Opinion: Risking Utah’s hunting heritage: Where’s the truth in Utah’s land transfer plans?

For generations, Utah hunters have relied on the vast, untamed expanse of our public lands. But now, a dangerous lawsuit threatens to sever that connection by challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s ownership of 18.5 million acres and advocating for the transfer of these lands to state control. The negative implications are severe for all who value our hunting heritage, which is made possible by these lands.
Extraction, renewables and mining in Utah are booming, but there’s a delicate balance to be struck here. The BLM has largely managed to walk that tightrope through its multiple-use mandate under the Federal Lands Management Policy Act (FLPMA), allowing for responsible extraction, recreation, controlled grazing and conservation.
However, under state control, the pressure to wring every last dollar out of these lands would be massive and existing federal guardrails that balance various uses would no longer apply, tempting increased resource extraction and private sales of public land for revenue. Is the legacy we want to leave imbalanced, amplified extraction that devastates our landscapes, hampers public access and downsizes wildlife habitat?
The federal lands system has a proven track record for retaining lands in public ownership; meanwhile, the state effectively says, “Trust us instead!” with no track record of doing the same. Of the 7.5 million acres granted to Utah at the time of statehood, over half have since been divested.
In its public support campaign, the state references the Utah Public Land Management Act, claiming it would prohibit public land sales except in “rare circumstances.” However, this legislative barrier to sale is far less restrictive than existing federal protections. State law can be altered to favor special interests and there are no guarantees that this promise will survive future legislative sessions, causing these lands to be extremely vulnerable under state control. Additionally, if federal lands were transferred to the state, this may set precedent for states across the West and its roughly 210 million “unappropriated” BLM acres.
Past attempts by Utah officials to privatize public lands serve as indicators of what we can expect are the real intention for these lands. In 2017, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s HR621 proposed disposing (aka selling) 3 million acres of federal public lands. Consider also the HOUSES Act from Sen. Mike Lee, which would streamline the sale of public lands for affordable housing development; Rep Ken Ivory’s HJR019, which solidified Utah’s support of the HOUSES Act in state code; and the 2016 appropriation for a similar lawsuit that demanded the transfer of federal lands to the state (to name but a few recent attempts). What message do these send about the state’s priorities regarding these lands?
The operational feasibility of a land transfer without private land sales is a financial gamble at best and immense burden at worst. This risk doesn’t align with fiscally conservative principles and comes at a major cost. The state allocated up to $20M for the legal battle, and the total cost is estimated at $14M. Additionally, the state appropriated millions for “educating the public on federalism issues,” some of which was earmarked for this high-dollar marketing campaign. At the time of statehood, Utah agreed to the federal Utah Enabling Act, which states it “forever disclaim(s) all right and title to the unappropriated public lands within the boundaries thereof.” What is unclear about that?
This lawsuit is more than a political misstep — it jeopardizes one of the best parts of living in Utah. Public lands are ours to own, a legacy handed down from generation to generation. We have a responsibility to conserve them for every Utahn who comes after us. We should advocate for improved collaboration between the state and federal land management agencies, a partnership that only deteriorates from our politicians’ continued hostility towards this uniquely American concept.
Our public lands and hunting heritage are not for sale, and we must stand together to ensure that public lands stay where they belong. Because once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. And with them goes a piece of what makes Utah, Utah.
Perry Hall is the chair of the Utah Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. He moved to Utah after college in search of bigger mountains and wild public lands where he hunts, fishes, skis and explores over 200 days a year.