State public‑lands office touts RS 2477 progress and presses for rollbacks of recent federal rules

Reg Johnson, director of Utah—s Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office (PLIPCO), told the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental Quality Appropriations subcommittee that the office has advanced state claims to historic roads on federal land and continues to press federal agencies for travel‑management changes.

Johnson said PLIPCO has been working for years on RS 2477 right‑of‑way claims and reported recent wins that include title for Hole In The Rock Road and House Rock Valley Road, noting the office has filmed the majority of candidate roads and has completed roughly 900 sworn depositions toward establishing title. He said the overall caseload covers about 12,000 roads on BLM lands, with some difficult terrain — notably the Book Cliffs — still to be completed.

The director framed PLIPCO—s role as both coordinator and litigator: the office works with state agencies (the Department of Agriculture and Food, DNR and DEQ), counties, cities and federal partners (BLM, Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation), and when policy avenues do not succeed, PLIPCO has pursued litigation. "When that policy side fails, then we often end up in litigation," Johnson said.

Johnson told committee members that several federal actions rolled out under the previous administration posed risks to Utah—s multiple‑use access. He singled out a Biden‑era "public lands rule" that, in his view, would have dramatically expanded federal designations and limited traditional uses, and the Forest Service roadless rule, first adopted in 2001. Johnson urged the state—s request for rescission of the roadless rule to allow administrative access for timber and fuels management while clarifying that rescission would not automatically open those roads to public use without a travel management planning process.

On energy and development, Johnson pointed to a recent large lease sale he said totaled about $64 million, with approximately $32 million to the state, and emphasized the economic importance of energy and transmission projects as well as PLIPCO—s cooperative‑federalism efforts with the Forest Service.

Why it matters: PLIPCO—s litigation and coordination shape who controls and manages access on millions of acres of public land in Utah — decisions that affect recreation, grazing, cultural resources and energy development. The committee raised practical questions about how citizens can help with RS 2477 depositions; Johnson asked legislators to encourage counties and residents to identify elderly witnesses who used roads prior to 1976.

The presentation closed with committee members thanking Johnson for the update and asking for follow‑up details on grazing compensation and maps identifying remaining depositions. The subcommittee did not take formal action during the presentation; Johnson moved on to the next agency briefing.