Representative Wayne Owens (D UT-2) reintroduced the Utah BLM Wilderness Act (H.R. 1500) to designate 5.4 million acres of Utah's public lands as wilderness area. This bill responds to the Bureau of Land Management's seriously flawed wilderness review in Utah, in which it continued to recommend an inadequate amount of land for wilderness designation. Presently, only 800,000 acres of public lands in Utah are protected as wilderness under both BLM and the U.S. Forest Service combined.

These particular wild lands lie within the drainage systems of the Colorado River and the delicate ecosystems of Utah's Great Basin. These areas are rich in wildlife. The desert bighorn sheep, the desert tortoise, and free-roaming buffalo all depend on the land for their survival. The land itself is truly unique, containing desert mountains, wild rivers, and canyons and arches, which have evolved over time with the flow of water and wind. Environmentalists believe this extraordinary and beautiful land should be preserved as a wilderness area in its own right and for future generations.

The League included co-sponsorship of H.R. 1500 as a pro-environment action. There are 103 co-sponsors of the Utah BLM Wilderness Act.