Utah Public Lands Alliance works every day to defend responsible access,
educate land users, engage in the planning process, and fight unnecessary
trail closures. Your support makes this work possible.
Defending Access • Preserving Freedom
Utah Public Lands Alliance (UPLA) is proud to celebrate a major victory for public land access and the future of multiple-use management across America. With the Bureau of Land Management’s final rescission of the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule — commonly referred to as the “Public Lands Rule” — the voices of public land users, local communities, and responsible recreation advocates were finally heard.
For more than a year, UPLA worked tirelessly to oppose the rule and educate the public about its far-reaching consequences. From the beginning, UPLA warned that the rule threatened to fundamentally alter the multiple-use mandate established by Congress under FLPMA by elevating “conservation” as a dominant use capable of restricting recreation, access, grazing, energy development, and other lawful public uses of BLM lands.
UPLA’s leadership, volunteers, and members engaged in one of the most extensive advocacy efforts in our organization’s history. We submitted detailed and substantive comments during both the original rulemaking process and the rescission process, outlining legal, procedural, economic, and public-access concerns. Our comments addressed issues including:
• Violations of Congressional intent and the multiple-use mandate
• Improper expansion of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs)
• The dangerous precedent of conservation leasing and privatized control of public lands
• Regulatory overreach exceeding BLM’s statutory authority
• Economic impacts to rural communities and recreation economies
• Discrimination against disabled users and those dependent on motorized access
• The threat posed to public access, tourism, stewardship, and volunteerism
UPLA’s comments were not merely submitted — they mattered.
In the BLM’s final rescission rule, many of the very concerns raised by UPLA were specifically acknowledged and ultimately agreed with by the agency. The final rescission repeatedly recognized that the rule:
• Created unnecessary regulatory burdens
• Elevated conservation in a manner inconsistent with FLPMA
• Introduced excessive procedural complexity and litigation risk
• Threatened productive uses and access to public lands
• Expanded ACEC processes beyond Congressional intent
• Created uncertainty through restoration and mitigation leasing
• Imposed unnecessary restrictions and administrative burdens on land users
These concerns closely mirrored the arguments UPLA raised throughout our comment submissions and public outreach efforts.
UPLA also worked aggressively beyond the formal comment process. Our organization directly engaged with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, urging the administration to fully rescind the rule and restore balance to public land management. We emphasized that America’s public lands belong to the people — not special interests — and that access, recreation, stewardship, and responsible use must remain central components of federal land management policy.
This victory did not happen by accident.
It happened because thousands of public land users spoke up. It happened because organizations like UPLA refused to stay silent. It happened because substantive comments, legal analysis, public pressure, and grassroots advocacy made a difference.
UPLA thanks every member, supporter, volunteer, donor, club, business partner, and public lands advocate who participated in this fight. Whether you submitted comments, attended meetings, shared information online, donated to the cause, or helped educate others, your efforts mattered. I am especially proud for the extensive legal research and supporting documentation in preparing of our comments by our Natural Resource Consultant, Rose Winn.
This rescission is proof that citizen involvement works.
But the fight for public land access is far from over.
UPLA will continue working to ensure that public lands remain open, accessible, and managed under the true principles of multiple use and sustained yield for future generations. We remain committed to defending responsible recreation, protecting access, promoting stewardship, and ensuring that America’s public lands stay in the hands of the American people.
We Fight. We Win. We Ride.
Loren Campbell
What Trails are Open for reconsideration?
Trails in both the San Rafael Swell and San Rafael Desert are being reconsidered for reopening. Click on this link to go to BLM’s map tool where you can zoom in and see every route being reconsidered. If you have knowledge of any of these routes, we need your comments.
This Travel Plan is different than most, BLM is just considering updating the prior plan and changing routes from Closed to Limited or Open. Because of this, all the Decision Record Drafts are already published, but we still need your comments in support of this action.
San Rafael Swell Plan Documents
San Rafael Desert Plan Documents
If you’d like to see a list of the Routes being reconsidered
Click Here for the San Rafael Swell Routes for Reconsideration
Click Here for the San Rafael Desert Routes for Reconsideration
Why This Matters
The San Rafael Swell and Desert Travel Management Plans closed over 1,300 miles of routes– These aren’t just lines on a map. They are:
Many of these closures included routes that were previously open and responsibly used for decades.
This upcoming comment period is our opportunity to put real-world grass roots comments with real voices back into the decision-making process.
What Happens Next
This reconsideration process follows the same path to the Gemini Bridges / Labyrinth Canyon review—where public input played a critical role in forcing agencies to take a second look.
At the same time, leadership from UPLA and the BlueRibbon Coalition will be in Washington, D.C., meeting with decision-makers across all branches of government.
We are pushing from every angle:
But none of it works without public engagement.
