UT
Utah House Bill HCR012

Utah 2025 Regular Session

Utah House Bill HCR012 Compare Versions

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1-03-04 19:49 1st Sub. (Buff) H.C.R. 12
1+02-24 11:02 1st Sub. (Buff) H.C.R. 12
22 Steve Eliason proposes the following substitute bill:
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44 House Concurrent Resolution on State Management of Federal Public Lands
55 2025 GENERAL SESSION
66 STATE OF UTAH
77 Chief Sponsor: Steve Eliason
8-Senate Sponsor: Ronald M. Winterton
8+Senate Sponsor:
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1212 LONG TITLE
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1414 General Description:
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1616 This resolution urges the federal government and state entities to identify public lands for
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1818 the state to manage for outdoor recreation.
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2020 Highlighted Provisions:
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2222 This resolution:
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2424 ▸ urges Congress to enact legislation establishing a framework for state operation of federal
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2626 public lands to improve public land management and reduce federal expenditures;
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2828 ▸ highlights the need to develop and maintain state parks, monuments, and campgrounds to
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3030 provide the people of Utah with outdoor recreational opportunities;
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3232 ▸ encourages the Division of State Parks (division) to work with federal agencies to
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3434 acquire, lease, or manage properties considered suitable for a state park, monument, or
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3636 campground;
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3838 ▸ suggests land that the division may consider for a potential state park or campground;
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4040 ▸ requests that the division petition the Bureau of Land Management to transfer title to the
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4242 state of Utah for the creation of the Little Sahara State Park;
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4444 ▸ requests that the division negotiate with the United States Forest Service to transfer the
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4646 Antelope Flat Campground for the creation of the Flaming Gorge State Park; and
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4848 ▸ requests that the division update the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment
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5050 Interim Committee on the division's progress.
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5252 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
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5454 None
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5656 Other Special Clauses:
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5858 None
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6060
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6262 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
63-1st Sub. H.C.R. 12 1st Sub. (Buff) H.C.R. 12 03-04 19:49
63+1st Sub. H.C.R. 12 1st Sub. (Buff) H.C.R. 12 02-24 11:02
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6565 WHEREAS, the state of Utah is committed to protecting and enhancing the state's
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6767 recreational opportunities, experiences, and facilities for the people of Utah;
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6969 WHEREAS, the state's growing population and vibrant tourism industry will require the
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7171 state to develop new outdoor recreational opportunities and maintain existing state parks,
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7373 monuments, and campgrounds;
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7575 WHEREAS, state parks play a critical role in preserving the state's distinctive natural
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7777 landscapes and geological features;
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7979 WHEREAS, state parks, monuments, and campgrounds provide valuable outdoor
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8181 recreational opportunities and protect significant natural and cultural resources for the people
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8383 of Utah;
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8585 WHEREAS, the Monte Cristo area located in Cache, Rich, and Weber counties offers
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8787 unique recreational opportunities that the Division of State Parks (division) may evaluate for
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8989 designation as a state park, monument, or campground;
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9191 WHEREAS, various school and institutional trust lands, including trust lands in the San
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9393 Rafael Swell, may present opportunities for public recreation while generating revenue for
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9595 trust beneficiaries;
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9797 WHEREAS, the federal government manages numerous national parks, Bureau of Land
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9999 Management lands, and national forest lands within the state;
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101101 WHEREAS, many of these federal public lands face significant maintenance backlogs and
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103103 operational challenges that impact visitor experiences and resource conservation;
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105105 WHEREAS, the United States Forest Service has decommissioned campgrounds in the
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107107 state due to the degradation of campground infrastructure, including the Sunset Campground
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109109 in Farmington Canyon;
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111111 WHEREAS, the state has a demonstrated capability in effectively managing state parks and
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113113 other public lands;
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115115 WHEREAS, state lands and federal public lands could be enhanced and reclaimed for
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117117 recreation and conservation purposes if put under state control;
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119119 WHEREAS, if the state could voluntarily assume operational responsibility of federal lands
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121121 within the state's borders, under a joint management agreement, the state could improve
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123123 management efficiency and visitor experiences while reducing federal expenditures;
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125125 WHEREAS, a voluntary framework for state operation of federal public lands could help
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127127 address maintenance backlogs while preserving federal obligations and environmental
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129129 protections;
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131131 WHEREAS, the state is well-positioned to understand and respond to local needs and
