The court issued a one-sentence statement turning down the latest motion from the state government.
The Supreme Court rejected Utah’s bid to claim federally owned lands within its borders, stating in its ruling simply, “The motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied.”
When the state of Utah was incorporated into the United States, it agreed that one-third of its lands would be federally managed, around 18.5 million acres total. This agreement was common in the incorporation process of Western states, and because of this, the federal government owns roughly 47 percent of Western land.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox sued to take federal land into state jurisdiction in August 2024. “Utah deserves priority when it comes to managing its land,” Governor Cox said at the time. “It’s been a tragedy to see what this administration and past administrations have done to our land, closing down roads that have been open for generations.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For state governors and attorneys general as they assess the economies and income opportunities of their states.
- For Supreme Court justices as they determine which challenges to federal control they will accept.
Sources: The Hill, Reuters , LA Times
