup plans in three areas, including a vehicle storage yard in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood, a 4.26-acre vacant lot in Millcreek and a small commercial building in Magna that was damaged during an earthquake in March 2020, according to the EPA.
Contributing: Don Brinkherhoff
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued red flag warning Friday morning as emergency workers continued to battle one of the state’s largest wildfires in its history.
The red flag warning, issued when critical fire warnings are occurring or imminent, was to be in place through midnight Saturday.
“This is the FIRST Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning issued in NWS Salt Lake City history. This is an exceptionally rare event,” the federal agency said in its warning.
A map of the area under the warning covered much of central and southwest Utah, with an area of the southwest, central and southern mountains also outlined as “particularly dangerous red flag.”
The particularly dangerous area includes the Cottonwood Fire, near the town of Beaver, which started Monday and had grown to covering almost nearly 71,000 acres by Thursday, 15 News reported. The fire forced evacuations.
The NWS warned that gusty winds and dry conditions would lead to rapid fire growth.
Utah also was dealing with the Iron Fire, which started June 19, and nearly destroyed the town of Eureka. The fire was about 27% contained Friday morning.
The fire danger led Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to issue executive order restricting fireworks statewide during the July 4 holiday, which marks the nation’s 250th birthday this year. The ban is in effect through July 5.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said in a statement issued by his office Thursday.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations” Jamie Barnes, Utah state forester and director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, added in the statement.
Cox allowed cities and local communities to set aside areas where fireworks could be safely used. The city of Provo announced it would enforce a citywide prohibition on fireworks and would not designate a safe area for fireworks.
“This year is different,” Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said in a statement. “The wildfire danger facing our community is real, and protecting lives, homes, and our natural spaces must come first.”
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Earlier this month, 2News Investigates brought you a former inmate’s federal lawsuit alleging Utah Department of Corrections leaders failed to address reports of alleged sexual assault by correctional officers. Now, 2News Investigates examines another key claim in that lawsuit.
MORE: Federal lawsuit alleges Utah prison leaders covered up guards’ sexual assaults on inmates
The lawsuit alleges a mass cross-gender strip-search operation – women being viewed by men was intended to further silence female inmates.
Federal law generally prohibits cross-gender strip searches of female inmates except during emergencies or when conducted by medical personnel. UDC says that during body-search procedures, male correctional officers are not allowed in the immediate area and inmate privacy is maintained. Former inmates say that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Three former inmates agreed to speak with 2News Investigates but asked that their identities not be revealed.
“It was very traumatic.”
According to the lawsuit, on May 13, 2025, UDC carried out a large-scale operation known as a “reset” in women’s housing units at the Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) in Salt Lake City.
Wendy: “They call it a reset. What do you call it?”
“A violation.”
“It’s like a rape.”
The lawsuit alleges UDC Deputy Warden Derick Zorn and Warden Sharon D’Amico directed the operation, along with more than a dozen members of the Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT.
According to the plaintiffs, officers stormed dormitories, shouted profanities, and issued conflicting commands.
The women say and the lawsuit states they were ordered to pack their belongings into totes and change into state-issued uniforms in front of male CIRT officers. They were then marched to the Emerald Building for processing.
“It felt almost like we were at a concentration camp.”
The lawsuit alleges the women were required to undergo body scans and then strip completely naked. Plaintiffs claim they were ordered to lift their breasts, spread their buttocks, and cough while visible to male staff.
Women who were menstruating allegedly were instructed to remove menstrual products in full view of others.
“Just use one hand to remove it. Hold it up in front of you.”
“I felt really small and worthless.”
The lawsuit alleges some women were forced to hold soiled menstrual pads while performing physical maneuvers.
“I just did what I was told. I just wanted to get it over with.”
The plaintiffs also claim they were required to sit on toilets or squat to provide urine samples while completely naked and visible to male officers.
“It was humiliating. It was degrading.”
The lawsuit further alleges cell doors were left open, exposing naked women to other inmates and male staff.
An overhead observation booth with reflective glass overlooked the strip-search area. Plaintiffs say they observed movement inside and believed they were being watched from above.
The lawsuit alleges the female inmates were being watched from above during a mass strip search on May 13, 2025
“I could see in the overhead, the two-way mirror. There were multiple men walking around up there who had direct vision inside those cells.”
The lawsuit alleges Captain Jared Beers and Lieutenant Matthew Coombs were inside the booth and that Deputy Warden Derick Zorn observed women in various states of undress.
“I made eye contact with Officer Arroyo, and I also saw Deputy Zorn.”
“I knew if I could see the male officers, they could see me.”
One former inmate described the experience as state-sanctioned sexual violence.
“When that happens, and you’ve gone through the same kind of thing as a child, it’s very traumatic.”
The lawsuit alleges Warden D’Amico knew male officers were viewing naked female inmates and “ratified, condoned, and failed to stop it.”
An allegation in the lawsuit filed on May 15, 2026
“You’re pretty much a hostage.”
UDC Executive Director Jared Garcia declined repeated requests for an on-camera interview. A letter sent said:
“During the body search process in female living areas, male correctional officers are not allowed in the immediate area, and privacy is maintained. In general, resets are conducted routinely, according to UDC policy and under strict protocols designed to ensure safety while also preserving the privacy and dignity of incarcerated individuals.”
“The manner matters.”
Walter Mason represents the plaintiffs.
He told 2News Investigates, “The law protects inmates from being exposed to members of the opposite sex viewing their naked bodies unless there’s an emergency. Unless there’s what the law calls an exigent circumstance, the prison can take necessary actions to protect safety. There was no emergency. There was no exigency.”
UDC says the reset involved approximately 150 trained staff members and was conducted according to department policy.
UDC’s letter goes on to say:
“Every effort was made to treat belongings with care and document confiscated items appropriately. UDC stands by our methods and policies, which are intended to maintain the highest standards of integrity, safety, and efficiency during the reset process.”
Written response from the Utah Department of Corrections regarding 2News investigations
I asked UDC whether any exigent circumstances existed on May 13, 2025, during the reset operation.
The response:
“No exigent circumstances occurred on May 13, 2025.”
I also requested information about what items were confiscated. UDC said it could not provide a specific list.
Response to questions posed by 2News Investigates to UDC regarding mass strip search and if exigent circumstances existed that day
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and accuses the defendants, all supervisors, of participating in a “coordinated effort to humiliate, mock, and psychologically degrade the plaintiffs … operating with a brazen and intentional disregard for clearly established law, fueled by an institutional custom of impunity.”
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