Over 64% of lands within Utah are managed by the Federal government. Another 10% of lands within Utah are managed by State government. PLPCO was stablished by Public Lands Policy Coordination, S.B. 239 (2005) (UCA 63J-4-601) to coordinate the state's interests on public lands issues and acts to ensure that state and local interests are considered in the management of public lands. The Office is charged to provide a single voice representing the interest of Utah in discussions with federal land management agencies and preserve access to public lands. PLPCO's other main responsibility is, in cooperation with the Division of State History, to ensure that surveys and excavations of the state's archaeological and anthropological resources are undertaken in a coordinated, professional, and organized manner, through administration of the state archaeological survey and excavation permitting system. See statutory powers and duties for more details. The new office also assumed administration and funding for the Public Roads (RS-2477) program.

As a separate state agency, it is not part of any department. Its director, the public lands policy coordinator, answers directly to the state planning coordinator and the Governor. The office is staffed by a small group of policy analysts who are supported by several assistant attorneys general.

PLPCO actively responds to proposals under the ESA to list or delist species. It coordinatesthe State's response with other affected state agencies and submit unified comments. Since 2012 PCPCO has participated in preparing Utah's Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-Grouse. The Office also reviewed the BLM's Utah Greater Sage-Grouse Draft Land Use Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement that was available for public comment from November 1, 2013 to January 29, 2014.

HB 142 (2014) calls for a study to inventory public lands within Utah and to analyze the opportunities and challenges that a federal public lands transfer would bring for agencies within the state should such a transfer occur. The study is being conducted under contract by the University of Utah BEBR, Weber State University, and Utah State University.