Environmental groups have joined together in filing a lawsuit against the United States Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior concerning plans for widening, paving and realignment of Duchesne County's Wells Draw Road in Gate Canyon which feeds into the famous Nine Mile Canyon which is known as “the world’s longest art gallery.” The lawsuit claims there are 47 historic sites along or near the existing road and that 43 of those are “considered eligible to the National Register of Historic Places.” It also focuses on the threat to native species. Gate Canyon paving was approved in April of this year by the BLM Vernal Field Office. The BLM announcement at the time stated that the project is set to “realign and pave a portion of Duchesne County-claimed road 32 in Gate Canyon.” The project description states, “Wells Draw Road is a transportation corridor providing regional connectivity between Duchesne County and Carbon County. The surface of the roadway in Gate Canyon, Duchesne County Road No. 32, is unimproved dirt with minimal drainage. The current road alignment generally follows the canyon bottom and includes multiple sharp curves, which limits sighting oncoming vehicles. Duchesne County Special Services District #2 proposes to reconstruct approximately 5.3 miles of roadway from the summit of Gate Canyon to existing pavement 0.5 miles north of the intersection with Nine Mile Canyon Road. The project would be 2.7 miles on BLM-administered lands and 2.6 miles on TLA-administered surface.” The lawsuit opposing the project was filed in U.S. District Court of Central Utah on October 6th.
Lawsuit Filed 10/6/26, U.S. District Court Central Division
Photos: lawsuit filing documents