The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday, challenging the Trump administration's renewal of a highway construction project through Utah's Red Cliffs National Conservation Area that the government previously agreed to halt.
The legal challenge represents the latest chapter in a prolonged battle over the proposed 4.3-mile, four-lane highway near St. George, Utah. The project would bisect the 44,724-acre conservation area and run through designated critical habitat for the threatened Mojave desert tortoise, according to the conservation groups.
The Center for Biological Diversity is joined in the lawsuit by Conserve Southwest Utah, the Conservation Lands Foundation, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Wilderness Society and WildEarth Guardians. The coalition is requesting a federal judge declare the re-approved project illegal.
The Red Cliffs National Conservation Area was created by Congress through the Omnibus Public Land Management Act in 2009, specifically to protect the unique desert ecosystem in southwest Utah. The proposed highway would cut directly through this protected landscape, raising concerns about environmental damage and wildlife disruption.
Stacey Wittek, executive director for Conserve Southwest Utah, said in a statement that the lawsuit was necessary because the Utah Department of Transportation "is wasting no time moving forward with ground-distributing activities." She emphasized the connection between environmental protection and local economic interests.
"Preservation of Red Cliffs National Conservation Area is inextricably linked to the quality of life and economic prosperity in Washington County," Wittek said. "Our community has repeatedly made clear that better traffic solutions exist and that they oppose a highway through what should be protected lands."
The current lawsuit challenges the Bureau of Land Management's Jan. 21 decision to re-approve a proposal by the Utah Department of Transportation on behalf of Washington County. This decision reversed a December 2024 rejection of the same proposal by the bureau and the Fish and Wildlife Service, marking the eighth time the highway has been considered for approval.
The conservation groups argue that the defendants' decisions "violate numerous bedrock environmental laws" and that the agencies "have now also run afoul of express commitments made in the 2023 settlement agreement and voluntary remand process from the prior related litigation."
The legal history of this project spans multiple presidential administrations. Former Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt previously approved Utah's proposal on Jan. 13, 2021, during the final days of the previous Trump administration. The conservation groups filed their initial lawsuit soon after that approval.
In February 2023, the parties reached a settlement agreement under the Biden administration that effectively ended the proposal. However, with the change in administration, the project has been revived, prompting this new legal challenge.
The Mojave desert tortoise, which would be directly impacted by the highway construction, is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The species requires large areas of undisturbed habitat to survive, and road construction through critical habitat areas poses significant risks to tortoise populations through habitat fragmentation, vehicle strikes, and increased human activity in sensitive areas.
Environmental groups argue that the repeated approval and rejection of this project demonstrates a lack of consistent environmental policy and proper consideration of ecological impacts. They contend that alternative transportation solutions could address local traffic concerns without compromising protected conservation lands.
The lawsuit filed in D.C. federal court seeks to permanently block the highway project and ensure compliance with federal environmental laws. The conservation coalition argues that the approval process has not adequately considered the environmental impacts or explored less damaging alternatives.
Washington County officials and the Utah Department of Transportation have defended the project as necessary for addressing traffic congestion and supporting economic development in the rapidly growing St. George area. However, local conservation groups maintain that alternative routes and transportation solutions could meet these needs without damaging protected habitat.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between development pressures and environmental protection in Utah's desert regions, where population growth has increased demand for infrastructure while threatening sensitive ecosystems. The outcome could have implications for other proposed developments near protected conservation areas throughout the American Southwest.
The legal challenge comes as environmental groups across the country are preparing for potential policy reversals under the new administration. The Red Cliffs case may serve as an early test of how federal courts will handle disputes over environmental protections and conservation area management under changed federal policies.
The case will now proceed through federal court, where judges will determine whether the latest approval violated environmental laws and the terms of the previous settlement agreement.