Attorney General Derek Brown will direct his office’s resources to defend Utah’s sovereign rights against federal overreach, including on public lands.
In the summer of 2024, Utah filed a landmark lawsuit asking the Supreme Court to determine whether the federal government can indefinitely hold unappropriated lands within a state. Unappropriated lands do not include national parks, monuments, Tribal lands, military properties, or national forests; the Bureau of Land Management oversees about 18.5 million acres of such land.
Utah is questioning the federal government’s ability to retain land not designated for specific purposes without a time limit. While the federal government controls 1% to 3% of lands east of the Mississippi, it manages nearly 70% of Utah’s land, about 34% of which is in the lawsuit’s scope.
State Legislatures like Idaho, Alaska, Wyoming and the Arizona support Utah’s efforts. Senators Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, along with several Utah Representatives, have submitted a legal filing in support.
This page will be updated with the Supreme Court’s actions and any further measures from Utah.