Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee, Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
This bill aims to restrict the Secretary of the Interior's ability to manage certain lands in Utah by prohibiting the use of federal funds for specific activities. It explicitly forbids the use of funds to finalize or implement new travel management plans for a list of covered travel management areas within the state. Furthermore, this funding prohibition extends to the implementation of four existing travel management plans, including the Indian Creek (Canyon Rims) and San Rafael Desert plans. The restrictions on funding are temporary, lasting for an "applicable period" that begins upon the bill's enactment. This period concludes only when the Secretary of the Interior certifies to Congress that all specified R.S. 2477 cases have been adjudicated. These R.S. 2477 cases refer to numerous ongoing legal disputes between various Utah counties and the State of Utah against the United States, likely concerning claims of historic rights-of-way. The bill effectively pauses certain land management activities until these legal challenges regarding historic roadways are resolved.
This bill aims to restrict the Secretary of the Interior's ability to manage certain lands in Utah by prohibiting the use of federal funds for specific activities. It explicitly forbids the use of funds to finalize or implement new travel management plans for a list of covered travel management areas within the state. Furthermore, this funding prohibition extends to the implementation of four existing travel management plans, including the Indian Creek (Canyon Rims) and San Rafael Desert plans. The restrictions on funding are temporary, lasting for an "applicable period" that begins upon the bill's enactment. This period concludes only when the Secretary of the Interior certifies to Congress that all specified R.S. 2477 cases have been adjudicated. These R.S. 2477 cases refer to numerous ongoing legal disputes between various Utah counties and the State of Utah against the United States, likely concerning claims of historic rights-of-way. The bill effectively pauses certain land management activities until these legal challenges regarding historic roadways are resolved.