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Utah's public lands policies are antithetical to the outdoor recreation that has undergirded the state's tourism boom, according to an ad campaign titled "U-turn Utah," unveiled Monday by the Center for Western Priorities and its Utah-based allies.

The Colorado-based conservation group is placing billboard messages in Salt Lake City and major metro areas in three neighboring states with the hope of keeping Utah's political leaders from exporting their land-transfer agenda, arguing that putting public land in state hands will disrupt outdoor opportunities and undermine public interest.

"The outdoor industry depends on public lands to thrive," said Ashley Korenblat, owner of Moab-based tour outfitter Western Spirit Cycling, at a media event Monday at the Capitol. "Instead of going down a dangerous road that could close access to mountain biking and other activities, Utah leaders should do everything possible to keep our public lands open and functioning."

The Center for Western Priorities is also placing print ads in four magazines catering to outdoor sports enthusiasts. The ads' imagery depicts a person running, mountain biking and climbing in southeastern Utah. These ads carry a mixed message that celebrates Utah as a world-class place for these sports and encourages participants to spend their recreation dollars elsewhere.

Under pressure from Utah's top political leaders, the state has set aside $4 million to initiate a lawsuit aimed at accomplishing the goal of the 2012 Utah Public Land Transfer Act, which calls for the federal government to cede control of 31 million acres of public lands. The state also is encouraging other Western states to join the cause, but none has enacted a land-transfer statute and Utah remains the sole member of an interstate compact it established to promote land transfer regionally.

Gov. Gary Herbert said state control of public lands is in the public's best interest, and he rejected the idea that transfer is an attack on public lands.

"This is just the latest example of another out-of-state interest group telling Utahns that we shouldn't be allowed to manage our own public lands," said spokesman Jon Cox. "Gov. Herbert believes that Utahns are better positioned to understand Utah's unique resources, geography and population needs than bureaucrats living thousands of miles away in Washington, D.C."

Cox stressed that Utah will always be a public-lands state, recalling the state's actions during the government shutdown of 2013.

"Gov. Herbert and other state leaders stepped up and reopened the national parks with Utah taxpayer dollars so we all could continue to enjoy the pristine beauty of our public lands," he said.

Yet a leading supporter of the "U-turn" campaign is one of Herbert's former advisers, Brad Petersen, who led the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation from its August 2013 inception until December.

"Someone has to organize against all the rhetoric coming from the Legislature," he said. "There is a lot of misinformation. I'm trying to stick the facts."

In his speech on the Capitol steps, Petersen emphasized an economic analysis commissioned by the state in 2014 that determined managing the 31 million acres would pose a huge financial burden on Utah. The state would have to open lands to rampant extraction to cover these costs, or go into debt.

Under state control, conservation would take a backseat to revenue generation and Utah would destroy its brand as an outdoor mecca, land-transfer critics say, exacting a dire economic toll.

"Utah is the HQ for more outdoor-related businesses per capita than any other state," Petersen said. "We employ tens of thousands of people in outdoor-related manufacturing, retail, hospitality and tourism businesses. Every year, our recreation assets, way of life, business climate and educated workforce attract more businesses to relocate here, like Osprey backpacks, Armada skis, Amer Sports and Vista Outdoors. They bring jobs, awareness and tax revenue."

According to the governor's "outdoor recreation vision," released in 2013, outdoor activities and related industries contribute $5.8 billion to the state economy and employ more than 65,000 people. The 60-page document stresses the need to resolve longstanding public-land-use controversies, yet it is completely silent on land transfer — which many believe would intensify and prolong these controversies.

On Monday, the first billboard went up on Interstate 15 near 900 South. The message, "Seizing Public Lands Will Hurt Utah's Recreation Economy," is directed at southbound traffic and framed by a view of Wasatch Mountains, a swath of public lands cherished as one of the nation's busiest destinations for skiing, hiking, climbing and biking.

"As people are making their summer travel plans, we want to raise awareness of what would happen if Utah politicians succeed in taking over public lands, what would happen to your favorite trail or fishing hole," said Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities. "Access to those places could be cut off." Rokala's group draws funding from the Resources Legacy Fund, based in California.

The other billboards are going up in Phoenix, Denver and Reno, but with a different message: "Get outside in a state that respects our outdoors." Both billboard images show a mountain biker enjoying a vista of Utah mountains or desert canyon.

Twitter: @brianmaffly