Law Enforcement

Key law enforcement issues related to natural resources management and public lands are coordination among jurisdictions of various law enforcement personnel and funding issues such as funding for search and rescue operations. The State Agency Dispatch data can be used to identify the communications center that covers a county.

For example, the Salt Lake County Rose Canyon and Yellow Fork Canyon Master Plan (2011) includes the goal: “With increases in local population and more interest in public uses within the study area, there will be an even greater need for rules and regulation enforcement to provide for public enjoyment of the study area and to ensure public safety”.[1]

An example of law enforcement coordination involving public lands is livestock theft. The Livestock Inspection Bureau at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food deals with cases of livestock theft, in close coordination with county sheriff’s offices. Cases of livestock theft are eventually prosecuted through the county attorney. Additionally, in situations of disease outbreak, the Livestock Inspection Bureau works with Sheriff’s offices to help enforce livestock quarantines.

County and local law enforcement entities include:

• Municipal police departments
• County Sheriff’s offices

State law enforcement includes:

• Utah Highway Patrol
• Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Conservation Officers
• Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Livestock Inspection Bureau
• State Park Rangers
  • East Canyon State Park (Morgan County)
  • Antelope Island State Park (Davis County)
  • Jordan River OHV Recreation Area (Salt Lake County)
  • Great Salt Lake Marina (Salt Lake County)

Federal and tribal law enforcement related to natural resources and special jurisdiction areas include:

• US Forest Service Officers and Special Agents
• BLM Law Enforcement Rangers and Special Agents
• Hill Air Force Base/Utah Test and Training Range and Tooele Army Depot
• Goshute Tribe Law Enforcement (Tooele County)

The Law Enforcement data can be used to identify the law enforcement resources within a county. Related data like Correctional Facilities, Fire Stations, and Public Safety Answering Points can be used when assessing public safety and related issues in the county.

In the context of resource management planning, best management practices (BMPs) can address public safety, property protection, and interagency coordination policies and recommendations as these relate to public use areas. Potential BMPs may include:

• Share/coordinate interagency law enforcement (civil, wildlife resources, and recreation public use regulations) between the County, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and the Utah Division of State Parks.
• Maintain law and order [on public lands] to protect the health and safety of persons using the area.
• Control litter, discourage vandalism, and perform search and rescue operations as appropriate.
• Notify the county sheriff’s office immediately when there is a life-threatening situation, criminal act, project structure failure, resource contamination, natural phenomenon (landslides and fire), cultural resource site(s) disturbance, and/or discovery of human remains.
• Designate areas where discharge of firearms, bow and arrow, or air and gas weapons is not appropriate.
• Provide emergency communication and coordinate with local law enforcement.
• Ensure that appropriate fire management regulations and procedures are in place and enforced in [appropriate areas].
• Assess ways to financially support search and rescue operations in the county.

• Annual operating costs for law enforcement.
• Costs associated with search and rescue operations are increasing in many areas of the state, particularly with increased recreation use of remote lands. Utah counties have the option to charge people who are rescued and/or can receive reimbursement through the state’s Search and Rescue Financial Assistance Program.
• The Utah Search and Rescue Assistance Card (USARA Card) offers expense-paid rescue to individuals (hunters, hikers, other backcountry enthusiasts) for an annual fee. Money raised by the program will support the State’s Search and Rescue Financial Assistance Program. County Search and Rescue teams will receive reimbursement for equipment, training and rentals from the program. Such expenses are often borne by the counties. Once the USARA card is available for purchase, marketing materials will be available to counties for promoting the program. Information is available from the Office of Outdoor Recreation.

• Growth in public land use will increase need for law enforcement and possibly the frequency of search and rescue operations.
• Preventing mineral resource theft, wilderness area violations, hazardous material dumping, archaeological and paleontological theft and vandalism.
• Illegal drug cultivation, manufacture, smuggling, and use on public lands
• Preventing livestock theft.