Bill > HB0444

This bill makes several changes related to public land access and road management. It requires the Division of Wildlife Resources to consult with county legislative bodies before permanently closing roads within wildlife management areas and to record any roads on these areas before they are sold or exchanged, ensuring that any sale or exchange is subject to existing public access rights. The bill also clarifies that when state land is sold or exchanged, public access rights in place at the time the state acquired the land and at any point during its ownership are preserved. Additionally, it modifies the definition and management of "class D roads," which are public roads established by use or construction, by clarifying that counties have jurisdiction over them unless abandoned, and establishes new procedures for counties to vacate or abandon these roads, requiring public hearings and notice to the state and affected landowners, while also preventing abandonment if the road provides public benefit or access to public or private land without agreement. Finally, the bill amends the definition of "highway" to exclude "class D roads" in the context of improper discharging of dangerous weapons, meaning it is no longer a violation to discharge a weapon from a class D road.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/HB0444.html