SALT LAKE CITY – Today, Utah’s federal district court held a hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction to leave 317 miles of public off-roading trails in the Moab, Utah area open, as the Bureau of Land Management seeks to permanently close them. If the trails were to close, they would likely disappear due to natural forces over the next year while the case proceeds. The most prominent proposed closures are mapped here.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is representing the plaintiffs in this case, which include the BlueRibbon Coalition, the Colorado Offroad Trail Defenders, and Mr. Patrick McKay.
“We appreciate the opportunity to be heard on whether the court should leave these trails open while this case proceeds. Millions of Americans have cherished memories of enjoying Moab’s red rock trails with friends and family. They should be allowed to continue to do so while this case is ongoing, particularly with a documented history of decades of responsible use by the off-road community. We are hopeful that the court will issue its ruling promptly,” said lead attorney Matt Miller, a senior attorney at the Center for the American Future at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit free-market research institute based in Austin that aims to foster human flourishing by protecting and promoting liberty, opportunity, and personal responsibility. The Center for the American Future defends the Constitution through legal opposition to government overreach. The Center launches legal challenges at the administrative, district, and appellate court levels on behalf of ordinary people whose lives, liberty, and property are threatened by government action in defiance of the Constitution.
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