Public lands are a shared American inheritance and no one understands this better than the Utah Public Lands Alliance. As an organization whose mission is to preserve Utah’s public lands for public use, we strive to create awareness on the importance of our public land. We believe that public lands are a priceless heritage and should be open to all Americans for sustainable use and enjoyment.

There are several reasons why public land in Utah should be preserved and protected. Here are some of them:

1. Countless adventure opportunities.

Utah’s public lands are the perfect place for any number of outdoor recreational pursuits. You can camp out under the stars, go off-roading in Sand Mountain OHV Area in St. George Utah & classic trails in Moab, backpack in Bears Ears National Monument, paddle in the San Juan River or hike up the Cedar Mesa- all without leaving the state. With many national parks and monuments, climbing areas and miles of trails, Utah gives you the opportunity to get active amidst spectacular surroundings.

2. The spectacular landscapes provide moments of Zen.

Our public lands are some of the most unique in the country. Whether you want to climb to the top of Fisher Tower or just stop at a scenic outlook, the landscape is sure to blow you away. The towering red rock formations, arches and hoodoos, winding sandstone canyons, colorful mesas, and desert rivers will leave you stunned. This is the perfect environment to come to when you want to get away from the hassles of your life to just relax and unwind.

3. They allow us to spot wildlife in their natural habitats.

The land around us is teeming with wildlife-you only need to know where to look. The desert lowlands and mountain ranges are crucial habitats for mule deer, elk, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, cougars, and raptors. Some of these animals can’t be spotted anywhere else.

4. They are a link to our history and cultural heritage.

Some of the public lands in Utah are cultural heritage sites e.g. the Bears Ears are sacred to the Native Americans and you can see several well-preserved petroglyphs there. You can also visit lots of other sites- including dinosaur trails- that give us a glimpse into the past. These sites help enlighten both kids and adults on the wonders of history and form the foundation for archaeology and paleontology.

5. For the economic benefits.

Utah’s public lands attract tourists, sportsmen and women, investors and entrepreneurs. Thanks to the recreational facilities, we have a vibrant outdoor recreation economy that boosts local towns and cities. These and the energy development projects happening in the state help to create hundreds of jobs while powering the economy.

Join Us Today

We believe that public lands should be left in the hands of the public and we work on different projects to ensure that the land remains accessible to all. We would love it if you would join and help us either through becoming a member, subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.

Our main mission here at the Utah Public Lands Alliance is to preserve Utah’s public lands for public use. We do this in through cooperation not only with the public and landowners but also several regulatory agencies chief among them the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The BLM is one of the nine bureaus within the United States Department of the Interior and its mission is to sustain the health diversity and productivity of public lands in the US for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. We work well together since we have a common mission.

Here are other interesting facts you should know about the BLM:

1. It has deep roots.

Although the BLM was established about 73 years ago in 1946, its roots go way back to just years after US independence. It started out as the General Land Office in 1812 which helped encourage homesteading and westward migration. President S. Truman later merged the GLO and US Grazing Service to create what we now know as the BLM.

2. It’s a small agency with a big mission.

The BLM oversees about 245 million surface acres of public lands for the American people and preserves it for multiple uses e.g. recreation and natural resource development. That means managing about 12% of the US landmass!

3. Thanks to the BLM, we can engage in all sorts of awesome recreational activities.

The public lands under BLM management are perfect for a variety of recreational activities from tame ones like hiking and fishing to adrenaline-charged ones like off-roading, canyoneering, hang-gliding or white-water rafting.

4. BLM’s oil and gas programs boost the economy.

BLM managed land doesn’t lie idle. The oil and gas development on some of these lands supports more than 150,000 jobs in the country and injects more than $40 billion into the economy. Furthermore, the BLM also manages oil and gas operations on behalf of individual mineral owners and indigenous tribes in some states.

5. Public lands power our homes and businesses

Other than oil and gas development, some of the land under BLM management is used for energy production using coal, geothermal, wind, solar energy, etc. to generate electricity. The electricity is then transmitted and used to power businesses, homes and the American infrastructure.

6. Their grazing programs help maintain healthy rangelands.

Additionally, the BLM manages livestock grazing on millions of acres of public lands, helping to maintain healthy open spaces and sustain livestock farming.

Support Our Mission To Protect Public Lands

We always have room for new members and volunteers who want to get involved in our work and are ready to help us with our projects.

You too can play your part by becoming a member of the UPLA, subscribing to our newsletter to keep abreast of the latest happenings, spreading word of our work and respecting the land around us and all those who use it.

Sen. Mike Lee: This bill is not the right move for Utah lands
By Mike Lee

For the Deseret News

Published: February 11, 2019 8:00 am

WASHINGTON — Sometime early this week the Natural Resources Management Act will come to the floor for a vote in the Senate. There is much to like about the bill. And many good people have worked very hard on it.

