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Utah files lawsuit to take control of 18.5 million acres of federal public land

by KYLE DUNPHEY Utah News Dispatch
| September 6, 2024 7:00 AM

Utah is suing the federal government over how it manages public land in the state, again.

But unlike past legal challenges, which target specific national monuments or policies, the scope of the lawsuit filed with the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday is massive, questioning whether the Bureau of Land Management’s claim to 18.5 million acres of land — about 34% of the entire state — is legitimate.

State politicians call it “historic.” Environmental and public land advocacy groups say it’s a “land grab.” Regardless, the lawsuit has the potential to upend how the Bureau of Land Management operates in Utah and possibly the Western U.S.

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