This is your July edition of BHA's State Policy Spotter - a high-level scan of state policy and legislation impacting our wild public lands, waters and wildlife across North America. Note - this...

If you haven’t had the opportunity to drive north to south following the geological shift from the alpine zones of the Panguitch area down along Highway 89 to the red rock desert of Kanab, Utah,...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 11, 2025  Contact: media@backcountryhunters.org    MISSOULA, Mont. — Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) is rebuking a sweeping new proposal released by the Senate...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2025   Contact:  media@backcountryhunters.org   Public Lands Victory: BHA Applauds Removal of Public Land Sale Amendment from House Budget Reconciliation...

After an extremely busy session, the Utah Legislature wrapped up on Friday, March 7. The chapter leaders of Utah Backcountry Hunters and Anglers tracked several bills this year and participated in...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   March 18, 2025      CONTACT:   Devin O’Dea, Western Policy & Conservation Manager, odea@backcountryhunters.org     Denver, CO – In a huge victory for public land owners,...

Between Utah's legislative session, the opening of Hunting for Sustainability applications, and an amazing public lands party with Ryan Callaghan of Meateater, February was a busy month! Read on...

The Power of Community: BHA’s Mission Across the Country by Alec Boyd-Devine I recently had the opportunity to attend the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah. Having...

This is your March 4th edition of BHA's Western Policy Spotter - a high-level scan of state policy and legislation impacting wild public lands, waters and wildlife across the West. Note - this...

For the last handful of years, Utah BHA’s Board has been involved with the Utah Sportsmen’s Caucus at the Capitol during the Legislative Session. In the past, the Caucus served as an opportunity...

Every year in Q1, Utah state officials engage in the Utah Legislative Session to pass new laws or amend laws. Utah BHA follows and engages in the Session quite closely, as there are typically...

Welcome to your first glimpse of BHA's Western Policy Spotter - a high-level scan of state policy and legislation impacting wild public lands, waters and wildlife across the West. Much like...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 13, 2025   Contacts:  Kaden McArthur, Director of Policy and Government Relations, mcarthur@backcountryhunters.org  Devin O’Dea, Western Policy & Conservation Manager,...

Once I realized that western big game hunting was an opportunity to have an epic backpacking trip in the wilderness that potentially could yield a yearlong supply of the most organic, local,...

A lot of hunters and anglers have reached out to our chapter asking how they can get even more involved in opposing Utah’s Public Lands Lawsuit in addition to signing the petition on BHA’s...

On August 20th, 2024, Utah’s Governor Cox announced a sweeping lawsuit that the State filed with the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the federal government’s legal right to hold and manage 18.5...

In the history of ill-advised plans and underhanded schemes to squander the public lands legacy shared by all Americans, Utah officials may have just eclipsed the rest of the bunch. In August, the...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Aug. 20, 2024  Contact: Devin O’Dea, 415-246-5329 odea@backcountryhunters.org  Utah Attempts to Wrest Public Lands Out of Public Hands SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Backcountry...

     After two years of project planning by BHA Board Member and BLM Wildlife Biologist, Jason Kaitchuck, a group of 21 volunteers gathered sharing donuts and coffee on the side of the road while...

Well, here we go!' I thought, standing in the sunny Southern Utah desert, watching the convoy of trucks, Jeeps, and OHVs slowly depart from the campsite to their assigned destinations in the...

Update 5/1/2024: On April 30, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the WEST Act with a vote of 211-202. The Superior National Forest Restoration Act was passed with a vote of 212-203. On May...

After a busy session, the Utah Legislature wrapped up this past Friday, March 1. The chapter leaders of Utah Backcountry Hunters and Anglers tracked multiple bills this year and participated in...

The Utah Legislative Session commenced on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, and will extend through Friday, March 1, 2024. During this time, members of the Utah State Legislature convene to revise old or...

In the November Regional Advisory Council (RAC) meeting agenda, we saw various proposals from the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) emerge for public comment, some of which directly relate to...

Situated between Southern Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Dixie National Forest, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, the Paunsaugunt Plateau is home to one of the West’s...

