Protesters Rally Against Utah’s Public Land Lawsuits at State Capitol
On Saturday, January 11, 2025, hundreds of protesters gathered on the snowy steps of Utah’s state capitol to oppose recent legal efforts by the state to gain control of federal lands and reverse national monument designations. The rally drew a diverse crowd, including indigenous activists, environmental advocates, and current and former state lawmakers, all united in their opposition to the state’s ongoing legal battles over public land management.
“The urgency has never been greater,” declared Louise Fernandez, a youth activist addressing the crowd. Protesters held signs with messages like “Protect wild Utah,” “I stand with Bears Ears,” and “Don’t let Cox take our rocks,” emphasizing their concerns over the state’s intentions.
Utah’s Lawsuits Against Federal Land Management
Utah has filed multiple lawsuits against the federal government, including a high-profile case arguing that the federal government’s retention of “unappropriated” lands—totaling 18.5 million acres in Utah—is unconstitutional. These lands, as defined by the state, exclude national forests, parks, and monuments.
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State leaders, including Governor Spencer Cox, argue that federal land management policies hinder economic growth, limit local control, reduce tax revenue, and exacerbate wildfire risks. Cox has pledged that the state will not privatize the land if the lawsuits succeed, but protesters remain skeptical.
Renowned writer and conservationist Terry Tempest Williams voiced her criticism, saying, “Our governor and attorney general have exchanged the rule of law for greed… Utah’s land grab lawsuit has no legal standing.”
“Stand for Our Land” Campaign Sparks Backlash
The state has launched a media campaign, “Stand for Our Land,” to garner support for the lawsuit. This initiative, which includes advertisements and a dedicated website, has cost taxpayers over $1 million so far. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance has responded with a lawsuit, calling the campaign and the legal challenge an “unlawful land grab” that violates Utah’s constitution.
National Monuments at the Center of Controversy
Utah is also suing the Biden administration over its 2021 decision to restore Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments to their original sizes. Both monuments had been significantly reduced in 2017 by President Donald Trump, with Bears Ears cut from 1.36 million acres to 1 million acres and Grand Staircase-Escalante from 1.35 million acres to 229,000 acres.
Environmentalists and indigenous activists fear that shrinking the monuments could pave the way for extractive industries like mining, oil, and gas. Bears Ears, in particular, holds deep cultural significance for Native American tribes, and activists worry about the destruction of sacred sites.
“For far too long, these lands, our lands, have been under constant threat,” Fernandez said. “They want to exploit the earth’s limited resources while ignoring the irreversible damage being done.”
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Criticism of Legal Costs and Priorities
Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, criticized the lawsuits for diverting resources from essential programs. “These lawsuits are spending hundreds of millions of dollars of our state budget that could go to education, food security, and health care,” Escamilla said, receiving applause from protesters.
She also expressed philosophical and practical objections, arguing that federal oversight ensures accountability and that the lawsuits are unlikely to succeed. “We don’t think it’s the correct way of spending our resources. And there’s no standing, so we’re going to lose this lawsuit,” Escamilla said.
The rally ended with calls for unity and collective action to protect Utah’s public lands from what protesters described as exploitation and mismanagement.
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