Utah
Utah files ambitious lawsuit to take control of 18.5 million acres of federal public land
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at a press conference announcing a lawsuit from the state seeking to take control of to 18.5 million acres of federally managed land in Utah. (Kyle Dunphey/Utah News Dispatch)
Utah is suing the federal government over how it manages public land in the state, again.
But unlike past legal challenges, which target specific national monuments or policies, the scope of the lawsuit filed with the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday is massive, questioning whether the Bureau of Land Management’s claim to 18.5 million acres of land — about 34% of the entire state — is legitimate.
State politicians call it “historic.” Environmental and public land advocacy groups say it’s a “land grab.” Regardless, the lawsuit has the potential to upend how the Bureau of Land Management operates in Utah and possibly the Western U.S.
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The lawsuit targets “unappropriated” public land. That doesn’t include Utah’s five national parks, or any of the state’s national monuments, national forests, or recreation or wilderness areas, which represent about half of the federal public land in the state.
The other half, which is about 34% of the entire state, according to officials, is unappropriated land “that the U.S. government is simply holding on to, without properly reserving it for any designated purpose,” Attorney General Sean Reyes said on Tuesday.
That deprives Utah of its sovereignty, Reyes said, by holding land regardless of how it impacts residents or state business.
“Utah cannot manage, police or care for more than two thirds of its own territory because it’s controlled by people who don’t live in Utah, who aren’t elected by Utah citizens and not responsive to our local needs,” Reyes said.
That means the state can’t impose taxes on that land, or impose eminent domain to build “critical infrastructure” like public roads or communication systems, Reyes said. Nor can the state exercise legislative authority over how to use the land.
The 90-plus page complaint asks the U.S. Supreme Court whether it’s constitutional for the federal government to hold unappropriated land in the state indefinitely.
“This is a question we and many Western states have had for decades,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said on Tuesday, speaking to a room packed full of lawmakers, bureaucrats, county-level politicians and reporters. Reyes, as well as Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, also spoke.
There are only a handful of entities allowed to petition directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, including states that have a dispute with the federal government. Even though it could be a more streamlined process than filing with a lower court, the process could still take years. And that’s assuming the high court agrees to hear the case.
If the Supreme Court declines to take up the case, Cox said the state will go back and file a complaint with a federal district court.
Whether it’s the Supreme Court or a lower district, the legal challenge will cost taxpayers money. The legislature appropriated about $20 million to fight the legal challenge, Reyes said, though he believes it won’t cost nearly that much.
“What we’ve spent currently or plan to spend is, I don’t have an exact number, but it’s a fraction,” Reyes said, telling reporters the state will save money by filing the lawsuit with the Supreme Court because it won’t have to litigate in federal district courts.
In an email Tuesday, University of Utah law professor John Ruple agreed with some of the governor’s sentiment, telling Utah News Dispatch there is room for improvement when it comes to how federal land is managed.
“However, the U.S. Constitution is clear that Congress, not the individual states, makes decisions about our federal public lands,” said Ruple, a research professor of law at the university’s S.J. Quinney College of Law, and director of the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources and the Environment’s Law and Policy Program.
To rule in Utah’s favor, Ruple said the Supreme Court would have to reinterpret longstanding constitutional provisions, upsetting “150 years of settled Supreme Court law and destabilizing land ownership throughout the West.”
“That’s a big lift. I can’t help but wonder whether a less adversarial approach would have been more effective,” he said.
What if Utah wins?
If Utah’s lawsuit is successful, setting forth a process where 18.5 million acres is placed under state control, it would unravel the current, decadesold structure of federal land management.
But it’s something state officials have anticipated for years, passing a bill in 2017 that creates the prospective Utah Department of Land Management, which would essentially become Utah’s version of the BLM.
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Much of that unappropriated land is offered up as parcels for grazing, oil and gas production, mining or recreation — those leases would instead be managed by the Department of Land Management.
