Washington, D.C. — Today, the Supreme Court declined to take up a lawsuit from the state of Utah attempting to force the United States to sell off or otherwise dispose of more than 18 million acres of public lands in Utah, an area larger than the state of West Virginia. The case could have affected more than 200 million acres of public lands across the country. Twelve states formally endorsed the lawsuit—including North Dakota, whose former governor, Doug Burgum (R), is incoming President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the interior. Burgum’s nomination hearing is scheduled for tomorrow, January 14. In response, Drew McConville, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
The Supreme Court’s rejection of this fringe lawsuit should mean the end of this unpopular land grab. But sadly, anti-public lands extremists and corporate lobbyists are trying every angle to seize control of America’s public lands. Americans should demand that these treasured lands stay in public hands and reject calls from the authors of Project 2025 and some members of Congress to sell off these lands to the highest bidder.
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