Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance challenges Utah public lands lawsuit
Dec 18, 2024, 8:10 PM
Steve Bloch, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance legal director, speaks during a SUWA press conference outside of the City-County Building in Salt Lake City on Dec. 18, 2024. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — On Wednesday, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance filed a lawsuit challenging the State of Utah’s public lands lawsuit.
In a post on Facebook, SUWA said that the Utah public lands lawsuit violates Utah’s constitution. Article Three of the state constitution says that Utah does not have a claim over lands owned by native tribes or the federal government.
The U.S. gained ownership of the land comprising Utah at the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848. In the initial filing, Utah acknowledged that it has never owned the lands at the center of the lawsuit. It asks the Supreme Court of the United States if the federal government can hold unappropriated lands indefinitely.
Alongside the filing, the state began an ad campaign known as Stand for Our Land.
In a media advisory, SUWA called the ad campaign propaganda.
During Wednesday morning’s press conference, SUWA Legal Director Steve Bloch said the media campaign suggests the targeted lands are not worth public attention. However, they encompass numerous recreation areas.
Public lands lawsuit could have consequences, SUWA says
“They’re also seeking an order that would instruct the United States to sell off these 18.5 million acres,” said Bloch. “In Utah’s multi-million dollar media campaign … they suggest that maybe the Supreme Court will order that the land simply be given to Utah. That’s simply false and misleading.”
SUWA said that if Utah’s bid was successful, the land would not immediately be given to the state because it never owned the land. Instead, it would begin a disposition process, where the lands would likely be sold to the highest bidder.
“The lawsuit filed this morning by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance leans into the fact that when Utah first entered the Union in 1896, the citizens of the state forever disclaimed their right to federal lands in Utah,” said Bloch.
“That was a part of the bargain at statehood. And our case filed this morning, seeks to enforce that commitment.”
KSL NewsRadio reached out to the offices of Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and Gov. Spencer Cox for comment. Neither have responded.