I spend a lot of time standing in rivers. Cast, catch, release, repeat. Meanwhile, my friends and fellow BHA members disappear every season into the backcountry, reemerging with epic stories,...

News for Immediate ReleaseJuly 19, 2023Contact: Katie DeLorenzo, 505-410-6284, delorenzo@backcountryhunters.org SALT LAKE CITY, UT. — In a multi-agency and organization collaboration, Utah...

On June 7th-9th, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) working with the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Sportsmen for Fish and...

A request for appropriation (RFA) called “Wildlife Highway Mitigation” was approved by the Utah Legislature in the 2023 Legislative Session budget. This funding request was for $20M of State funds...

This 2023 Legislative Session, H.B. 208 “Criminal Trespass Amendments” was passed. Sponsored by Rep. Scott Chew, H.B.208 assigns a defined penalty for wading and walking on stream beds and banks...

Are you at that point in your hunting and/or angling journey where you wish to be more involved in an impactful way? One of the best ways to make a difference in conservation and get involved with...

Early in the year, the Utah Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers was approached by Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Big Game Coordinator, now Wildlife Section Chief Covy Jones to have a...

The Utah Chapter would like to thank the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and especially Rachael Tuckett, for their support of the Hunting for Sustainability Program. Without the resources they...

The Utah chapter was recently invited by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to sit on the Elk Management Plan Committee.  Every seven years, the Division rewrites this plan to provide...

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), joined by his colleagues Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and John Barrasso (R-WY), announced in early April the introduction of the HOUSES Act (S. 4062), legislation that would...

Last week, in a 4-3 commissioner vote, the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition (SCIC) opted to withdraw its application from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to build a highway through the...

The Utah Legislative Session commenced January 18, 2022 and will extend through March 4, 2022. During this time, members of the Utah State Legislature convene to revise old or consider new state...

As the voice for public lands, public waters, and wildlife, the Utah BHA Chapter has launched a Fall 2021 program that particularly focuses on the health of our mule deer herds in Utah. Chronic...

  The Utah chapter has stayed vigilant and busy during the past quarter, working as a voice for Utah's public lands and waters and continuing its growth:   The Utah chapter held its 2021 Board...

If you’re a hunter in Utah, you have likely heard of HB0295: Wildlife Modifications. The legislation, introduced by House Representative Casey Snider, ignited a wave of emotions and debate amongst...

    In spite of the pandemic, BHA Utah has remained active through the fall of 2020 and into a fresh 2021:   The Wild Utah Project (@wildutahproject)  held their End-of-Summer Volunteer...

Elk camp at the head of East Canyon. This area would be paved over if the highway becomes a reality.  Once again, the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition (SCIC) has proposed to...

Utah’s public lands attract residents and visitors from all over the world to explore our state’s many wonders and enjoy a variety of recreational activities. For newcomers, these landscapes may...

BHA often touts the boots-on-the-ground, grassroots efforts of our organization and perhaps nothing embodies this more than the stewardship efforts of our college clubs. As collective owners of...

Wild Utah Project @wildutahproject recently held their End-of-Summer Volunteer Celebration and three Utah BHA members were presented Volunteer of the Year Awards. Melissa Early (Utah BHA board...

Today, the House passed the Great American Outdoors Act with a 310-107 vote. It now makes its way to the President's desk for a final signature. BHA members across the U.S. made their voices...

In an effort to more directly engage in bill tracking and direct lobbying efforts during the Legislative Session, BHA Utah created a Legislative Action Committee to make a more concerted and...

Photos by TJ Booth (@tbimage) On January 30th, 2020 nearly 300 people gathered to watch the International Fly Fishing Film Festival hosted by the Utah State University Backcountry Hunters and...

This past August, the Utah State University Backcountry Hunters and Anglers along with Cache Anglers Trout Unlimited Chapter assisted Clint Brunson of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in...

Like every other chapter in BHA, our Utah members have spent a good chunk of the fall hitting the mountains hard during hunting season. We managed to slip in a few events before the hunting season...

Photos by Nick Dempkowski On Sept. 21, 2019, the Utah State University collegiate club of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers hosted a Public Land Pack Out in Providence Canyon. This project was in...

