Washington County suing BLM, FWS [Video]

ST. GEORGE, Utah — The Washington County Commission and County Attorney Eric Clarke said they have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is related to the Northern Corridor project. 

According to court documents, Washington County alleged that the agencies illegally revoked a biological opinion related to the Northern Corridor project. 

The Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service approved the Northern Corridor project in 2021.

The lawsuit alleges that after some groups expressed opposition, the Department of the Interior began working to reverse the approval. 

The document did not specify which groups expressed opposition. However, Washington County said that the department attempted to continue imposing conservation obligations that came with the approval. 

“They are requiring us to continue spending taxpayer resources even though they revoked the biological opinion that triggered the expenditures in our Habitat Conservation Plan,” said Washington County Commissioner …