Historic Roadways Protection Act

This bill would pause the Bureau of Land Management from finishing or carrying out certain travel plans in Utah. It aims to keep historic roads on public lands from being closed until court cases about who controls those roads are decided, based on the bill text and summary . The pause lasts from when the bill becomes law until the Interior Department certifies that all these road cases have been decided by the courts. It specifically names four plans that could not be implemented during this time: Indian Creek (Canyon Rims), San Rafael Desert, San Rafael Swell, and Labyrinth/Gemini Bridges. For background, an old law from 1866, known as R.S. 2477, let states and counties build public roads across federal land; it was repealed in 1976, but existing road rights were kept, which led to today’s court cases in Utah.

Key points:

• Who is affected: People who use roads on public lands in Utah and the Bureau of Land Management.
• What changes: BLM could not use federal funds to finalize or implement new travel plans in certain areas, or to implement the four named plans, until the court cases are decided .
• When: From the date the bill becomes law until the Interior Department certifies all related road cases are decided.