Public Lands

The John Wesley Powell National Conservation Area, or Greater Dinosaur, is part of our public lands. Conservation groups are rallying to protect it in the face of changing federal regulations.

Hunters and hikers were among almost 133,000 people opposing potential changes to the Travel Management Rule in national forests. Snowmobile groups were part of the 1% of commenters in favor.

Republican Celeste Maloy and Democrat Kent Udell also offered competing approaches to energy, water, and wildfire management.

Data center developers are reportedly eyeing federal land in at least six western states, including Utah. One such data center in Nevada has been temporarily halted after pushback from locals.

Contractors across the nation lost over $1 billion between 2024 and 2025. Small businesses in the West were hit hard, especially those that mitigate and suppress wildfires on the ground.

Significant changes to federal lands are happening this year, but submitting public comment on those changes can be confusing. A new app hopes to simplify the process.

A new Trump administration proposal to lower oil and gas bonds for wells on public lands could let unethical operators push their fees onto taxpayers.

A commissioner near Grand Staircase-Escalante supports the Trump administration significantly shrinking two national parks in the state. Conservationists oppose the move.

The sale to Utah Division of Wildlife Resources used money from a "rainy day" fund intended for public education. In other news, Apple Valley's aquifer was drained by an agricultural well.

Ranching and energy groups were excited for former congressman Steve Pearce, while conservationists were worried he'd sell public lands. In the end, the Senate voted on party lines to approve him.