The Utah Environmental Congress (UEC) was founded in 1998 to protect and restore Utah's national forests, and existed for nearly 15 years before merging with the national organization WildEarth Guardians. The organization became known for its persistent advocacy to protect Utah's forests and advocate for wildlands, which it considered "islands of refuge in Utah's desert country". Its campaigns targeted threats such as logging of native forests, new road construction, mining and oil drilling on public lands, and excessive grazing on national forests

The UEC was particularly recognized for its Forest Monitoring Program, through which it reviewed and challenged U.S. Forest Service projects across Utah. It achieved victories through legal appeals and litigation.

Key accomplishments:

Prevented SUFCO mine expansion (2012): The UEC filed an appeal that blocked a proposed expansion of Utah's largest coal mine. This kept millions of tons of coal from being extracted from the Fishlake and Manti-La Sal National Forests.

Established legal precedents: Through lawsuits and administrative appeals, the UEC secured important legal wins that prevented potentially damaging Forest Service projects.

Initiated wolf restoration campaign: The organization campaigned for the reintroduction of an ecologically significant wolf population in Utah, where the species had been eliminated by the 1930s.

In November 2013, the UEC merged with WildEarth Guardians, a larger national conservation group. This allowed UEC's staff and programs to continue their work with the added resources of the larger organization.

Source: Wild Earth Guardians Press Release November 18, 2013