Utah BHA recently participated in a beaver dam analog habitat (BDAs) project for coldwater trout fisheries in a tributary of the Weber river today called Chalk Creek. This...

Chronic Wasting Disease is in Utah, and the Department of Wildlife Resources needs our help to ensure that deer, elk and moose herds in our state can thrive for years to come. From now until the...

Utah had a rather rainy spring, but that has not stopped our members from getting outside! The Utah board is continuing to plan several exciting events to engage our members. At the end of...

Anyone who has hiked Mount Timpanogos has likely seen (and been stared down) by a mountain goat somewhere along the trail. I didn’t know this was a normal occurrence when I did this hike for the...

The Utah Sage Grouse Summit, recently renamed the Utah All Lands-All Hands Summit, took place this week in downtown Salt Lake City. The Utah Chapter of Backcountry Hunter & Anglers was in...

This past Saturday on National Public Lands Day the Utah State University BHA Club led a successful habitat improvement project in Spawn Creek, removing over a quarter mile of barbed wire fencing...

Thank you to everyone who submitted a comment on the Gooseberry Creek/ Narrows Reservoir Project. BHA Utah, along with several local partners Trout Unlimited, Utah Rivers Council, and Western...

Utah BHA welcomes Josh Lenart to the chapter. Josh is actively involved in numerous chapter initiatives and has begun the distribution of a monthly chapter newsletter. To subscribe contact Chris...

By Jay BantaCecil was a treasured friend since we first met in Utah's West Desert in 1981.  A true oxymoron, he was the first cattle rancher I had ever met who was a passionate and active...

By BHA Board Member, Jay Banta of Torrey, Utah The flaring disputes in southern Utah about the appropriate uses of public land highlights one of the very reasons Backcountry Hunters & Anglers was...

PRESS STATEMENT Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Utah Chapter Friday, May 9, 2014 Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, including its Utah Chapter, condemns the illegal ATV protest ride at Recapture...

By BHA Utah Coordinator, Ken Theis.Most of us, as we get older, become more resistant to change.  That is especially true when it comes to seeing changes to the hunting and fishing places we...

Nearly 50 years ago, while most of America was focused on the growing conflict in Viet Nam, some forward-thinking individuals were considering the needs of the nation at home.  The growing social...

This is meeting season—the time of year when people are scrambling around making plans for the coming year, working on budgets, politicking and strategizing. In Utah, this is the most...

  Several months ago it came to light that traditional bow hunters are the fastest growing segment of BHA’s membership.  My own interest in shooting my long-neglected recurve bow had been...

The Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) announced today it would give a three-year reprieve to a controversial lease it planned to issue in the Book Cliffs. An...

Book Cliffs leasing blindsides sportsmen, threatens to derail protection efforts Sportsmen expressed dismay Monday after learning that the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands (SITLA) Board...

The upcoming meetings regarding the Grand Bargain Land Exchange Initiative are an important opportunity for members to speak-up for Utah’s backcountry fish and wildlife habitat, and sporting...

Each year Backcountry Hunters & Anglers recognizes the members and partners that have dedicated substantial time and energy to furthering the mission and reach of BHA. Through hard-work and...

Utah Backcountry Hunters & Anglers are honoured to host Randy Newberg at the 2013 International Sportsmen Expo (ISE) in Salt Lake City, March 14-17. As host of the Sportsman Channel’s “On Your Own...

January 5, 2013Happy New Year!Thanks for taking a few minutes to join in celebrating the activities and successes of Utah BHA over the past few months.  We hope you enjoy this electronic...

  Utah Backcountry Hunters & Anglers are honored to host Randy Newberg at the 2013 International Sportsmen Expo (ISE) in Salt Lake City, March 14-17.  As host of the Sportsman Channel’s “On Your...

Utah Chapter NewsMonday, June 18, 2012 Utah BHA held its first Chapter “Rendezvous” near Strawberry Reservoir in the foothills of the Uinta Mountains the first weekend in June.  Margo Taylor...

6-22-2012 Dear Utah BHA members. There has been a proposed rule change submitted to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The proposed rule change would cap the amount of funds a conservation...