Commissioner Mark Habbeshaw said about $1,300 was donated to the County Commission to help pay for lawsuits that have arisen from local officials' erecting county signs and removing others on Bureau of Land Management roads that spider web across the county and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which is managed by the agency.

Habbeshaw said the money came from Color Country Rural Alliance, an all-terrain-vehicle group in Kanab, and several individuals.

"One guy up north called me and said he was sending a donation after reading an article in The Tribune," said Habbeshaw. "It's strange how publicity works."

The commission did not solicit the funds, according to Habbeshaw.

"It would be awkward for the County Commission to solicit funds from people," he said. "Getting the money is kind of a sign of support for what we are doing."

The county is embroiled in several lawsuits, including one filed in October by environmental groups against the county for its roads policy and a lawsuit filed by the county against the BLM over elements of the monument's management plan.

It is not the first time the county has gone to court backed by private donations. Several years ago a conservative land-rights group collected $30,000 to help the county successfully fight an agreement between the BLM and the previous County Commission.

Habbeshaw said he spent the weekend preparing to meet with officials from the Interior Department, of which the BLM is a part, in Salt Lake City on Nov. 30 to discuss the contentious issues and, he hopes, hammer out an agreement.

"I hope we can meet with Interior and solve some of these problems and move on," said Habbeshaw. "As long as they respect our rights."

mhavnes@sltrib.com