public lands

Group Urges Governor to Bow Out of Federal Land Grab

Whittney Evans — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:20:27 +0000

Activists are calling on Governor Gary Herbert to halt Utah’s efforts to seize control of federal land in the state. Educators, parents and students gathered at Liberty Park this morning to ask state lawmakers to find realistic solutions to funding education and stop taking aim at public lands.

Ethan Lake is a senior at West High School in Salt Lake City. He says the state is blessed with a beautiful natural environment.

Bishop Working for Public Lands Solution

Dan Bammes — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:23:35 +0000

Congressman Rob Bishop (R-UT-1) is hoping that a regional approach to resolving the status of public lands in Utah might work better than the county-by-county approach that's been tried before. Bishop has been meeting with local government leaders and representatives of environmental groups, hoping to work out a plan that he can get through Congress. He chairs the House Subcommittee on Public Lands.

Conservation Groups Call for Federal Protection of Utah's Parks

Andrea Smardon — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:41:24 +0000

Outdoor businesses and conservation groups are calling on the federal government to protect the land in and around Utah’s parks. 29 organizations sent a letter Monday to President Barack Obama calling for lasting protections for state and national parks from overdevelopment.

Chaffetz Warns of Imminent Cyber-Attack

Brian Grimmett — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:27:31 +0000

Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz told members of the Utah Legislature to be prepared for an imminent cyber-attack during remarks made in both the House and Senate chambers Friday.

Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz says the future of economic development in Utah depends on the growth of high tech companies but with that comes the increased threat of cyber-attacks. He also stressed the importance of being prepared for such an attack telling legislators it’s not a matter if, but when.

KUER News Pod: Wednesday February 6, 2013

Brian Grimmett — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:25:28 +0000

Utah Governor Gary Herbert promotes Prosperity 2020 goals in Washington, D.C., Utah Democrats call for the protection of Utah’s greater canyonlands, and the Division of Air Quality is targeting the use of toxic consumer cleaning products.

Utah Democrats Push for Protection of Greater Canyonlands

Terry Gildea — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:58:32 +0000

Democratic State Lawmakers are calling the federal government to protect and preserve Utah’s greater canyonlands.

On the steps of the state Capitol Tuesday, State Senator and Utah Democratic Party Chairman Jim Dabakis sought to preserve one the state’s natural treasures. He introduced Senate Joint Resolution 10 that seeks public comment on how to protect the greater canyonlands.

Gooseberry Narrows in Sanpete County Progress Trickles On

Bob Nelson — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:25:03 +0000

The federal Bureau of Reclamation’s recent release of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Narrows Dam on Gooseberry Creek in Sanpete County is likely to be contested in court. The relatively small water project would allow the Sanpete Water Conservancy District to develop an existing Gooseberry Project right to 5400 acre-feet of water for farmers’ late summer crop.

Challenge to BLM Plans Moves Ahead

Dan Bammes — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:57:34 +0000

The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance filed new court papers last week to move its case ahead challenging six Resource Management Plans for Utah adopted by the Bureau of Land Management at the end of the Bush administration. The new filings focus on the RMP for the Richfield field office, an area that SUWA lawyer Steve Bloch says includes some of Utah's most spectacular country.

"Places like the Dirty Devil, Factory Butte, the Henry Mountains, Muddy Creek on the southern end of the

Petition Asks Governor to End Push to Control Federal Land

Dan Bammes — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 20:01:40 +0000

A petition with more than five thousand signatures demanding an end to Utah's attempt to take control of federal lands was delivered Wednesday to Governor Gary Herbert's office. The effort was led by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and supported by activists like Dwight Butler of Wasatch Touring. He says the federal government is taking good care of its land right now.

Higher PILT Payments for Western Counties

Dan Bammes — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 20:29:10 +0000

Counties across Utah are getting more than $36 million from the federal government this year under the Payment In Lieu of Taxes, or PILT program. The money is meant to help counties provide services such as search and rescue and firefighting in areas where there's a lot of federal land.