Redge Johnson, director of the state’s Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office, said Utah would honor all existing leases, but instead of the BLM, lease holders would meet with state employees. Johnson, acknowledging that it’s very much still a hypothetical scenario, said the state would likely hire many BLM employees.
“They’re great people, we have a lot of good people at the local level that we work with. It’s the decisions that come out of (Washington) D.C. that we find problematic,” he said.
Other federal entities, like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which doesn’t necessarily own unappropriated land but does work on it, would likely be able to operate as it did previously.
The state has long had grievances with the federal government’s hold on land. It has filed lawsuits looking to repeal the Biden administration’s re-designation of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, a travel plan in Grand County that closed a number of rugged dirt roads near wilderness areas, and a recent rule allowing parcels of Bureau of Land Management land to be leased for conservation.
Those policies were all cited Tuesday as examples of federal overreach.
“For the entire time that we’ve existed as a state, Utah’s public lands have been a treasured heritage for all of us. For many years, decades even, the question of how to best manage Utah’s lands has been at the forefront of our state’s critical issues,” Cox said. “The crazy thing is that all this time, we have not had control of nearly 70% of our land. I want you to think about that for just a second. Utah does not have the ability to manage over two thirds of our state.”
‘This lawsuit isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on’: Environmental groups respond
A number of environmental groups responded to the announcement on Tuesday, calling Utah’s lawsuit an attempted land grab and accusing the state of wasting taxpayer money, while threatening some of the state’s most iconic landscapes.
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, a litigious nonprofit that has previously intervened in several lawsuits in opposition to Utah, called Tuesday’s announcement another example of Utah being “the most anti-public lands state in the country.”
“Utahns and visitors travel to our state to experience stunning redrock canyons, spires, and mesas; public lands that are owned by all Americans and managed on their behalf by the federal government and its expert agencies,” said the group’s legal director, Steve Bloch. “All of that is at risk with Utah’s saber rattling and insistence that many of these remarkable landscapes are instead ‘state lands’ that should be developed and ultimately destroyed by short-sighted state politicians.”
The Center For Western Priorities, a public lands advocacy group, said Utah’s legal argument was likely to fail, telling Utah News Dispatch it “isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.”
“One hundred and thirty years ago, the people of Utah agreed to ‘forever disclaim all right and title’ to national public lands when Utah became a state. What part of ‘forever’ isn’t clear to you, governor? The property clause of the Constitution gives Congress, and only Congress, authority to transfer or dispose of federal lands. That’s the beginning, middle, and end of this lawsuit,” said the group’s deputy director, Aaron Weiss, who urged the governor and other state leaders to abandon the suit before they “waste millions of taxpayer dollars enriching out-of-state lawyers on this pointless lawsuit.”
And the Wilderness Society said the lawsuit was another example of Utah trying to undermine federal land management, pointing to the state’s other lawsuits.
In a statement, the group’s senior legal director Alison Flint called the lawsuit “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,” Flint said.
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It has been a long time since the Jazz last played a meaningful game I desperately wanted them to win, and it is unhealthy how excited I am for this matchup. After a solid three games in the SLC Summer League, the Jazz head south to Las Vegas, and as hot as the desert sun is sure to be outside, on the court, the Thursday night primetime game featuring the top two picks in the draft will be much hotter.
How to Watch the Las Vegas Summer League?
Who: Utah Jazz vs Washington Wizards
When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 | 7:00 MT
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ESPN, Jazz+
Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa
Summer league games do not matter in the record books, but this game is a statement-making opportunity for both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. Given the historical nature of this draft class, especially at the top, there is some real juice to this game that is atypical of most Summer League games. AJ has the chance to silence the noise that has swelled after Darryn’s remarkable performances in the SLC Summer League. Meanwhile, Darryn has the chance to ratchet up the noise and take the NBA world by storm with another solid performance against the Wizards. Can you imagine the narratives if Darryn were to come out and dominate AJ as he has through high school and college? In the words of the great Charles Barkley, I have two words for you… Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, must-see TV.