1) Submit Detailed, Substantive Comments using our Easy Comment Tool
This is the most important thing you can do.
We need detailed, route-specific input—not form letters.
BLM is required to respond to substantive comments—not general opinions. Our New Comment Tool will just ask you a few questions about your route and will transform it into a substantive comment that BLM must consider. It only takes a couple minutes to answer a few easy questions and you’ll get a comment that is ready to edit or post directly to BLM. If you have photos or gpx files, you can add those when you post to the BLM site.
If you’ve ever said, “Someone should do something about this—this is your moment.
2) Help Fund the Fight
Litigation is what got us here—and it’s what will keep us in the fight. UPLA is raising another $50,000 to support BlueRibbon Coalition’s legal efforts to defend and reopen our access.
These cases are complex, time-intensive, and very expensive to pay teams or lawyers and lobbyists.
Every dollar goes directly toward:
Please give what you can to fund the fight!
All Donations of $75 or more will receive one of our new Safety Flags to display your support on your machine.
What Comes NextWe’re not stopping here.
The same effort is already underway to push for reconsideration of closures in the Henry Mountains Travel Management Plan.
This is how we win:
Final Thought
Access isn’t lost all at once.
It’s lost quietly—route by route, decision by decision.
And it’s only restored when people show up.
👉 Show up. Speak up. Stand with us.
Together, we can protect—and reclaim—the access that belongs to all of us.
Sincerely,
Loren Campbell
Send email to President@UtahPLA.com with any comments or questions
Utah Public Lands Alliance
Defending Access • Preserving Freedom
If you’ve ever ridden a trail, camped with your family, or explored Utah’s backcountry, you already have something incredibly valuable: real-world experience.
And right now, that experience matters more than ever.
When the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) considers closing roads and trails, they are required by law to consider substantive public comments—not just opinions, but well-structured, experience-based input.
The problem?
Most people don’t know how to write a “substantive” comment.
That’s exactly why we built the UPLA Comment Coach.
👉 Start here: https://form.jotform.com/261215118081043
Our Comment Coach—powered by Jotform—takes the guesswork out of the process.
Instead of staring at a blank screen wondering what to say, you simply:
That’s it.
Behind the scenes, the tool organizes your responses into a format that aligns with what the BLM must legally consider.
When you’re done:
No writing skills required. No legal knowledge needed. You ;can edit the text or just copy and paste it to BLM or Forest Service.
A substantive comment:
That’s exactly what the Comment Coach helps you do—without you having to learn the rules.
Here’s what a completed comment looks like after using the Comment Coach to answer a few questions:
My name is Loren Campbell. I am a member of Utah Public Lands Alliance, BlueRibbon Coalition and I am submitting comments regarding the reconsideration of route Test346 in Both the San Rafael Swell and Desert. I use this route for UTV/OHV, 4×4, Camping access. I used it once before to camp, and want to be able to go back..Â
This route is important because it connects to other trails, dispersed Camping or Overlook Trail. This trail connects to several others which is important not only for its scenic value, but also provides connectivity that can be crucial in an emergency on the trail. There is also a fantastic camping site with a great overlook that is no longer available without this route.
From my direct experience, I have observed that responsible use observedÂ
I believe the closure may be flawed and should be reconsidered because Impacts overstated.
I recommend that the BLMÂ Reopen the Route. Please reopen this route, we need it.
I confirm that this is based on my personal experience and thank you for reconsidering this closure.
Respectfully,
Loren Campbell
Virgin, UT
That’s the difference.
Not just a comment—
A comment that must be considered.
Across Utah and the West, thousands of miles of routes are being evaluated for closure.
If we don’t speak up effectively, decisions will be made without the benefit of real user experience.
So how much of a difference can it make? In the San Rafael Swell Travel Plan that closed 660 miles of routes, the State of Utah did a detailed analysis of the 5-6000 comments, no routes were closed that had 20 or more substantive public comments. Most roads that had 7 or more substantive comments unless they crossed a known archeological or paleontological site. If there were fewer than 4 substantive comments, the closure rate was high. Generally, the public commented both sparingly and very poorly on short routes that led to overlooks or dispersed campsites, resulting in many closures. Submitting substantive comments can make a huge difference, and if you can get friends that went with you on that ride to also write comments, it can lead to reopening the routes and dispersed camping.
Agencies rely heavily on their own data—but your on-the-ground knowledge is often missing unless you submit it.
You don’t need to be an expert.
You don’t need to write perfectly.
You just need to:
The Comment Coach does the rest.
👉 Use the UPLA Comment Coach now:
https://form.jotform.com/261215118081043
Every trail you ride is an opportunity to protect access.
With the UPLA Comment Coach, your experience becomes:
And most importantly—impossible to ignore.
Loren Campbell
President, Utah Public Lands Alliance