Last week, Utah filed a lawsuit against the federal government in an effort to reclaim land state leaders say should be theirs. The “landmark” lawsuit challenges federal control over the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands and specifically asks the U.S. Supreme Court “to address whether the federal government can simply hold unappropriated lands within a State indefinitely,” according to a news release.

The “unappropriated” land targeted is approximately 18.5 million acres in Utah, managed by BLM under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The lawsuit does not include national parks, national monuments, wilderness areas, national forests, Tribal lands, or military properties.

“It is not a secret that we live in the most beautiful state in the nation,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “But, when the federal government controls two-thirds of Utah, we are extremely limited in what we can do to actively manage and protect our natural resources.”

According to The Federalist, this has been a long-time coming as the lawsuit attempts to correct what’s considered “a decades-long tension between western states and the federal government.” With over 60% of the state’s land unable to be used for timber, oil and gas, grazing or other opportunities, the state is trying to take back what they believe is theirs to govern and regulate.

“The fact that the federal government controls nearly 70% of Utah land seriously limits our state sovereignty, or our ability to self-govern, especially compared to eastern states where federal control may be only 1% to 3%,” said Attorney General Sean D. Reyes. “This hurts Utah on many levels, depriving us of significant rights and resources.”

For more information on the pending lawsuit, click here.