Public lands are inseparable from Utah’s identity and way of life. hey sustain rural communities whose economies and tax bases are uniquely affected by the enormous federal footprint in our state. That is why decisions about Utah’s lands cannot be made effectively from a desk in Washington.

I believe the people who live closest to the land deserve a meaningful voice in how it is managed. Federal lands should remain accessible and support responsible multiple use, and major land-management decisions should be made with local officials, ranchers, recreationists, tribes, and other stakeholders at the table. In the Senate, I have worked to protect recreational access to federal lands and give Utah communities greater control over decisions affecting their future.

Many in Utah have strong opinions regarding the size of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante national monuments, particularly as the designations change back and forth with administrations. From my experience, issues that affect so many stakeholders like this are best solved through legislation rather than executive order. While serving in the House, my team brought together people who had very different ideas about conservation, recreation, grazing, economic development, and access to find consensus on a public lands bill for Emery County. Nobody got everything they wanted, but ultimately we developed legislation that became law. I’d much rather spend the time building something durable than continue having public-lands policy swing back and forth every four years.