As more and more Americans visit our national public lands, land managers in Western states face a tough task striking a balance between conservation and energy development. In recent years this balance has been skewed in favor of leasing public lands for oil and gas development with some states achieving a better balance than others.
In a new analysis of leasing and protections in three Western states‚Ää—‚ÄäUtah, Colorado, and New Mexico‚Ää—‚Ääthe Center for Western Priorities finds that nowhere is the balance more out of whack than in Utah.