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| Utah Wilderness Coalition | |
|---|---|
| Name | Utah Wilderness Coalition |
| Formation | 1989 |
| Type | Nonprofit advocacy |
| Headquarters | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Region served | Utah |
Utah Wilderness Coalition The Utah Wilderness Coalition is a state-level conservation advocacy group focused on protecting federally managed wildlands within Utah. Founded in the late 20th century, the Coalition has engaged with stakeholders including U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and members of the United States Congress to propose wilderness designations and influence public land policy. The organization has worked alongside national groups such as the Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, and National Parks Conservation Association while interacting with regional actors like the Utah Dine Bikeyah and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
The Coalition was established amid a wave of western conservation activism in the 1980s and 1990s that involved actors such as Bruce Babbitt, former United States Secretary of the Interior, and lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Early campaigns referenced landmark federal statutes including the Wilderness Act and coordinated with state-level offices like the Utah Office of Tourism and municipal officials from Salt Lake City and Moab, Utah. The group’s timeline intersects with major public land debates involving the Bears Ears National Monument proclamation and subsequent Antiquities Act-related controversies. Over the decades the Coalition has navigated interactions with energy-sector interests represented by entities such as the Independent Petroleum Association of America and with outdoor recreation stakeholders including Outdoor Industry Association.
The Coalition states objectives that align with conservation priorities championed by organizations like Earthjustice and Natural Resources Defense Council. Its mission emphasizes securing wilderness designation for areas within units administered by National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management in Utah. The objectives cite protection of cultural resources connected to tribes such as the Navajo Nation, Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and Pueblo of Zuni, and preservation of landscapes proximate to landmarks like Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, and the Great Salt Lake.
Notable campaigns include advocacy for wilderness bills introduced in the U.S. Congress that sought protections for ranges like the San Rafael Swell, the Book Cliffs, and the Henry Mountains. The Coalition participated in coalitions that supported legislation comparable to provisions in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 and advocacy tied to proposals for expansion of protections near Capitol Reef National Park. Achievements feature partnership roles in public comment periods during National Environmental Policy Act processes and contributions to mapping efforts used by lawmakers such as members of the Utah congressional delegation to craft bills. The Coalition has also been active in outreach during state-level processes involving the Utah State Legislature and in response to federal actions affecting Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument.
The Coalition is organized as a nonprofit advocacy body, engaging directors, policy staff, and regional coordinators. Leadership roles have interacted with figures from groups like The Wilderness Society, Sierra Club Utah Chapter, and the National Wildlife Federation. Governance typically includes a board composed of leaders from partner organizations such as Conservation Lands Foundation and local community representatives from municipalities including Cedar City and Kanab, Utah. Staff liaise with agencies including the Bureau of Land Management state office and the regional offices of the U.S. Forest Service.
The Coalition forms partnerships with national and regional entities like Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council, Conservation Lands Foundation, National Parks Conservation Association, and tribal groups including the Navajo Nation and Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. It has collaborated with outdoor industry stakeholders such as the Outdoor Industry Association and recreation groups like The Access Fund. Legislative coalition work has involved coordination with staffs from members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate representing Utah.
Funding sources reported in public nonprofit filings typically include grants from conservation funders such as LOR Foundation-type philanthropies, donor-advised funds connected to entities like the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance, and contributions routed through intermediary organizations including Conservation Lands Foundation. The Coalition has also received support via membership drives and partnerships with fundraising campaigns run jointly with groups like Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society. Fiscal oversight practices follow standards common to nonprofits registered under provisions similar to the Internal Revenue Code section governing tax-exempt organizations and engage accounting practices used by statewide advocacy NGOs.
The Coalition’s work has provoked pushback from state-level elected officials including members of the Utah State Legislature and some members of the Utah congressional delegation who cite concerns voiced by local energy producers such as the Independent Petroleum Association of America and county commissions in regions like Carbon County, Utah and Grand County, Utah. Critics associated with western rural advocacy groups and trade associations representing mining interests have argued that wilderness designations could restrict multiple-use activities championed by organizations such as the National Mining Association. Legal disputes and contentious public debates have involved stakeholders including tribal governments, federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, and litigants who have brought cases before federal courts including panels of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Category:Environmental organizations based in Utah