America's Red Rock Wilderness Act

Key Points

• This bill would turn millions of acres of federal land in Utah into official wilderness areas. This is the highest level of protection for government land, meaning it will stay in its natural state for future generations to enjoy for activities like hiking, camping, and birdwatching.
• The plan covers famous landscapes like the Grand Staircase-Escalante, the Moab canyons, and the San Rafael Swell. By protecting these areas, the government aims to help wildlife move safely between habitats and fight climate change by keeping large deserts and forests undisturbed.
• Indigenous tribes would keep their rights to use the land for traditional ceremonies and gathering medicine. The bill recognizes that these canyons have been sacred to Native American communities for thousands of years and aims to protect ancient ruins and rock art from vandalism or theft.
• New mining, oil drilling, and gas projects would be banned in these specific areas to prevent environmental damage. However, people who already have legal permits to graze livestock on the land would be allowed to continue their work under existing rules.
• The government would reserve enough water to keep these wilderness areas healthy and vibrant. If the state of Utah owns small pieces of land inside these new boundaries, the federal government would offer to trade other land of equal value to keep the protected areas connected and easy to manage.