Moab’s Slickrock Trail spared from energy leasing as BLM withdraws plans

Under pressure from elected Utah officials, the Bureau of Land Management on Friday withdrew proposed leases near Moab that could have exposed the famed Slickrock Trail to oil and gas development.Last month, the BLM issued a list of a parcels it intended to sell leases for at its June auction, including two on the Sand Flats Recreation Area that Grand County manages in partnership with the federal agency. The move prompted unanimous opposition from the Grand County and Moab councils, both of the