- Supreme Court declines to hear Utah’s public lands lawsuit.
- Utah leaders say federal decision does not end legal options.
- State signals continued efforts to influence BLM land policy.
Friday, April 4, 2025 — In a case Western-Water.com has been following, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Utah’s challenge to federal ownership of nearly 18.5 million acres of land within the state. The decision, issued on January 13, 2025, ends the current lawsuit—but not the broader legal and political dispute over the control and management of public lands in the West.
Lawsuit Targeted Longstanding Federal Policy.
Utah filed the lawsuit in August 2024, asserting that the federal government’s continued retention of “unappropriated” lands violates the Constitution. At the center of the case was a challenge to 43 U.S.C. § 1701(a)(1), the provision of federal law that supports the Bureau of Land Management’s authority to retain and manage public lands indefinitely.
State officials argued that this policy infringes on Utah’s sovereignty and undermines the state’s ability to make land-use decisions related to recreation, infrastructure, conservation, and wildfire mitigation. The legal filing, listed as docket number 22O160, sought a judicial order requiring the federal government to dispose of the lands in question and transfer control to the state.
By November, the case had drawn national attention, with amicus briefs filed by both supporters and opponents of Utah’s position. Notably and as expected, the U.S. government submitted a brief in opposition, raising constitutional, legal, and other concerns.
Court Declines to Hear Case.
On January 13, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order declining to take up Utah’s case, bringing an end to this chapter of the legal battle. In response, top Utah officials—including Governor Spencer Cox, Senate President J. Stuart Adams, House Speaker Mike Schultz, and Attorney General Sean Reyes—released a joint statement
:
“While we were hopeful that our request would expedite the process, we are disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision not to take up this case. The Court’s order does not say anything about the merits of Utah’s important constitutional arguments or prevent Utah from filing its suit in federal district court.”
Utah Signals Next Steps.
The joint statement emphasized that the state is not abandoning its efforts to assert greater control over federal lands. Officials noted that Utah “remains able and willing to challenge any BLM land management decisions that harm Utah.”
They also welcomed signals from the incoming presidential administration regarding shared support for the “multiple use” principle—a policy approach that encourages balancing conservation with resource development and recreation on public lands. “We will continue to fight to keep public lands in public hands because it is our stewardship, heritage and home,” the statement read.
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Image, Public Domain:
Porcupine on BLM land.jpg "Opens in a new tab.")
in Iron County, Utah near Newcastle. By Seth Topham, November 2013. BLM Utah.
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