(1)  There is established the Uintah Basin Energy Zone in Daggett, Uintah, and Duchesne Counties for the purpose of maximizing efficient and responsible development of energy and mineral resources.

Terms Used In Utah Code 63J-8-105.5

  • Land: includes :Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Uintah Basin Energy Zone: means BLM and Forest Service lands situated in the following townships in Daggett, Duchesne, and Uintah counties, as more fully illustrated in the map prepared by the Uintah County GIS Department in February 2012 entitled "Uintah Basin Utah Energy Zone":
(a) in Daggett County, Township 3N Range 17 E, Township 3N Range 18E, Township 3N Range 19E, Township 3N Range 20E, Township 3N Range 22E, Township 3N Range 23E, Township 3N Range 24E, Township 3N Range 25E, Township 2N Range 17E, Township 2N Range 18E, Township 2N Range 19E, Township 2N Range 20E, Township 2N Range 21E, and Township 2S Range 25E;
(b) in Duchesne County, Township 3N Range 4W, Township 3N Range 3W, Township 3N Range 2W, Township 3N Range 1W, Township 2N Range 6W, Township 2N Range 5W, Township 2N Range 4W, Township 2N Range 3W, Township 2N Range 1W, Township 1N Range 9W, Township 1N Range 8W, Township 1N Range 7W, Township 1N Range 6W, Township 1S Range 9W, Township 1S Range 8W, Township 4S Range 9W, Township 4S Range 3W, Township 4S Range 2W, Township 4S Range 1W, Township 8S Range 15E, Township 8S Range 16E, Township 8S Range 17E, Township 5S Range 9W, Township 5S Range 3W, Township 9S Range 15E, Township 9S Range 16E, Township 9S Range 17E, Township 6S Range 9W, Township 6S Range 8W, Township 6S Range 7W, Township 6S Range 6W, Township 6S Range 5W, Township 6S Range 3W, Township 10S Range 15E, Township 10S Range 16E, Township 10S Range 17E, Township 7S Range 9W, Township 7S Range 8W, Township 7S Range 7W, Township 7S Range 6W, Township 7S Range 5W, Township 7S Range 4W, Township 10S Range 11E, Township 10S Range 12E, Township 10S Range 13E, Township 10S Range 14E, Township 10S Range 15E, Township 10S Range 16E, Township 10S Range 17E, Township 11S Range 10E, Township 11S Range 11E, Township 11S Range 12E, Township 11S Range 13E, Township 11S Range 14E, Township 11S Range 15E, Township 11S Range 16E, and Township 11S Range 17E; and
(c) in Uintah County: Township 2S Range 18E, Township 2S Range 19E, Township 2S Range 20E, Township 2S Range 21E, Township 2S Range 22E, Township 2S Range 23E, Township 2S Range 24E, Township 2N Range 1W, Township 2N Range 1E, Township 2N Range 2E, Township 3S Range 18E, Township 3S Range 19E, Township 3S Range 20E, Township 3S Range 21E, Township 3S Range 22E, Township 3S Range 23E, Township 3S Range 24E, Township 4S Range 19E, Township 4S Range 20E, Township 4S Range 21E, Township 4S Range 22E, Township 4S Range 23E, Township 4S Range 24E, Township 4S Range 25E, Township 5S Range 19E, Township 5S Range 20E, Township 5S Range 21E, Township 5S Range 22E, Township 5S Range 23E, Township 5S Range 24E, Township 5S Range 25E, Township 6S Range 19E, Township 6S Range 20E, Township 6S Range 21E, Township 6S Range 22E, Township 6S Range 23E, Township 6S Range 24E, Township 6S Range 25E, Township 7S Range 19E, Township 7S Range 20E, Township 7S Range 21E, Township 7S Range 22E, Township 7S Range 23E, Township 7S Range 24E, Township 7S Range 25E, Township 8S Range 17E, Township 8S Range 18E, Township 8S Range 19E, Township 8S Range 20E, Township 8S Range 21E, Township 8S Range 22E, Township 8S Range 23E, Township 8S Range 24E, Township 8S Range 25E, Township 9S Range 17E, Township 9S Range 18E, Township 9S Range 19E, Township 9S Range 20E, Township 9S Range 21E, Township 9S Range 22E, Township 9S Range 23E, Township 9S Range 24E, Township 9S Range 25E, Township 10S Range 17E, Township 10S Range 18E, Township 10S Range 19E, Township 10S Range 20E, Township 10S Range 21E, Township 10S Range 22E, Township 10S Range 23E, Township 10S Range 24E, Township 10S Range 25E, Township 11S Range 17E, Township 11S Range 18E, Township 11S Range 19E, Township 11S Range 20E, Township 11S Range 21E, Township 11S Range 22E, Township 11S Range 23E, Township 11S Range 24E, Township 11S Range 25E, Township 12S Range 20E, Township 12S Range 21E, Township 12S Range 22E, Township 12S Range 23E, Township 12S Range 24E, Township 12S Range 25E, Township 13S Range 20E, Township 13S Range 21E, Township 13S Range 22E, Township 13S Range 23E, Township 13S Range 24E, Township 13S Range 25E, Township 13S Range 26 E, Township 14S Range 21E, Township 14S Range 22E, Township 14S Range 23E, Township 14S Range 24E, Township 14S Range 25E, and Township 14S Range 26E. See Utah Code 63J-8-102
  • United States: includes each state, district, and territory of the United States of America. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
    • (2)  The land area and boundaries of the Uintah Basin Energy Zone are described in Subsection 63J-8-102(22) and illustrated on the map described in Section 63J-8-105.

