Senator Lee’s Public Land Sell-Off Proposal Flounders in Senate, but the Fight Isn’t Over
In the May edition of the Redrock Report, we shared that a Public Land Sell-off Amendment had been removed from the House Budget Bill (the “Big Beautiful Bill”), which passed the House right before Memorial Day. The bill has since moved to the Senate . . . and it’s been a wild month.
Early in June, Utah’s Senior Senator and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Mike Lee (R-UT) announced his intention to bring back Public Land Sell-off plOur e-newsletter with the latest on redrock wilderness news and events.ans. Soon after, he released a proposal that would mandate the sale of 2-3 million acres of Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service land in 11 Western states; a few days later, he increased the land eligible for sale to over 258 million acres.
Thankfully, Lee’s efforts have been thwarted at every turn. The Senate Parliamentarian, the arbiter of Senate rules, determined that his plan was not eligible for inclusion in the Budget Bill. And while Sen. Lee continues to modify his plan in an attempt to make it eligible (by removing Forest Service lands and adding other restrictions, for example), time is running short. Sen. Daines (R-MT) and other Western Republican senators are also on the record with their opposition to the plan. In addition, five House republicans, led by Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT-2), have told Speaker Johnson that they will vote against a Budget Bill that includes any sell-off of public lands.
It should be clear to Senator Lee that Americans (Republicans and Democrats, hunters and anglers, recreation groups, conservationists, etc.) care deeply about the nation’s public lands and oppose his plan. Things are looking promising, but we need to make sure the sell-off remains out of the Budget Bill. Keep up the pressure and reach out to your senators (we deeply appreciate the thousands of you who already have done so—it doesn’t hurt to do so again)!
Please share this advocacy action with anyone who loves public lands!
Photo © Ray Bloxham/SUWA
Justice Department Opinion Foreshadows Possible Future Monument Reductions
On June 10th, the US Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel released an opinion on the Revocation of Prior Monument Designations. The opinion asserts that the president can diminish or outright undo existing national monuments, reversing course on more than a century of settled law.
Though this may sound ominous, it’s not the final word on the subject, nor will it determine the ultimate fate of monuments like Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, which remain in the crosshairs of the Trump administration.
“It should come as no surprise that President Trump’s Justice Department came up with the answer that he was looking for,” said SUWA Legal Director Steve Bloch. “Americans care deeply about seeing national monuments like Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears protected for current and future generations and overwhelmingly oppose seeing them dismantled or diminished. These monuments represent the crown jewels of our nation’s public lands and contain unique plant and animal species, cultural resources, and scientific wonders found nowhere else on Earth. We’re confident in our ability to defeat any attempt to undo protections for these remarkable places.”
>> Read our full press statement
Photo © Jeff Foott
Oil & Gas Lease Sale Targets Heart of White River Area
The Trump administration has dusted off the old “energy dominance” agenda playbook from its first term and resumed targeting some of Utah’s wildest places for oil and gas leasing and development. At the moment, the administration is moving forward with plans to sell 14 oil and gas leases encompassing over 19,000 acres in Utah.
One lease is located right in the heart of eastern Utah’s scenic White River corridor, spanning both sides of the river. The White River is a quiet riparian oasis in a region of the southern Uinta Basin that is otherwise dominated by industrial oil and gas development. Thankfully, the ridgetops and deep canyons have isolated the river corridor from the nearby, ongoing industrial activity. But even this last ecological refuge is now threatened by the Bureau of Land Management’s newest leasing proposal.
SUWA is actively participating in the leasing process and will continue to fight any proposal that threatens wilderness-caliber lands in the White River region. Thanks to all of our supporters who submitted public comments urging the agency to remove the controversial lease parcel from this sale.
Photo © Ray Bloxham/SUWA
BLM Approves Sevier Playa Potash Mining Project
Earlier this month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the first phase of the Sevier Playa potash mining project, “. . . granting Peak Minerals authorization to move forward with construction and operations. This decision allows for the extraction of potash and other minerals . . . along with the development of supporting infrastructure both on and off lease areas.”
“The area—currently wild and remote—would become an industrial zone filled with evaporation ponds, dikes, roads, powerlines, a processing plant, and a rail loadout facility,” said SUWA Staff Attorney Hanna Larsen. “The impacts of this industrialization will be clear on both the lakebed and the surrounding public lands, significantly impairing important habitat for migratory birds, ruining incredibly dark night skies, and adversely affecting water resources for decades to come. SUWA will continue its work to protect this area.”
>> Read our full press statement
Photo © Ray Bloxham/SUWA
Apply for a Summer or Fall Stewardship Project
As public lands in Utah face the latest dire threats from Congress and the Trump administration, our Stewardship Program remains focused on the day-to-day care of the land.
Interested in what more you can do right now beyond repeat calling your senators? Join us in the field for a different sense of purpose and accomplishment. We are halfway through our Stewardship season and currently seeking volunteers for the following summer projects.
- July 14-17, Bears Ears: Elk Ridge – Work with us to continue our travel management efforts high in the aspens beneath the Bears Ears Buttes.
- August 12-14, Desolation Wilds: WSA Protection and Monitoring – Help install boundary signage to inform visitors of protected areas and encourage responsible recreation.
We still have openings on many fall projects as well (arguably the best time of year in canyon country). To view our full 2025 calendar and apply for a project, head to suwa.org/projectcalendar.
Photo © SUWA
Members Gather for Summer Shindig in Salt Lake City
On June 17th, SUWA members gathered for our annual Summer Shindig at Salt Lake City’s Tracy Aviary. Surrounded by birdsong, good food, and even better company, we came together to celebrate our shared love for America’s redrock wilderness and the power of community in the effort to protect it. It was a lovely evening—and we want to extend a special thank you to everyone who was able to join us in person.
To all of our members: thank you for being part of this fight, for showing up in every way you can, and for helping to ensure that the redrock endures for future generations.
If you’re not already a member of SUWA, please join today at suwa.org/donate.
Photo © SUWA