BLM seeks input on proposed withdrawal extension in Spanish Fork Canyon
SALT LAKE CITY — The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on a Secretary of the Interior proposal to extend Public Land Order 7668 in Spanish Fork Canyon for an additional 20 years. If approved, this extension would continue to safeguard 6,559 public acres of Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in the Utah Lake Drainage Basin and Diamond Fork water delivery systems of the Central Utah Project.
Public Land Order 7668 withdrew public lands from location and entry under the United States mining laws, but not leasing under the mineral or geothermal leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights, to protect the ongoing operation, maintenance and possible future replacement of the Diamond Fork Systems of the Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project for an additional 20-year term.
The infrastructure covered by the withdrawal is essential for providing water for residential, municipal, industrial, irrigation, and hydroelectric power uses. As such, the extension of the withdrawal will support both the Presidential Memorandum and Secretarial Order 3419 titled “Delivering Emergency Price Relief for American Families and Defeating the Cost-of-Living Crisis.”
A notice will publish in the Federal Register on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, to open a 90-day public comment period, which will close May 26, 2026. Comments and meeting requests may be emailed to [email protected] (preferred) or delivered to BLM Utah State Office, Attn: Brendan Willig, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1345. The BLM will hold a virtual public meeting April 6, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Information on how to attend will be provided at a later date.
For more information, please contact BLM Utah Lands and Realty Branch Chief Brendan Willig at 385-835-2123 or [email protected].
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.