America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act Reintroduced in the 119th Congress – 3.28.25

Visionary legislation would protect over 8 million acres of public land in Southern Utah

Contacts:
Grant Stevens, Communications Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (319) 427-0260; grant@suwa.org

Washington, DC – Yesterday, with attacks on public lands coming from both the White House and a hostile Congress, redrock champions US Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01) made clear that the world-renowned redrock wilderness of Utah is a landscape to be protected for the future, not exploited for short-term gain. Their reintroduction of America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, S. 1193/H.R. 2467, would protect over 8 million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in Southern Utah as wilderness – including beloved sites such as Fisher Towers, Robber’s Roost, and Grand Staircase. Below are quotes and additional information. 

“America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act is a vision of what real conservation and wilderness protection should look like for public lands in Utah,” said Travis Hammill, DC Director for SUWA. “The stakes have never been higher, as the Trump Administration looks to decimate public lands, prioritize extractive industry above all else, and eliminate the workforce of career staff who manage these lands. Senator Durbin and Representative Stansbury have been steadfast and powerful voices in the wilderness movement, and we are continually grateful for their consistent commitment to ensuring that the redrock is protected for future generations.”

“Between the growing danger of climate change and the Trump administration’s reckless campaign to sell off as much land as possible to corporate polluters, our public lands have never been under greater threat,” said Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program Director Athan Manuel. “We applaud Senator Durbin and Representative Stansbury for their leadership in working to permanently safeguard the landscapes of Utah’s canyon country, protecting historical and cultural legacies, critical habitat, and outdoor opportunities for generations to come.”

“At a time when the administration continues to attack the very value of public lands, America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act is more important than ever,” said Bobby McEnaney, Director of Land Conservation at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “By protecting one of the nation’s largest wildlands, Congress can secure a legacy that will help to economically and ecologically sustain one of the most incomparable landscapes found anywhere on the planet.  We commend Senator Durbin and Representative Stansbury for their leadership in defending our public lands from short-sighted exploitation and working to secure a more prosperous future.”

“We must protect our nation’s remaining wild places and reaffirm our commitment to the preservation of our national heritage,” said Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Sponsor of the bill.  “With America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, we can protect public lands from the danger of development encroachment and preserve the natural condition of these lands for current and future generations of Americans to enjoy.”

“I am proud to reintroduce legislation protecting some of America’s most iconic landscapes, the Red Rock Wilderness,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01), House Sponsor of the bill. “Protecting these incredible landscapes will help fulfill our trust and treaty obligations to Tribes, fight climate change, and protect our precious Colorado River and its tributaries. This wilderness designation will protect one of the most beautiful places in America, while supporting local communities and economies, for generations to come.”

Additional Information

The Red Rock Bill was reintroduced by Senator Durbin, who is joined by 15 original cosponsors in the Senate: Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). 

Rep. Stansbury; who is joined by 41 original cosponsors in the House: Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA-2), Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA-7), Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA-28), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA-38)

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO-1), Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-2), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3), Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-At Large), Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL-3), Rep. Chuy García (D-IL-4), Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL-6), Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9), Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA-1), Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA-8), Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MI-5), Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-2), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO-5), Rep. Robert Menendez (D-NJ-8), Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY-5), Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY-6), Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR-4), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9), Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA-8), Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Rep. Susan DelBene (D-WA-1), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7), Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA-9), Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-2), and Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI-4). Earlier in March, activists from throughout the country were in Washington, holding meetings and asking their members of Congress to become original co-sponsors of the Bill. 

America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act has been introduced in the House of Representatives since 1989, first by Utah Rep. Wayne Owens, and subsequently by Rep. Maurice Hinchey of New York, Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey, and Rep. Alan Lowenthal of California. In 1997, Senator Durbin agreed to introduce the Senate version of the bill and has done so every Congress since. In 2021, the Navajo Nation Council endorsed the Red Rock Bill, followed by the Hopi Tribal Council in 2023, and the Zuni Tribe in 2024. 

All lands proposed for wilderness designation in America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act are owned by the American public and administered by the BLM. The bill is supported by SUWA, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Wasatch Mountain Club, and more than 200 other national and regional conservation organizations belonging to the Utah Wilderness Coalition.

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The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is a nonprofit organization with members and supporters from around the country dedicated to protecting America’s redrock wilderness. From offices in Moab, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC, our team of professionals defends the redrock, organizes support for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, and stewards this world-renowned landscape. Learn more at www.suwa.org.