US sued over plan to blast Utah canyon inscribed by 19th century ’Buffalo Soldiers,’ European pioneers

Conservation groups have filed a lawsuit against the US government over plans to blast the cliff walls of Gate Canyon in eastern Utah and build an oil truck highway through an area rich in historic inscriptions and Native rock art. The project, which aims to replace a dirt track with a paved road, would destroy 100-foot cliffs containing at least 47 historic sites, including 19th-century inscriptions left by Black American Buffalo Soldiers and European pioneers.

The lawsuit, filed in US District Court District of Utah, Central Division, claims that the Bureau of Land Management's approval of the road project violates several federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and the Endangered Species Act. The canyon, located about 100 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, is also a habitat for threatened species such as the Mexican spotted owl.

The legal action comes amid the ongoing debate over President Donald Trump's "Drill, baby, drill" policy, which seeks to expand domestic oil and gas production and loosen environmental restrictions.

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