Phil Lyman finds irony in being face of ATV activism

SALT LAKE CITY — San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman hired a new attorney to represent him in his Recapture Canyon ATV ride case and received a 60-day delay for sentencing in the federal matter. In the interim, the Utah Attorney General's Office is reviewing the Recapture Canyon pipeline road to determine why it is not part of the state's pending lawsuit against the federal government involving right-of-way claims on 12,000 roads and if it should be. Public Lands Section Chief Tony Rampton said based on the information compiled, it may be that the state could add that road to the San Juan County list of roads claimed in a pending lawsuit, or initiate a separate action to assert ownership. The decision could have ramifications for the long-term outcome of Lyman's criminal trespass and conspiracy case before U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby and an anticipated appeal to the 10th Circuit in Denver. Sentencing before Shelby is set for Sept. 15, but Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, is hopeful the state will initiate legal intervention before then. "We hope to file a lawsuit and bring in new evidence," Noel said during a caucus early Wednesday...more