Uintah County commissioners voted Nov. 26 to adopt amendments to the county General Plan’s Land Access chapter (Chapter 12), updates staff said respond to a recent court ruling and are intended to guide interactions with federal land managers on RS 2477 rights-of-way and land-access issues.

Matt Kazier of Community Development told the commission the chapter changes add sections 12.402 through 12.4034 and mirror recommendations discussed in public meetings. “Part of this is to update based on that lawsuit because that that’s an important lawsuit for RS 2477 claimed roads,” Kazier said, referencing a judicial decision affecting Kane County that staff said has relevance to county policy on claimed roads that cross forest and BLM land.

Kazier said the BLM plans to begin broader land-use planning in the county over the next several years and federal managers “should be following our plans as closely as they can” where legal. The planning commission held a noticed public hearing and unanimously recommended approval; one state representative commented in support of the changes at the planning commission hearing, staff said. A commissioner moved to approve Resolution 11-25-2024 R2; the motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

Why it matters: The amendments are intended to signal county policy and expectations to federal land managers as they develop resource-management plans, particularly where road claims and access intersect with BLM and national-forest lands. The changes were presented as conformity and clarification rather than a change in county control of federal lands.

Details: Staff said the changes were reviewed at a public lands meeting and in planning commission hearings; no public comment was recorded at the Nov. 26 commission meeting on this item.