Utah Rep. Celeste Moloy Introduces Legislation to Support Local Communities

Living here in St. George, federal land policy isn’t some abstract debate in Washington; it shapes our jobs, our recreation, and the future of rural Southern Utah. That’s why the move by Utah Congresswoman Celeste Maloy to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution targeting the 2025 Resource Management Plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is getting so much attention locally.

OVERTURN BIDEN ERA PLAN

Maloy’s resolution would overturn the Biden administration’s 2025 plan and reinstate the 2020 Resource Management Plan. She argues the newer plan was crafted “without the people it affects most having any real seat at the table,” adding, “This land remains federal land. It remains protected. What changes is that the communities that live here get their voice back.” According to her office, the monument's footprint would not change, but management would revert to broader, multiple-use access under standard Bureau of Land Management guidelines.

SENATE BACKING BY MIKE LEE

In the Senate, the effort is being led by Mike Lee, who said, “Congress does not surrender its oversight responsibility simply because an agency labels something a ‘plan’ rather than a ‘rule.’” He pointed to a Government Accountability Office determination that the plan qualifies as a rule under the Congressional Review Act, giving Congress authority to review it with a simple majority vote.

PRESERVE REASONABLE ACCESS

Supporters here in southern Utah say the 2020 plan reflected years of coordination with local governments. Garfield and Kane County commissioners submitted statements backing congressional review, arguing their input was largely ignored in the 2025 version. As Kane County leaders put it, Congress should ensure future land management “respects local governments and preserves reasonable access and multiple-use opportunities.”

Utah Sens. John Curtis and Reps. Blake Moore, Mike Kennedy, and Burgess Owens are also backing the resolution.

LISTEN NOW: REP. CELESTE MOLOY ON KDXU LAST WEEK

From my vantage point in St. George, this debate isn’t just political theater. It’s about who gets a say in how 1.9 million acres of iconic red rock country are managed — distant agencies or the communities that call this corner of Utah home.