Ace Bailey looked really impressive in his 2.5 quarters of play in Salt Lake before missing games with back spasms. It is unknown whether or not he will be ready to go for the Vegas opener, but if he is available, he will probably be the one checking AJ Dybantsa on defense. His combination of length and athleticism could not only make things difficult for AJ on the defensive end but also expose his lackadaisical defense on the offensive end. If Ace is able to go, he will be looking to show the Jazz and the NBA that he is ready to take a leap in year two.
Which Jazz Big Man Will Stand Out?
Which big man will step up this game? In Game 1, we saw a lot of Kylor Kelley, who was a little less than impressive. Against Memphis, Jaxon Kohler, the Utah native, showed up and showed out against Cam Boozer. In game three, although the number of NBA-level players was few and far between, Jonas Aidoo stole the show with his rebounding and ability to play his role. Will we see one of those same three guys seize their opportunity, or will another guy like Micah Handlogten or Eric Dixon steal the show? We saw how vital a big that can roll and catch passes is for Darryn Peterson as a lead guard, playmaking-wise. It will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate to relieve pressure when he is blitzed and double-teamed.
SIDE NOTE: Adam Silver is LAME
No one should ASPIRE to be as boring as Adam Silver. After much excitement was made about Keyonte George making his unofficial coaching debut on Thursday night, according to Sarah Todd, the league has nixed that excitement and won’t allow Keyonte to be coaching on the sideline because who knows why…? I guess they were worried about the Jazz circumventing the salary cap to pay Keyonte or something. Anyways, I guess Will Hardy’s coaching TREE will have to wait for more branches to grow. Adam Silver remains evil in my book.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (Good Things Utah) – A Park City charitable foundation is challenging outdoor athletes to turn their miles into meals for hungry kids. Terrence Moorehead is the co-founder of the non-profit RipLine Foundation. He says the RipLine Foundation seeks to channel the energy of Utah’s outdoor athletes, adventurers, and enthusiasts into the fight against childhood hunger. RipLine’s mission: Fight Hunger Feed the Future. It’s delivered through three peer‑to‑peer leader challenges across the year that turn movement into meals for children in need. 100% of funds raised go directly to vetted giving partners, including No Kid Hungry, Feeding America, Feed the Children, and Vitamin Angels.
The challenge is to turn every mile walked, run, biked, or hiked, and every hole of golf played into meals for kids facing food insecurity. Terrence says ‘Outdoor athletes are the most generous, motivated, and passionate community in the state and we’re done pretending we can’t do something to help our kids. Every mile is a meal. Every climb is a meal. Every round of golf is a meal. If you’re already moving, you’re already qualified.’
He says this summer they have Miles in the Wild™ – walking, running, biking, and hiking – which currently runs through September, and Balls Out™ which is our summer golf challenge. They are encouraging athletes in their preferred sport to rally networks of family, friends, coworkers, and crews to sponsor their effort.
Terrence says ‘Childhood hunger is unacceptable in a country this abundant — and it’s an area where we can have a real and meaningful impact. What’s been missing is a model that scales — that turns individual effort into measurable, repeatable impact. RipLine is built to do exactly that. Every Leader brings a network. Every dollar reaches a child. The math works. The Foundation has committed to providing one million meals in 2026 alone — its first year of fundraising — with a 2030 target of four million meals and one million children nourished.’
To sign up go to riplinefoundation.org
SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, views liberty as a driving force in American history, which is why he’s thrilled about a 60-foot-long and 36-foot-tall arch planned for a space near the Utah Capitol.
The Grand Liberty Arch, designed by renowned artist Sabin Howard, is expected to become one of the largest bronze sculptures in the West by the time it’s completed over the next seven years. Kennedy believes it will highlight the effort to gain liberty over the past 250 years.
“For two and a half centuries, liberty has been an active ingredient in the background of American history, and the driving engine of our national progress,” he said on Monday, as a 6-foot model of Howard’s piece rotated within the Utah Capitol rotunda next to him. “It is the vital spark that transformed a collection of colonies into a beacon of global innovation and human potential.”
