Two land-related bills received unanimous approval from the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee on Tuesday, paving the way for the creation of state-managed campgrounds and the acquisition of up to 30,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land for Utah.
Rep. Steve Eliason’s bill, HB34, proposes a mechanism for establishing state campgrounds, but not full state parks, through a bottom-up process. The aim is to address the growing demand for camping options in Utah’s state parks, which saw over 1.3 million visitors in fiscal year 2024, often resulting in overcrowding. Eliason shared his personal experience of being unable to secure a reservation at a popular park during peak season.
HB34 would allow the state to create campgrounds with approval from the local governing bodies, such as city councils or county commissions. The proposal would also require support from local state legislators before moving forward.
“This bill doesn’t create state campgrounds outright. It merely establishes the process by which we can evaluate and potentially approve them,” Eliason explained. “It’s a bottom-up approach, not a top-down approach, which is more familiar to us.”
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Eliason pointed to the upcoming Utah Raptor State Park as a successful example, which involved collaboration with several landowners, including the Trust Lands Administration, the Division of Fire, Forestry and State Lands, and the federal government. He emphasized the need for more state campgrounds to ease the pressure on Utah’s existing parks.
The second measure, SB158, introduced by Sen. Keven Stratton, seeks to facilitate the survey of federal lands that could be leased or purchased for public purposes. The bill would limit the total acreage to 30,000 acres annually, ensuring any land acquired serves a clear public good.
Stratton explained that the bill aims to gather information about suitable federal lands for potential acquisition and to coordinate efforts across the state, ensuring the public benefits from the resources. It builds on prior successful collaborations between counties and the federal government for land uses like parks, fire stations, and landfills.
“We need to track and have this information available for future decisions regarding land stewardship,” Stratton said. “This bill will provide a unifying voice within the state and help guide wise management of our resources.”
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Redge Johnson, director of the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office, noted that similar mechanisms have been used successfully before under the federal Recreation Public Purposes Act. He added that this bill would provide the necessary tools to track federal lands and their potential use for public purposes.
The bill does not restrict private organizations from purchasing or leasing lands, leaving room for non-governmental entities to participate in land acquisitions as well.
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