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As the U.S. Supreme Court considers a lawsuit brought by Utah officials, asking the court to transfer more than 18 million acres of federal lands to state ownership, public-lands advocates are sounding the alarm.

Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy with the National Wildlife Federation, said because states have a history of selling off public lands, if the high court sides with Utah, public lands in all 50 states could be sold to the highest bidder. If billionaires and hedge funds decide to close off the public's access for hiking, mountain biking, hunting and fishing, Colorado's $17 billion outdoor recreation economy would take a big hit.

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"So for big public land states like Colorado, our whole recreation economy could really be under threat. We don't know what this would mean for things like ski resorts that have leases on U.S. Forrest Service lands, for instance," he said.

The lawsuit said the federal government is depriving Utah of the opportunity to monetize lands inside its borders for oil and gas drilling, livestock grazing and other uses. Politicians in Utah have tried for decades to take control of

BLM lands, claiming the state could do a better job of managing lands currently owned by all Americans.

Kindle admitted that federal management hasn't been perfect, but he says that's because Congress has steadily cut funding for agencies charged with managing public lands, even as the stress and strain and use has increased, and said officials then criticize the agency's performance, and cut even more.

"We would all like to see the most optimal management of public lands. And I think that's really where we ought to focus our efforts, and really giving them the resources they need," he added.

Thirteen states have filed a brief in support of Utah's call for state takeover of federal lands, which could include national parks and national forests. Kindle believes public lands must be kept in public hands so that future generations can enjoy the many benefits that they provide.

"They support many businesses, they support wildlife. Our national forests support drinking water for 60 million people across the country. These are really critical pieces of our lives," he explained.