Unfortunately, after a lengthy review and much negotiation, it has become clear that this is not legislation I can vote for in good conscience. On balance, the bill moves federal lands policy in the wrong direction by failing to reform federal land acquisition programs and adding new restrictions to how Americans are allowed to use land already under federal control.

As mentioned earlier, the bill does have some good policies in it, particularly for Utah. It gives 80 acres of Bureau of Land Management Land to Hyde Park for the construction of an underground water tank and trailhead. It also gives 2.61 acres of Forest Service land to Juab County and helps celebrate the upcoming anniversary of the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad by redesignating the Golden Spike National Historic Site as the Golden Spike National Historical Park.

At the national level, the bill includes a “sportsman” package that makes it easier for hunters and fisherman to enjoy public lands It also includes the Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act, which requires the Interior Department and Forest Service to grant expedited access to volunteers helping with search and recovery efforts on federal lands.

These are all good commonsense policies which improve federal land management. Unfortunately, they have been stuffed into the same bill with bad federal land management policies that are particularly harmful to Utah.

First, the legislation permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund, an admirably intended program enacted to preserve access to recreation opportunities on public lands. When the program was first passed in 1964 it promised to direct 60 percent of its funds to states and 40 percent to federal purposes. Sadly, this is not how the program has been implemented, just 25 percent of all LWCF have been given to states while 61 percent of the funds have been spent on federal land acquisition.

Worse, the LWCF keeps on buying new federal lands without securing any method for maintaining the land they already own. According to a 2017 Congressional Research Service report, the maintenance backlog on federal land is up to $18.6 billion, including significant backlogs at Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Zions National Parks. When the federal government fails to maintain the lands it owns, ill-kept roads and trails make it harder for citizens to enjoy our national treasures and wildfires become more likely.

Second, the bill creates another 1.3 million acres of wilderness in the West — half of it in Utah. At first blush, wilderness designations sound like a good thing. And sometimes they are. But this highly restrictive designation limits far more activities than is necessary to actually protect the land.

In fact, a wilderness designation prohibits almost all activity, including all commercial activity, all infrastructure development and any travel by car or bicycle. And in a state like Utah, where the federal government owns more than two thirds of the land, these designations have big consequences.

Citizens must go to the federal government, hat in hand, to ask permission for any use of the land at all — whether to dig a well, build a road, bury a cable or do virtually anything on it. So designating more than half a million acres of wilderness — most of which is in Emery County — is a big blow.

Finally, this bill does nothing to address the imminent threat that Utah faces from unilateral executive land grabs through the Antiquities Act. The Antiquities Act was intended to give a president the power to protect specific historic and cultural objects by implementing severe restrictions on select federal lands. According to the original law, these “National Monuments” were supposed to include only the “smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.”

This is not how the law has been used. Instead, presidents have abused the law by designating vast million-acre swaths for monument protection. These vanity projects can hit local communities hard. For example, when President Clinton created the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, many local ranchers lost their right to build fences, secure water resources and maintain roads for their herds. Many families were forced to reduce their herds, sometimes by half. And local church groups were prevented from walking down the very roads their ancestors built during remembrance treks.

Other states have been given protections from these Antiquities Act power grabs. In Wyoming, for example, any monument designation must be approved by Congress. A simple fix to federal law, adding just the words “or Utah” to the Antiquities statute, could solve this problem. But this bill did not contain those words.

No legislation is perfect. Every bill that becomes law in Washington requires compromise. But at some point, too much compromise can lead to a deal doing more harm to your community than good. Regrettably, the Natural Resources Management Act has reached that point. It simply shifts too much power away from Utah communities and to bureaucrats in Washington. And I have heard similar views from many state legislators, county commissioners and rural constituents.

Utah communities should not be forced to accept harmful policies to the state and their communities just so they can make some commonsense land transfers that communities in non-western states are free to do without congressional permission.

With more hard work and cooperation, I know the next lands bill will be different.

Utah is a state blessed with spectacular scenery and a breathtaking landscape that is unlike anything else in the country. A lot of this is public land that can be enjoyed and used by members of the public. These public lands need to be protected, preserved and enjoyed and that’s what the Utah Public Lands Alliance (UPLA) does.

Our mission at UPLA is to take steps to preserve Utah’s public lands and maintain them for public use. We do this in coalition with all other land user groups mainly through raising public awareness and also cooperating with various regulatory agencies e.g. the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), state and federal officials. Our focus is on all aspects of land management including access, enforcement, improvement and protection.

