In the Beehive State, 41.1 million acres of publicly owned national forest and Bureau of Land Management lands provide fish and wildlife with irreplaceable habitat. Despite the immense value of America’s public lands, special interests are working hard in favor of the Utah public lands transfer. If the state were to take over these lands, it is indisputable that important lands would be sold off and closed to hunting, fishing, and public access.
Utah government officials and stakeholders realize that this idea is unworkable, and they are stepping up in support of America’s public lands legacy.
“The transfer movement, like its predecessor Sagebrush Rebellion and Wise Use movement, is a political initiative … not a legal one…Why should the citizens of the United States give up these valuable lands and resources to Utah or any other Western state?”
-Robert Keiter, professor of public lands at the University of Utah
Salt Lake City, representing 191,000 residents, has formally opposed public lands transfer.
Deseret News editorialized in opposition to public lands transfer.
Salt Lake Tribune editorialized in opposition to public lands transfer.
