Court Orders Government to Stop Land Leasing in Utah

Finds in Favor of Environmental Groups to Protect Wilderness

WASHINGTON (January 18, 2009) – More than 110,000 acres of Utah wilderness will be protected from oil and gas companies as a result of a ruling last night by Judge Ricardo M. Urbina of the U.S. District Court. Judge Urbina granted a temporary restraining order that prevents the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from moving forward with these leases. A coalition of environmental groups— led by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Wilderness Society, and Earthjustice– filed a lawsuit on December 17, 2008 to prevent the leasing of public lands.

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