Conservation Advocates Sue Trump Administration Over Highway Plan in Utah
Conservation groups have initiated legal action against the Trump administration following the Bureau of Land Management's decision to reapprove the construction of a previously cancelled four-lane highway through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in southwestern Utah. The highway plan, which was originally halted by the Biden administration, has been revived under President Donald Trump's leadership, sparking significant environmental concerns.
Legal Battle Over Protected Lands
In 2021, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the Utah Department of Transportation's highway proposal. That legal action concluded in a 2023 settlement with the Biden administration that effectively stopped the planned construction. Now, with Trump back in office, the proposal to bisect the 44,724-acre conservation zone with a 4.3-mile-long highway has returned to the forefront.
Steve Wittek, executive director of conservation group Conserve Southwest Utah, emphasized the importance of preserving this area. "Preservation of Red Cliffs National Conservation Area is inextricably linked to the quality of life and economic prosperity in Washington County," Wittek stated. "Our community has repeatedly made clear that better traffic solutions exist and that they oppose a highway through what should be protected lands."
Environmental Concerns and Species Protection
Conservation advocates are particularly worried that construction will cause severe damage to this stretch of the Mojave Desert. The desert tortoise, a threatened species, inhabits the same area as the proposed highway, according to Courthouse News. The new lawsuit—supported by Conserve Southwest Utah, the Conservation Lands Foundation, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Wilderness Society, WildEarth Guardians, and the Center for Biological Diversity—asks a federal judge to rule that the re-approved project is illegal.
The groups argue in their legal filing: "As in the prior case, the defendants' decisions here again violate numerous bedrock environmental laws, and defendants have now also run afoul of express commitments made in the 2023 settlement agreement and voluntary remand process from the prior related litigation."
Shifting Political Positions
The Bureau of Land Management's stance on the highway has shifted according to party changes at the federal level. In 2024, before Trump took office, the BLM issued an environmental impact analysis that found the highway's construction would not only harm the desert tortoise species but also increase wildfire likelihood and encourage the growth of noxious weeds and invasive species.
After Trump assumed office, the bureau issued another environmental report dated October 3 citing "new information" showing that an alternative route through the conservation area was both possible and economically feasible. However, the Center for Biological Diversity maintains that its assessment of the region and potential highway harm remains unchanged.
Community Opposition and Legal Necessity
Tom Butine, a resident of St. George near the proposed construction zone, expressed frustration with local officials. "This lawsuit, like the last one, is necessary because our local governments have declined to engage their constituents in an open community dialogue—one that could more clearly define the problem, address its related impacts and explore alternative solutions that have been consistently ignored," he said.
Wittek noted that the second lawsuit became essential because the Utah Department of Transportation is reportedly already conducting construction work in the area, despite the ongoing controversy. The Independent has reached out to both the Bureau of Land Management and the White House for comment on these developments.
