County amends general plan to preserve access to public lands, includes PLIPCO language

County staff (Bridal Armstrong, Community Development) summarized changes to the Utah County general plan that incorporate recommended language from the Utah Public Lands Policy Coordination Office (PLIPCO). The amendment is intended to preserve public road access to federal public lands and to clarify the county’s position on roads that may be public under historic Revised Statute 2477 (RS 2477).

Armstrong said the requirement for counties to adopt resource management plans for public lands originated in 2016 state law and that roughly 40% of Utah County is federal public lands (BLM and U.S. Forest Service). The amendment updates resource categories to emphasize preserving access — particularly class D roads that access general public lands — and to provide the county a clearer voice in federal processes that could affect that access.

Commissioners thanked staff for the work; the commission moved to adopt the ordinance and approved it by voice vote. The transcript records the motion and a voice tally of 'That passes 3 0.'

Next steps: Community Development will publish the amended plan and integrate the adopted language into the county’s general-plan materials and any future federal engagement on public-road status.