A Utah judge has summarily shot down the first of three lawsuits filed by the environmental group Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance claiming county commissions violated open meeting requirements when they met privately with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and other federal officials last year.
In court filings, San Juan County argued that its commissioners’ conversations with Zinke on shrinking or rescinding Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Esclante national monuments were not covered under the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act since counties have no say over national monument designations or adjustments, a power held only by Congress or the president of the United States.
That argument swayed 7th District Judge Lyle Anderson, who dismissed the SUWA suit Friday without fielding oral presentations.
“The County Commission was advocating on behalf of the County or its citizens when meeting with members of Congress or Interior officials,” Anderson, based in Monticello, wrote in his April 6 order, which also accuses SUWA of using the lawsuit to harass San Juan officials.
“Anyone can advocate. Anyone can lobby,” the judge continued. “That one can do so does not mean one has either jurisdiction or advisory status.”
SUWA has filed similar actions against Kane and Garfield counties, and the disputes could have broad implications for three-member commissions, a form of government used to run 23 of Utah’s 29 counties...