However, those who live near its planned location are less excited by the state’s plan, not by the sculpture as much as the spot the state has in mind and the process by which it was selected. They believe it will drastically alter a longstanding open space, and question why the project was voted on quickly without much public feedback.
The Grand Liberty Arch
The Capitol Preservation Board signed off on the project in May, with the expectation that the estimated $55 million cost will be raised privately. Former Zions Bank CEO Scott Anderson was working with JLL Salt Lake City Real Estate to raise the funds, meeting with family foundations and large corporations, officials said during the meeting.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox penned a letter in support of the project in February, saying that he believes in the “significance of this legacy piece.” Howard, who recently completed a World War I memorial in Washington, D.C., had his latest vision on display at the Utah Capitol over Fourth of July weekend, so people could better view his vision.
The sculpture depicts many elements of the past 250 years in the U.S., from the Revolutionary War and the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the building of the country and its westward expansion. An unveiling ceremony was held Monday, where Howard and others were able to describe it and its importance for now and the next 250 years.
“America is dynamic. … Americans do not stand still,” he said. “The Grand Liberty Arch is a celebration of liberty that has transformed our nation.”
It’s expected to be built in phases over the next seven years, completed in time for the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Over 100 people showed up for the ceremony, making sure to snag a photo of the model by the end of it.
A neighborhood’s concern
The sculpture is to be located at 17 W. 500 North, on a parcel across the street from the Utah Capitol, informally known by some as the Capitol triangle. Utah owns the land, but it’s also not considered part of the primary Capitol Complex, meaning it’s not subject to some of the same Capitol grounds rules, Cox said.
Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, called it the “perfect location” during the board’s May meeting. Renderings show a plan to remove some of the park’s longstanding trees, replacing them with cherry trees around the arch that essentially adds to the Capitol’s walkway.
The location has also created a stir within its neighborhood. The Capitol Hill Neighborhood Council ended a June 17 meeting by debating several options to respond to the state’s decision.
There were some concerns raised about some of the depictions, but most are concerned about potential impacts to the current open space, which is used for an annual gathering, but also smaller park space since it’s located right next to homes, said Jonathan Bruns, chairman of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood Council.
“It’s off the main (path), so it’s a little … removed from the main grounds. It’s usually a quieter spot,” he explained.
With thousands of people projected to cross the street to view the piece, they said it could snarl traffic along Capitol and Columbus streets. Others were concerned by the size and scale of the project and the quick process to select a design, which appeared to include little to no public feedback.
Salt Lake City Councilman Chris Wharton, whose district includes the area, pointed out that the state is exempt from local processes, meaning there’s nothing the city or county could do to intervene. As a resident and lawyer, he suggested a formal complaint to the Capitol Preservation Board over the monument process around the Capitol complex, which the neighborhood council plans to do.
The council agreed to submit a formal complaint to the board and Utah Attorney General’s Office to make sure that the board followed Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act and normal processes for a monument. It also agreed to submit a public records request on the project for a “comprehensive report of community feedback.”
Part of the complaint centers around a discussion of a 100-year monument project for which there were two options discussed in May, separate from the arch. One celebrated the golden spike, while the other highlighted women’s suffrage in Utah, but the project was placed on hold over logistics.
Board members didn’t abandon the project, but said the arch could ultimately serve as the selection. That made the neighborhood question if it followed the correct process for monuments, Bruns explained.
“It kind of seems like this went around the rules in an odd way. … We are obviously doing work to make sure it was done by the right processes,” he said.
The attorney general’s complaint has since been filed, while the rest are in the works, he told KSL. He’s unsure if the council would file a lawsuit over the time and money that would strain a volunteer group of residents.
Bruns credited Howard for being responsive, adding that he’s hopeful the state can also be understanding of the neighborhood’s concerns, whether that’s project adjustments or a new location.
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.
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