SUWA v. Cox Lawsuit Update
You may recall that in August 2024, Utah attempted to bypass the normal judicial process by filing a land grab lawsuit forcing the federal government to sell more than 18.5 million acres of public land in Utah directly with the United States Supreme Court. The court rejected the lawsuit in January, but Utah Governor Spencer Cox has repeatedly stated his intention to refile the litigation in federal district court.
In December, SUWA sued Governor Cox and then-Attorney General Reyes (SUWA v. Cox) in state court alleging that the land grab lawsuit violated the Utah Constitution’s provision that the “people inhabiting this State do affirm and declare that they forever disclaim all right and title to the unappropriated public lands lying within [its] boundaries.”
During a recent court hearing, the state’s attorney conceded that the taxpayer-funded “Stand for our Land” litigation and public relations campaign, which implies that federal public lands would be turned over to the state of Utah for management, is blatantly misleading. In fact, the State’s lawsuit, if successful, will not result in federal lands being handed over to Utah, but instead would start a “disposal” process which could result in the sale of millions of acres of public lands to the highest bidder. Our short video explains it well.
On Wednesday, Utah’s Third District Court dismissed our lawsuit. In response, Steve Bloch, SUWA’s Legal Director said, “We’re disappointed with today’s decision but grateful that the true intent of the state’s lawsuit has been made clear: to force the sale of millions of acres of public lands to the highest bidder and not to acquire these lands for the state, as its deliberately misleading media campaign suggests. We’ll review today’s decision and consider potential next steps, including refiling this case if the state brings its lawsuit in federal district court.”
>> Read our full press release
Photo © Scott T. Smith
“Energy Dominance” Agenda Targets Unspoiled Areas of Uinta Basin
Guided by the Trump administration’s “energy dominance” agenda, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is moving forward with plans to sell 46 oil and gas leases encompassing over 68,200 acres in Utah. The majority of these public lands provide important habitat for greater sage-grouse (an imperiled bird) and/or Graham’s beardtongue (a flowering plant unique to the area).
Several of the lease parcels are within the Lower Bitter Creek and/or Sunday School Canyon areas—largely unspoiled natural regions in the southern Uinta Basin which contain lands identified as wilderness-caliber. SUWA has fought for years—and will continue to fight—to protect these areas and habitats.
Thirty-nine of the forty-six parcels overlap with designated greater sage-grouse habitat; the BLM is required to prioritize oil and gas leasing outside of this habitat area but they failed to do so. Some parcels encompass conservation areas for the Graham’s beardtongue, which grows on semi-barren knolls, ridges, and steep slopes in northeastern Utah and adjacent Colorado. But the Trump administration wants to drill for, and extract, oil and gas in the heart of these areas.
The agency is accepting public comments through Friday, August 8th. Click here to submit yours now.
Photo © Ray Bloxham/SUWA
Organizations Urge House Leadership to Protect Grand Staircase-Escalante and Stop Attacks on National Monuments
This week, more than 65 organizations urged House Leadership to protect Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument from House members who are attempting to use the appropriations process to open the monument to development and destruction. A sign-on letter led by SUWA calls on leadership to remove language from the House Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill that would prohibit funding for the monument unless it is managed pursuant to an outdated management plan from the first Trump administration.
Specifically, Section 137 (pg. 75) of the House 2026 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill would require the Department of the Interior to manage Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument “in compliance with the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plans…dated February 2020.” If passed, this language effectively implements Trump’s 2017 illegal shrinking of the monument, and sets a dangerous precedent for not only Grand Staircase-Escalante, but all of our nation’s national monuments.
“Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is one of the most treasured public landscapes in America. But what makes it like nowhere else – remarkable paleontological discoveries and cultural connections, jaw-dropping scenery, and outstanding intact and diverse natural ecosystems – is at risk if the 2026 Appropriations bill passes,” said Travis Hammill, SUWA’s DC Director. “While members of Utah’s House of Representatives and other public land opponents continue their attacks on Grand Staircase-Escalante, SUWA, our members, and our partners will unwaveringly continue to protect and defend the monument for current and future generations.”
