SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Utah's petition in a lawsuit staking claim to millions of acres of public lands in the state.
"The motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied," the Court said in a one-sentence order issued Monday.
The state of Utah can still seek to pursue the litigation in a lower court.
“While we were hopeful that our request would expedite the process, we are disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision not to take up this case. The Court’s order does not say anything about the merits of Utah’s important constitutional arguments or prevent Utah from filing its suit in federal district court," Governor Spencer Cox, House Speaker Mike Schultz, Senate President J. Stuart Adams and Attorney General Derek Brown said in a joint statement.
"Utah remains able and willing to challenge any BLM land management decisions that harm Utah. We are also heartened to know the incoming Administration shares our commitments to the principle of 'multiple use' for these federal lands and is committed to working with us to improve land management. We will continue to fight to keep public lands in public hands because it is our stewardship, heritage and home."
The lawsuit, filed directly with the U.S. Supreme Court, sought control of 18.5 million acres of land overseen by the Bureau of Land Management that covers roughly 34% of the entire state. Governor Spencer Cox, Attorney General Sean Reyes, House Speaker Mike Schultz and Senate President J. Stuart Adams pushed it.
The unprecedented lawsuit sought a conservative-friendly Court to take up the question of whether the federal government could hold on to "unappropriated" lands indefinitely.
In a statement, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, which had filed its own lawsuit against the state over the petition, said it was glad the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court rejected it. Over the weekend, hundreds rallied against the petition.
"We’re grateful the Supreme Court swiftly rejected the State of Utah’s misguided land grab lawsuit. For more than 100 years, the Supreme Court has affirmed the power of the federal government to hold and manage public lands on behalf of all Americans,” said Steve Bloch, Legal Director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. “If successful, Utah’s lawsuit would result in the sale of millions of acres of public lands in redrock country to the highest bidder, an end to America’s system of federal public lands, and the dismantling of the American West as we know it. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance will continue our unwavering efforts to ensure every attempted land grab by Utah politicians fails."
This is a breaking news story. Updates on FOX 13 News and fox13now.com as information becomes available.
