Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance v. Bernhardt

Environmental groups, federal defendants, and intervenor-defendants stipulated to the dismissal of the environmental groups’ challenge to an oil and gas lease encompassing public lands within the Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness in southeastern Utah. The plaintiffs’ allegations included that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management failed to adequately analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative climate change impacts of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the lease. The plaintiffs and defendants reached a settlement in December 2022. One of the intervenor-defendants that stipulated to dismissal of the case noted that it had been left out of the settlement discussions.

The plaintiffs and federal defendants requested a continuation of the stay for 30 days to allow the plaintiffs and intervenor NAH Utah, LLC to continue to discuss settlements.

The parties requested that the stay of proceedings be continued to allow the parties to take steps to finalize settlement agreement.