Utah Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Nine Mile Canyon Construction Project
The environmental organizations filed a suit against the Bureau of Land Management for approving the project that endangers centuries-old Indigenous petroglyphs.
A coalition of three environmental advocacy groups has initiated a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the expansion of a road in Utah's Nine Mile Canyon. The Duchesne County proposal, aimed at facilitating the transit of oil tanker trucks, has been met with strong opposition from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Nine Mile Canyon Coalition, and the Center for Biological Diversity, who argue that the project will irreparably damage Indigenous petroglyphs, historic structures, and the habitats of threatened wildlife.
The groups allege that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has circumvented the approval process and denied public participation in the decision-making. They specifically accuse the BLM of failing to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the potential impacts of the proposed road expansion on a cultural, environmental, and historic scale.
The complaint also states that the BLM did not consult the United States Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the effects on endangered and threatened wildlife, such as the Mexican spotted owl, thus violating several preservation and land use acts.
Despite the lawsuit being filed, the BLM has not commented on the matter, citing ongoing litigation. The dispute centers around the proposed construction of an additional road in the eastern Utah region, which lies within the Bureau of Land Management's jurisdiction.
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