PHOTO: There will likely be less off-road vehicle use in Dirty Devil Canyon and other pristine Utah lands. A judge has challenged the BLM's management plan for more than 2 million acres. Photo courtesy Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

SALT LAKE CITY - There will likely be less off-road vehicle use on some of Utah's most pristine public lands following a recent court action.



The U.S. District Court for Utah has struck down significant parts of the Bureau of Land Management's Resource Management Plan that covers 2 million acres in four counties.



The action could limit off-roading at Dirty Devil Canyon, the Henry Mountains and Factory Butte, said David Garbett of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. The court determined that the management plan enacted under President George W. Bush didn't offer enough environmental protections, Garbett said.



"This area is a treasure trove of cultural resources," he said. "But unfortunately, the BLM sacrificed these resources in favor of off-road vehicle use, and other intensive resource allocations."



SUWA was among the conservation groups that challenged the BLM plan in court. The plan included some road closures and use restrictions, but the judge didn't think that was sufficient to protect these areas.



Garbett called the court ruling a big win for some of Utah's natural wonders.



"This litigation was an opportunity for us to get a court to say, 'No, BLM, you are governed by the law, and the law requires that you consider other resources.' "



The court reversed the BLM's off-road vehicle trail designations because the agency failed to minimize the impact of off-road vehicle use on streams and soil, native plants and wildlife, as well as cultural sites and artifacts, Garbett said. The BLM has been ordered to complete intensive, on-the-ground surveys for historic and cultural resources before authorizing ORV use.