House passes bill to return unappropriated federal land back to state control
WASHINGTON, D.C. (ABC4) — The United States House of Representatives has passed a bill introduced by Utah congresswoman Celeste Maloy regarding federal land in Utah.
The bill, known as the Utah State Parks Adjustment Act, returns the titles of land owned by the federal government. Those parcels of land are located within Antelope Island State Park, Wasatch Mountain State Park, and Fremont Indian State Park.
Utah files lawsuit against federal government over control of 34% of state
“Utah State Parks, managed by Utahns with a deep knowledge of the land, are well cared for and maintained. However, having federal lands interspersed throughout these parks has made effective management more challenging,” Maloy said in a press release on Tuesday. “I’m pleased to see the House pass the Utah State Parks Adjustment Act, returning these land parcels to state control.”
The bill now moves to the Senate.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. Senate, Utah Senator Mike Lee introduced a “companion piece of legislation” to Maloy’s bill during Tuesday’s Senate session, according to a press release sent out by Maloy’s office.
“The House’s passage of the Utah State Parks Adjustment Act is an encouraging win for all Utahns and demonstrates what we can accomplish when local voices are at the forefront,” Senator Lee said.
This comes nearly four months after the state of Utah sued the federal government over 18.5 million acres of land, which are currently controlled by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The land that is involved in the suit is roughly 34% of Utah’s territory, according to Utah’s “Stand for Our Land” website, which outlines the suit from the state’s perspective.
“The federal government controls less than 1% of the land in Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island, and less than 3% of the land in Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania,” the state says. “The state wants to see public lands remain in public hands and available to all Utahns and visitors of all ages and abilities to be managed for multiple uses for current and future generations.”
Back in August, Speaker Mike Schultz said 500 miles of roads on Utah public lands have recently been closed and claimed federal officials are in the process of closing thousands of miles more.
The lawsuit over the land is ongoing, but Maloy’s bill will progress.
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