Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Public Lands and Natural ResourcesLand transfersUtahWater use and supplyWilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats
Why This Matters
This bill, called America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, designates large areas of federal land in Utah as official wilderness. It protects red rock canyons, desert plateaus, and cultural sites for their natural and scenic value.
Who this affects
BLM · federal land managers · State of Utah · Indigenous tribes
What changes is this bill making?
1Designates dozens of specific areas across nine regions in Utah—including the Great Basin, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Moab-La Sal Canyons, and others—as wilderness areas under the National Wilderness Preservation System
2Adds these lands to the system managed by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) under the Wilderness Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
3Requires the Secretary of the Interior to file maps and legal descriptions and manage boundaries, including road setbacks and topographic features
4Allows existing livestock grazing to continue under reasonable regulations consistent with wilderness rules
5Reserves water rights for each new wilderness area and protects prior federal water rights
6Offers land exchanges for state school trust lands within the new wilderness areas
7Withdraws designated lands from mining, geothermal leasing, and other resource development
8Affirms that tribal rights, state wildlife jurisdiction, and existing water rights are not affected