>> Read our full press statement or coverage in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Photo © Jeff Foott
Wildcat Loadout: Trump Administration Uses Bogus “Energy Emergency” to Rubberstamp Expansion of Utah Crude Oil Transport Facility
Earlier this month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it completed an “accelerated environmental review process” enabling it to approve a significant expansion of the Wildcat Loadout Facility near Helper, UT. The facility is used to transfer Uinta Basin crude oil from tanker trucks to rail cars. The expansion is intended to transport an additional 80,000 barrels of crude oil per day on train tracks along the Colorado River, raising the risk of oil spills and other accidents.
The accelerated review, which provided no public input opportunities, was initiated in response to the “National Energy Emergency” declared by President Trump in January 2025. The Wildcat project proponent (Coal Energy Group 2, LLC) initially submitted an application to the BLM for the expansion in 2023, but the agency put the expansion on hold for two years because the applicant failed to provide the agency with the necessary information needed to evaluate it. The agency has offered no explanation for why this long-dormant project is suddenly an “emergency.”
“There is no energy emergency, plain and simple. Hidden behind a shroud of secrecy, the BLM has rushed through its approval of this massive oil shipping expansion project,” said SUWA Staff Attorney Landon Newell. “This thinly analyzed decision threatens the lifeblood of the American Southwest by authorizing the transport of more than one billion gallons annually of additional oil on railcars traveling alongside the Colorado River. Any derailment and oil spill would have a devastating impact on the Colorado River and the communities and ecosystems that rely upon it.”
>> Read our full press statement and recent coverage in the Salt Lake Tribune and Utah News Dispatch.
Adobe Stock Photo
Two New Stewardship Projects Added in August & September!
Now that we’ve passed the solstice, our Stewardship Program team has been making the most of long days and warm weather. From the playas and forests of Utah’s West Desert to the redrock country of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, our work supports land managers, protects the integrity of ecosystems, and connects people to public lands.
We’re excited to announce two new projects that have been added to our calendar:
- Deep Creek Mountains, August 22-24 (Fri-Sun) – Join us for a backpack into the fir and pine forests of this magnificent West Desert range. Volunteers will work alongside SUWA and Bureau of Land Management staff to protect this wild landscape while learning about educational signage and wilderness study areas.
- Abajo Mountains, September 22-25 (Mon-Thurs) – On this project, we’ll be focusing on the watersheds that run from the Abajo Mountains (adjacent to Indian Creek) down to the desert, installing Beaver Dam Analogs alongside Forest Service staff. Beaver Dam Analogs mimic beaver dams, which slow the flow of water and encourage healthy waterways. Volunteers will carry in materials to creeks and set the stage for riparian species like willows and cottonwoods to re-establish along otherwise heavily eroded banks. If you’ve always wanted to get involved in restoration that directly restores and protects wildlife habitat, this is your chance!
Gain new skills and give back to the incredible landscapes that offer us respite from the stresses of everyday life. To learn more about these trips and submit an application, visit suwa.org/stewardship.
Photo © SUWA
SUWA in the News
If you’re still hungry for more news about the redrock wilderness and public lands, we encourage you to read . . .
- This Washington Post piece about the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes Field Specialist Jack Hanley and Staff Attorney Hanna Larsen.
- This SLUG Magazine piece about the Stewardship Program (written by stewardship participant Peter Eckhardt), with quotes from Stewardship Director Jeremy Lynch and Stewardship Coordinator Ellie Swanson.
- This Sierra Magazine piece about threats to National Monuments with quotes from Legal Director Steve Bloch.
- This New York Times opinion piece, Americans Fought Off This Awful Idea in Trump’s Bill, from SUWA Board Member Emeritus Terry Tempest Williams.
