Utah Environmental Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Nine Mile Canyon Road Expansion

Three environmental organizations filed a lawsuit on October 6 to halt a road expansion in Utah's Nine Mile Canyon, alleging that the project threatens Indigenous petroglyphs, historic structures, and wildlife habitat. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Nine Mile Canyon Coalition, and the Center for Biological Diversity jointly submitted the complaint, arguing that the Bureau of Land Management approved the Duchesne County proposal without adequately assessing its cultural, environmental, and historic impacts. The groups claim the Trump administration deliberately obscured and sidestepped the approval process and rejected public requests for involvement. They also accuse the BLM of failing to consult the United States Fish and Wildlife Service about foreseeable effects on endangered and threatened species, including the Mexican spotted owl, and of violating multiple preservation and land use acts through procedural omissions. The BLM declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Months earlier, the BLM had approved the road expansion to expedite oil tanker truck transit through the canyon. The lawsuit seeks to stop the project from progressing.