    (3)  The state finds that:

    (a)  the lands comprising the Uintah Basin Energy Zone contain abundant, world-class deposits of energy and mineral resources, including oil, natural gas, oil shale, oil sands, gilsonite, coal, phosphate, gold, uranium, and copper, as well as areas with high wind and solar energy potential; and

    (b)  the highest management priority for all lands within the Uintah Basin Energy Zone is responsible management and development of existing energy and mineral resources in order to provide long-term domestic energy and supplies for Utah and the United States.

    (4)  The state supports:

    (a)  efficient and responsible full development of all existing energy and mineral resources located within the Uintah Basin Energy Zone, including oil, oil shale, natural gas, oil sands, gilsonite, phosphate, gold, uranium, copper, solar, and wind resources; and

    (b)  a cooperative management approach among federal agencies, state, and local governments to achieve broadly supported management plans for the full development of all energy and mineral resources within the Uintah Basin Energy Zone.

    (5)  The state calls upon the federal agencies who administer lands within the Uintah Basin Energy Zone to:

    (a)  fully cooperate and coordinate with the state and with Daggett, Uintah, and Duchesne Counties to develop, amend, and implement land and resource management plans and to implement management decisions that are consistent with the purposes, goals, and policies described in this section to the maximum extent allowed under federal law;

    (b)  expedite the processing, granting, and streamlining of mineral and energy leases and applications to drill, extract, and otherwise develop all existing energy and mineral resources located within the Uintah Basin Energy Zone, including oil, natural gas, oil shale, oil sands, gilsonite, phosphate, gold, uranium, copper, solar, and wind resources;

    (c)  allow continued maintenance and increased development of roads, power lines, pipeline infrastructure, and other utilities necessary to achieve the goals, purposes, and policies described in this section;

    (d)  refrain from any planning decisions and management actions that will undermine, restrict, or diminish the goals, purposes, and policies for the Uintah Basin Energy Zone as stated in this section; and

    (e)  refrain from implementing a policy that is contrary to the goals and purposes described within this section.

    (6)  The state calls upon Congress to establish an intergovernmental standing commission among federal, state, and local governments to guide and control planning decisions and management actions in the Uintah Basin Energy Zone in order to achieve and maintain the goals, purposes, and policies described in this section.

    (7)  Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the state’s grazing and livestock policies and plans on land within the Uintah Basin Energy Zone shall continue to be governed by Sections 63L-11-302, 63L-11-303, and 63J-8-104.

    Amended by Chapter 382, 2021 General Session

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