132-- 2 - 03-04 19:49 1st Sub. (Buff) H.C.R. 12
132+- 2 - 02-24 11:02 1st Sub. (Buff) H.C.R. 12
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134134 conditions affecting public lands within the state;
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136136 WHEREAS, state management has the potential to enhance economic opportunities while
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138138 ensuring continued public access and resource protection;
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140140 WHEREAS, there are several scenic areas within the state that are managed by federal
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142142 agencies that could be managed by the state, including the Little Sahara Recreation Area, the
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144-Antelope Flat Campground near Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Ŝ→ Pineview Reservoir in the
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146-Ogden Valley, ←Ŝ and land near Farmington Canyon;
144+Antelope Flat Campground near Flaming Gorge Reservoir, and land near Farmington Canyon;
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148146 WHEREAS, the Antelope Flat Campground is located on the scenic shore of the Flaming
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150148 Gorge Reservoir and within the beautiful Ashley National Forest;
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152150 WHEREAS, the division has attempted to enter into an agreement for the management of
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154152 the Little Sahara Recreation Area as a state park, an area that receives 300,000 visitors
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156154 annually;
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158156 WHEREAS, in accordance with Utah Code Section 79-4-606, the division may enter into
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160158 an agreement with the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the use of the
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162160 Little Sahara Recreation Area as a state park;
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164162 WHEREAS, in accordance with Utah Code Subsection 79-4-203(4), the division may
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166164 acquire property in the name of the state by legal and proper means;
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168166 WHEREAS, if a land transfer agreement is not possible, the division may seek to purchase
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170168 or lease the land from the BLM under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, 43 U.S.C. Sec.
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172170 869;
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174172 WHEREAS, there are other opportunities for the transfer of land to state ownership for
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176174 state parks, monuments, or campgrounds, such as the stretch of land from Farmington Canyon
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178176 and across Skyline Drive to Bountiful;
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180178 WHEREAS, Utah's congressional delegation is uniquely positioned to understand the
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182180 state's capacity and desire to manage federal public lands within the state's borders; and
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184182 WHEREAS, leadership from Utah's congressional delegation on this issue could establish a
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186184 model framework benefiting all states:
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188186 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
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190188 Governor concurring therein, urges Utah's congressional delegation to lead the effort in
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192190 Congress to enact legislation establishing a framework that allows the state to voluntarily
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194192 assume operational responsibility, under a joint management agreement, for federal public
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196194 lands within the state's borders.
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198196 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage the
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200198 division to once again petition the Bureau of Land Management to transfer title to the state of
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203-Utah all land necessary for the creation of the Little Sahara State Park. Ŝ→
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205- BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage the
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207-division to negotiate with the United States Forest Service to transfer title of Pineview
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209-Reservoir to the state of Utah for the creation of Pineview Reservoir State Park. ←Ŝ
200+Utah all land necessary for the creation of the Little Sahara State Park.
201+- 3 - 1st Sub. (Buff) H.C.R. 12 02-24 11:02
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211203 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage the
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213205 division to negotiate with the United States Forest Service to transfer the Antelope Flat
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215207 Campground to the state for the creation of Flaming Gorge State Park.
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217209 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage the
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219211 division to work with federal agencies to acquire, lease, or manage any other properties
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221213 considered suitable for a state park, state monument, or state campground.
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223215 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor urge the division to
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225217 evaluate recreational and scenic locations in the state, including the Monte Cristo area and
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227219 trust lands in the San Rafael Swell, for designation as new state parks, monuments, and
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229221 campgrounds.
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231223 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage the
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233225 division to conduct a study considering the feasibility of a potential state park or state
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235227 campground encompassing Davis County Skyline Drive, including Buckland Flats
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237229 Campground, Bountiful Peak Campground, and the former Farmington Canyon Sunset
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239231 Campground areas.
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241233 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor request that the
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243235 division submit an annual report to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment
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245237 Interim Committee regarding the division's progress before the November interim meetings in
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247239 2025, 2026, and 2027.
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