Why Public Lands Matter To Us

When you think of Utah, you think of Bears Ears National Monument, The Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. These are just some of the public lands we strive to conserve and protect. The National Parks and monuments, wildlife refuges, national forests, rivers, canyons, cliffs, and desert lands belong to all of us.

These lands ensure that Americans have plenty of places to pursue a number of recreational activities including hiking, fishing, climbing and off-roading. You can also head to these places to find solace, tranquility or just rest and commune with nature. Our public lands are not only a source of beauty and inspiration but also help support a robust outdoor recreation economy that in turn supports different local businesses.

Public Lands are Under Constant Threat In The States & Utah

Imagine a Utah without all these open spaces, pristine environment and scenery that we love. A Utah where we and our children have no access to these lands and we can’t enjoy or use them.

The truth is our public lands are under constant threat of closure or loss in various ways. This can be through legislation that restricts public use, through acts of nature that degrade the land or even through people’s carelessness.

Regardless of the cause, losing our public lands would be devastating and a blow to both the humans and wildlife that depend on them.

How to Help Us Protect Utah Public Land

To further our course, we encourage you to become a member of the UPLA by choosing any of our membership options. Alternatively, you can help us preserve Utah’s public lands by sharing about us and the projects we’ve done on social media. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to keep abreast of important events and any special land issues that require the public’s attention.

We would also appreciate it if you would contact us should you encounter any parcel of Utah’s public land that’s threatened by closure or loss. We take such issues seriously and will always do our best to ensure that our public lands remain accessible to all.

We have had some concern from local OHV folks about some construction going on inside the fence line south of the southern parkway.

This construction is the installation of a drainage pipe system that runs from Dixie Springs to a Retention Pond in lower Warner Valley. The project is being done by Washington County Water Conservancy District, and is necessary for flood protection.

The district contacted St George BLM, UPLA, and Desert Roads And Trails Society – Desert RATS about this issue 3 years ago and we worked with them to make sure this construction would have minimal effect on on the Open OHV area.

During the installation, please be cautious around the excavation sites, as there will be temporary blasting, heavy equipment, and open trenches involved. Once the installation is completed, there should be no remaining negative effect on the OHV area. In fact, it may be an opportunity for a new access trail to southern Warner Valley.

The key mission of the Utah Public Lands Alliance (UPLA) is to preserve Utah’s public land for all to enjoy and use.

Utah is home to some of the most stunning and bewitching landscapes in the world. This includes dozens of national monuments, wilderness protection areas, and state parks. The state’s public lands encompass canyons, cliffs, rivers, forests and pristine desert environments with notable natural treasures such as the San Juan River, the Wasatch National Forest, Fischer Tower and Big Cottonwood Canyon, among others.

We value our public lands for not only the beauty and the inspiration they provide but also for supporting a thriving outdoor recreation economy. Outdoor recreation is a huge part of Utah culture and each year thousands visit our state to fish, hike, camp, climb, bike and take part in various off-roading sports.

We at UPLA strive to preserve Utah’s public lands because we want people to get out and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us and we also want to protect it for future generations.

Who is UPLA?

The UPLA is an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization that was formed in 2014 to represent all users of public lands in Utah. We strive to keep these public lands for public use in coalition with all user groups and believe that working cooperatively as public land users will help us maintain access and recreational use of these lands for generations to come.

We focus on all facets of land management including improvement, access, enforcement, and protection.

How We Make A Difference In Utah

Since our inception, we are proud to have made a difference through some notable projects.  Including:

• Working with the BLM and Washington County to ensure that the Saint George Field Office Travel Plan 2014 includes all trails and roads to preserve access.
• Helping to develop and install permanent trail signs for popular trails in Sand Mountain OHV area.
• Collaborating with the BLM and the Desert RATS to construct a new trail (Ridgeline Trail) to access the West Rim trail system.
• Purchasing and installing composting toilets at Sand Mountain.
• Collaborating with the BLM and Moab Friends For Wheelin’ to place “You are Here” signs on Moab trails.  (Ongoing)

Get Engaged With The UPLA Mission

We encourage everyone, especially Utahns, to join the UPLA. Here are 4 ways you can get involved in our course:

1. Joining the UPLA. We offer 4 membership levels– Individual, Organizational, Corporate & Lifetime. When you join, you get benefits such as access to GPS tracks for various trails in the tri-state area as well as access to Trip Reports from St. George and southern Utah locations.
2. Spreading the word by sharing our website on social media.
3. Subscribing to our newsletter so you’ll always be informed of important events and special issues that call for everyone’s attention.
4. Being respectful of the land and all who use it. We encourage you to use all public land responsibly by practicing sanitary and responsible waste disposal, avoiding sensitive areas and staying on designated trails and respecting other public land users.

Public lands should remain public and we will continue protecting it for all outdoor enthusiasts.