Latest news with #SUWA
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Over 100 conservation organizations urge US Senate to stop sale of public lands
SALT LAKE CITY () — More than 100 conservation organizations on Monday to prevent the sale of over 500,000 acres in federal public lands across Nevada and Utah. The letter, which includes several Utah-based nonprofits, comes after it was reported that Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said he would try to allowing the public lands sale to the 'big, beautiful' budget bill. The provision was first added by Reps. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-2) and Mark Amodei (R-NV-2) before it was that passed the House of Representatives in late May. In their letter, the 113 organizations said the public had no opportunity to identify what lands would be up for sale and had no time to understand the long-term effects of any potential sale. The letter reads, in part, 'Polling has repeatedly shown that the public – especially westerners – strongly believes in keeping public lands in public hands and, across partisan lines, rejects any efforts that would lead to the sale of these shared and cherished lands. The Senate should heed how dramatically unpopular this idea is and reject any misguided attempt to get public lands sales back in this bill.' Senator Lee responds to the Trump-Musk feud ABC4 has reached out to Sen. Lee's office for comment and has yet to hear back at the time of publication. Critics opposing the authorization of the public lands sale say public lands are part of the country's heritage and are places for people to be in nature. 'America needs these beautiful places for wildlife, people, clean air and clean water,' said Patrick Donnelly, the Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. 'Sen. Mike Lee is trying to ram public land sell-offs down Westerners' throats, and we won't stand for it.' Travis Hammill, the DC director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), previously criticized Sen. Lee's intent to re-add the provision to the budget bill, calling him a 'true outlier' in the U.S. Senate. Taylorsville waterline replacement project receives $1.6 million from EPA 'His apparent intention to include a public lands sell-off provision in the budget bill, which was fiercely opposed in the House, is wildly out of step with what Americans have made clear that they want to see: federal public lands remaining in public hands,' said Hammill. 'These are the places people recreate with their families, they are places to hunt and fish, and they are held in trust for the American people to enjoy for generations to come.' City officials in Utah have previously told that, if approved, any federal lands purchased by the city would be used for a 'variety of purposes.' St. George, for example, said lands would be used to protect well sites near the Gunlock Reservoir and secure lands for future expansions of the St. George Regional Water Reclamation Facility and the St. George Regional Airport. Officials also indicated that a small percentage of land would be used for the construction of affordable housing. However, SUWA warns that the current language of the provision would allow for the federal lands to be sold for golf courses, luxury resorts, strip malls, or simply to be flipped and sold again. Here's why a Pleasant Grove splash pad is now closed shortly after opening Father's Day gifts to make dad feel loved ICE arrests top 100K under Trump 'Soonest available date': State moves to hold execution warrant application hearing for Menzies Locally-written theater production opening in Utah Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Report: Sen. Mike Lee to return public land sale to ‘big, beautiful bill'
SALT LAKE CITY () — Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has indicated he intends to re-add a provision in President Donald Trump's that would approve the sale of thousands of acres of federally managed public lands in southern Utah and Nevada. The sale proposal was originally introduced by Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-2) and Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV-2) before it was that passed the House of Representatives in late May. When if he intended to put the provisions back into the bill when the Senate begins retooling it, Sen. Lee, who was on his way to a procedural vote, responded in short, 'Yes.' ABC4 has reached out to the offices of both Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis to confirm independently and has yet to hear back. This story will be updated with any new information. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), a nonprofit organization focused on defending Utah's red rock wilderness, originally opposed the original sell-off and when the bill passed the House. Now, the non-profit , saying his 'oft-stated hatred of public lands makes him a true outlier in the Senate.' 'His apparent intention to include a public lands sell-off provision in the Budget Bill, which was fiercely opposed in the House, is wildly out of step with what Americans have made clear that they want to see: federal public lands remaining in public hands,' said Travis Hammill, DC Director for SUWA. 'These are the places people recreate with their families, they are places to hunt and fish, and they are held in trust for the American people to enjoy for generations to come.' In his statement, Hammill said SUWA, its members, and partners were committed to beating the effort to approve the sale of public lands. In , St. George City said any federal lands purchased would be used for 'a variety of purposes,' such as protecting well sites near the Gunock Reservoir and securing land for potential expansions of the St. George Regional Water Reclamation Facility and the St. George Regional Airport. Officials also indicated that a small percentage of the land would be used for the construction of affordable housing. 'We appreciate and support any legislative activity that would help open up federal lands to affordable housing development and give municipalities another avenue through which they can increase the supply of more affordable housing,' Washington City Legislative Affairs Director Jordan Hess told Renisha Mall contributed to this report. Speaker Johnson calls Musk criticism of Trump agenda bill 'terribly wrong' White House downplays Musk criticism of budget bill Report: Sen. Mike Lee to return public land sale to 'big, beautiful bill' 'Disgusting abomination': Elon Musk tears into Trump megabill Judge extends pause on order invalidating Trump's tariffs Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rule banning off road vehicles in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area overturned
