Public Lands

The draft provision from Utah's senior senator comes after a similar proposal, backed by Rep. Celeste Maloy, was narrowly defeated in the House. Lee says the sales would target isolated parcels that could be used for housing or infrastructure.

The legal opinion released Tuesday disavows a 1938 determination that monuments created by previous president can’t be revoked.

Wyoming state Sen. Bob Ide backs a niche argument that Congress is constitutionally obligated to hand over ownership of its land. In neighboring Utah, state leaders firmly believe they should have more control of federal land.

Environmental reviews of mining operations normally take months or years. But after President Donald Trump declared a “national energy emergency,” it took just 11 days for the Bureau of Land Management to approve the Velvet-Wood uranium mine's plan to resume operations in San Juan County.

The amendment proposed by Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy would have sold more than 10,000 acres of federal land near St. George to local governments.

Local leaders want to shore up roads and water infrastructure for Washington County’s future growth. Conservationists worry it could open the door to privatizing Western landscapes.

Without clear details on how Congressional Republicans' plan to sell or transfer 460,000 acres of public land will work, skeptics worry it could be a giveaway for developers and mining companies.

All but one of Utah’s Mighty Five national parks had an increase in visitors from the previous year. At the same time, concerns linger about how federal job cuts might impact park crowds.

A federal forest grant that conservationists rely on to fund monitoring and removal of the invasive and tenacious Russian olive tree has been frozen by the Trump admin.

An estimated 1,000 National Park Service employees have been fired so far. That includes at least 20 rangers, by one unofficial count, from Utah’s popular and busy national parks.

The February mass firing of National Park Service employees has hit parks in southern Utah, including Zion and Bryce Canyon. That’s spurring worries about long lines and crowds as the parks’ busy season ramps up.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered federal officials to review and consider redrawing the boundaries of national monuments created under previous presidents to protect unique landscapes and cultural resources. The order is part of President Donald Trump's push to expand U.S. energy production.