Utah completes first in a series of important land trades

For the first time in more than 12 years, there has been a trade of state of Utah trust lands for lands owned by the United States.

In an exchange completed August 30, 1997, the State of Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration traded 120 acres of trust land north of St. George for 200 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in Summit and Salt Lake Counties.

The federal government acquired the land in St. George as part of a preserve for the threatened desert tortoise. The land acquired by the Trust Lands Administration in Summit and Salt Lake Counties is near the Canyons (formerly Wolf Mountain) ski area.

This is the first of a series of trades planned under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Utah Trust Lands Administration and the United States Bureau of Land Management Under the memorandum, the Trust Land Administration and Bureau of Land Management will work together to exchange approximately 10,000 acres of trust lands located in the desert tortoise critical habitat near St. George for yet to be determined federal public lands.

"This is an important step. It demonstrates that the Bureau of Land Management and the Trust Lands Administration can agree on land values using standard appraisal practices," says Utah Bureau of Land Management State Director Bill Lamb. He adds, "We're looking forward to completing three or more exchanges with the trust for additional desert tortoise habitat over the coming year."

Trust Lands Administration Director David Terry says, "This exchange is good for everybody. The federal government is getting land it can manage to protect the desert tortoise. At the same time, the Trust Lands Administration is able to maintain the asset value of the trust. Further, this sends a clear message about trading state and federal lands: it can be done."

Terry adds, "We appreciate our colleagues at the Bureau of Land Management for their willingness to work with us to make this happen."

For more information, contact Don Banks at the Bureau of Land Management at (801) 539-4021.