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A passed the U.S. Senate Thursday that would allow the use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in areas of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area where it was previously banned. The use of ORVs and ATVs in Glen Canyon was banned in parts of the park by a enacted during President Biden's administration. The resolution was introduced by Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Mike Lee (R-UT). passed the House of Representatives last week. The original rule banned the use of off-road vehicles from an area of Glen Canyon known as the Orange Cliffs Special Management Unit, which makes up 25 miles. The rule was put in place after the (SUWA) and the (NPCA) against the National Park Service over off-road vehicle management in Glen Canyon, and it was intended to protect the environment and visitor experience in the park. Sen. Curtis said restoring off-road vehicles in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a step to ensure that public lands remain accessible for the people, 'and not dictated by Washington bureaucrats.' Senator Curtis also stated: 'Utahns have responsibly accessed Glen Canyon for decades, and Washington's one-size-fits-all restrictions threatened not only that access but also the livelihoods and traditions of rural communities. This legislation restores the balance between conservation and responsible recreation—something Utahns have always led on.' SUWA and NPCA have strongly criticized this legislation, calling it an 'attack on national parks.' The organizations stressed that the rule did not close any park roads to all motorized vehicle use. The affected roads were only closed to ATVs and OHVs, but they were still open to full size vehicles. Staff Attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Hanna Larzen stated: '[Congressional Republicans] voted to undermine the Park Service and instead bowed to extreme motorized recreation in some of the most remote and wild parts of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Today's action means that Orange Cliffs, Gunsight Butte, and Canyonlands National Park's Maze District will be impaired by noisy, destructive off-highway vehicles.' Erika Bollard, Campaign Director of the Southwest Region for the National Parks Conservation Association, said, 'The Orange Cliffs is a place of rare solitude and unbelievable beauty that creates the once-in-a-lifetime moments so many come to Glen Canyon to experience. That's why the Park Service limited off-road vehicles along some of the most sensitive areas and fragile shorelines.' Bollard also stated that removing protections is unnecessary and damaging, as more than 250 miles in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area are already available for off-road vehicle use. This resolution comes after legislation passed the House of Representatives that would authorize the sale of federal public lands in Utah. That amendment has been similarly controversial among environmental groups. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House blocks rule limiting off-road vehicle usage in Glen Canyon
WASHINGTON () — A rule that prohibits off-road vehicles (ORVs) and street-legal all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) from driving on 24 miles of roads in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area has been blocked. In January, the (NPS) introduced a for ORVs and street-legal ATVs. It prohibited the use of select roads within the recreation area, including segments around the Poison Spring Loop area. 388 miles of park roads were still available for recreation with these vehicles. The U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Celeste Maloy's Congressional Review Act resolution to block the NPS rule that intended to limit road usage. The resolution will now move to the Senate. Learn about Utah's dinosaurs: Free tours offered at quarry this summer 'I introduced a resolution to nullify a senseless rule that limits recreation in a National Recreation Area, and I'm thrilled to see the House advance it. Ensuring that agencies are managing land for multiple uses, as directed by Congress, is a continuous battle that I will continue to fight so that people in Utah and across the country are free to continue exploring and enjoying the land that was set aside for them,' Rep. Maloy said in a statement. (SUWA) expressed concerns over the ecological integrity and visitor experience at Glen Canyon. 'Rather than protect America's crown jewels, the House has made it much more likely that treasured places such as the Orange Cliffs, Gunsight Butte, and Canyonlands National Park's Maze District will be permanently impaired by noisy, destructive off-highway vehicles,' Hanna Larsen, Staff Attorney for SUWA stated in a release from the organization. ST. GEORGE: Utah's second Dunkin' Donuts opens, how you can win free coffee for a year In additional information about the rule from SUWA, they say that it 'did not close any park roads to all motorized vehicle use; it affects 6% (25 miles) of dirt trails (park roads) – closing them to OHVs but leaving them open to full-size vehicles.' 'It… seems to be a solution in search of a problem, as there are already more than 250 miles throughout Glen Canyon National Recreation Area for off-road use,' Erika Pollard, Campaign Director of the Southwest Region for the National Parks Conservation, is quoted in the release. Currently, the rule preventing ORVs and street-legal ATVs from accessing the roads is still in effect. If this resolution passes the Senate, it will go into law and the roads will be reopened to those types of vehicles. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
