WASHINGTON - Actor Robert Redford lent his celebrity to a coalition of environmental groups Wednesday that announced a lawsuit against the Interior Department to prevent the Bush Administration from auctioning off 110,000 acres of Utah wilderness.

“What you keep getting shocked about is how devious…and in my opinion, basically, morally criminal,” this administration has been, said Redford, who participated via satellite from California.

The actor frequents the stretch of Utah wilderness set to be sold Friday, and even participated in a National Geographic video on the national parks and monuments in Utah’s red rock country . “We’re going to be wiping out something that’s irreplaceable,” Redford said. “It’s our land, it’s not theirs.”

The Natural Resources Defense Council hopes its lawsuit, filed in Washington, will prevent the sales from being completed. “We’re going to pursue all available options to stop (the sale),” said Sharon Buccino, the council’s lawyer.

The coalition to protect the Utah lands that contains ancient rock art and other cultural resources, said it believes President Obama will overturn the Bush Administration’s decision.

Bush, who has slightly more than a month left in his presidency, upset another group of environmentalists last week when he eliminated some mandatory, independent wildlife reviews that government scientists have performed for 35 years. The findings in the mandatory reviews can delay or black dams, highways and other projects.

This week it’s the NRDC and Redford, who have been set off by the president’s 11th hour decisions. Redford said Bush made the decision that set course for the auction the day his successor, Barack Obama, won the presidency.

Preventing Bush from carrying out his after-hours agenda will be difficult, Redford said.

“Bush may be a lame duck, but he can still quack,” Redford said.