While the BLM may not be happy with some of his more recent activities, it seems that the general public has a very different—and much more supportive—view of the work Phil Lyman has done as San Juan County Commissioner. At its fall convention, the Utah Association of Counties voted to name him Utah's 2015 County Commissioner of the Year.

Lyman was convicted earlier this year of misdemeanor charges related to his organization of an ATV ride through Recapture Canyon in Blanding, UT to protest the BLM's closure of the area to the public in 2014. It has been a topic of heated debate since the protest, and while the Salt Lake Tribune has labeled  Lyman a "convict," it is clear that those who know him do not see him that way, and are happy to show their support for his work.

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Photo by Leah Hogsten via The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com/news/3047293-155/convict-named-utahs-county-commissioner-of.

 

"Phil has been a great public servant," Kerry Gibson, Weber County commissioner and president of the Utah Association of Counties, said in a statement. "He's proven his love for the citizens he represents and is committed to standing for something his colleagues across the state support and believe in."

 

Lyman said his new honor from fellow county officials likely came because of more than just the Recapture Canyon protest. "I've been really involved in a lot of issues, but most of them are about public lands."

 

For example, he said he has been helping U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, work on proposals about which public lands to protect and where development may be allowed. "I headed up a citizens advisory group on that, and have been involved in the negotiations."