Senate approves substitute bill to annex Mountain Meadow site to Iron Mission State Park

The Utah State Senate on Feb. 14 passed Substitute Senate Bill 41, adding annexes to Iron Mission State Park to include the Mountain Meadow master site and monument and sending the substitute bill to the House for further action.

Sponsor Senator Levitt described the measure as attaching the Mountain Meadow site to an existing state park and said the bill “calls for a study by the Energy, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Committee to undertake a study to determine the criteria for incorporating historical sites and monuments.” The sponsor characterized the measure as part of a broader effort to recognize historical sites while ensuring appropriate management and maintenance.

Senator Benelton noted that the Mountain Meadow massacre site already operates under a state Forest Service special-use permit and urged treating the location as an annex rather than creating a separate monument. He said the annex approach would provide time during the interim for the regular study process and to consider funding and operations. The sponsor confirmed there was no fiscal note attached to the bill on the floor.

The Senate called the question and recorded the vote: Substitute Senate Bill 41 passed with 26 ayes, 0 nays and 3 absent. The bill was ordered transmitted to the House.

The next procedural step is the House’s consideration of the substitute; the Senate also asked the Energy, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Committee to study criteria for future historical sites and monuments in the interim.