Gov. Spencer J. Cox is a husband, father, farmer, recovering attorney, and Utah’s 18th governor. Since taking the oath of office on Jan. 4, 2021, Gov. Cox has secured funds for affordable housing, promoted suicide prevention and mental health resources and implemented water conservation and infrastructure planning. He also signed early education and workforce program funding, launched the new Utah Sustainable Health Collaborative, and expanded opportunity for women, diverse communities and those living in rural parts of the state.
“I believe that through careful deliberation, we can identify the most responsible stewardship for our varied lands. For some areas, that will mean the highest level of environmental protection. For other areas, that might mean allowing access for responsible outdoor recreation. And in other areas of our vast public lands, the stewardship that will provide their greatest public benefit might be sustainable natural resource development.” - Governor Gary R. Herbert
Utah is a public lands state, which means that a majority of our land mass is owned by government. Approximately 75 percent of the state, more than 35 million acres, belongs to the public. Additionally, 3.4 million acres of School and Institutional Trust Lands (7.3 percent of our state) are open for use by the general public in accordance with an agreement between the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Utah Trust Lands Administration.
Our state does a tremendous job at overseeing state-owned public lands. Utah has the largest active habitat restoration program in America, and we lease more than 95,000 acres of private land and many miles of stream for public recreational access. And, on top of that, Utah oversees 1.5 million acres of public land and 2,200 miles of shoreline.
In addition to the millions of acres of public land that is overseen and managed by the federal government, the State of Utah works collaboratively and cooperatively to help protect and preserve federal public lands. Clearly, Utah is a public lands state.
We in Utah believe that there is no single best use of public lands. That is why we promote a multiple-use philosophy, akin to the beliefs of President Theodore Roosevelt. We work our hardest to ensure access, conservation, recreation, and more on our public lands. We also believe that some public lands provide a unique opportunity for the prudent and responsible development of energy and mineral resources.
Here are a few examples of how our state successfully oversees public lands:
Through our Watershed Restoration Initiative, we have treated more than 1.3 million acres of land. We still have hundreds of projects underway that will rehabilitate and restore approximately 265,000 more acres. Those numbers don’t even account for the projects currently proposed and under review. Utah has invested more than $20 million in restoring Utah’s watersheds. Partner donations and in-kind support have included an additional $100 million.
Our Division of Wildlife Resources owns and administers more than 460,000 acres of Wildlife Management Areas. These areas are managed to benefit wildlife and provide public access for hunting, fishing and wildlife watching.
DWR issues more than 700,000 hunting and fishing licenses and permits each year.
Utah contains 45 Blue Ribbon Fisheries, which are waters that provide highly-satisfying fishing and outdoor experiences for diverse groups of anglers.
In addition to Utah’s lakes, reservoirs, and river access, there are thousands of miles of streams open for access to kayaking, fishing and other water sports in Utah.
The Division of State Parks and Recreation manages 44 state parks and museums statewide, which includes about 200,000 acres of public land, 277 miles of hiking and biking trails, and nearly 3,500 campgrounds, cabins, yurts, and teepees.
The Division also manages Utah’s boating program, which enables Utah boaters and recreators access for 23 state park lakes and reservoirs, including 1,346 freshwater square miles statewide; 1,699 saltwater square miles and 1,000 freshwater river miles.
Approximately 65,000 boats are registered in Utah with access to public waters for water-sports, including water-skiing, touring, and fishing.
More than 80,000 miles of ATV trails are accessible in Utah, making the state home to one of the largest and most publicly accessible networks of OHV trail systems nationwide. These public trails systems are available for summer and winter enjoyment.
State Parks has private business ventures and partnerships with more than 230 contractors to provide goods and services at Utah’s 44 state parks. Many of these contracts include recreational vendors and services such as boat and ATV rentals, zip lines, cabin rentals, guided excursions and on-water playgrounds.
We are proud of our 5 National Parks, 8 National Monuments, 44 State Parks, and numerous federal recreation areas, and we are dedicated to ensuring that the voices of Utahns are held above those of special interests, now and forevermore.