Grand Staircase Escalante Enhancement Act

Grand Staircase Escalante Enhancement Act

This bill establishes the Escalante Canyons National Park and Preserve within the Escalante Canyons National Monument (established by this bill and consisting of approximately 243,241 acres) in Utah.

Federal lands within the park and preserve, including lands or interests acquired by the United States afterwards, are withdrawn from:

• entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws;
• location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and
• operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws.

The bill also establishes the Grand Staircase National Monument (consisting of approximately 211,983 acres) and the Kaiparowits National Monument (consisting of approximately 551,117 acres).

A management council shall implement comprehensive management plans for the park and preserve and the monuments. Federal land managers must adhere to the management plans created by the council.

The public lands excluded from the lands and interests in lands reserved within the modified boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument under the Presidential Proclamation dated December 4, 2017, shall be open to:

• entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition under the public land laws;
• disposition under all laws related to mineral and geothermal leasing; and
• location, entry, and patent under the mining laws.

Interior shall convey to the state of Utah the Hole in the Rock Road (BLM [Bureau of Land Management] Road 200).