|
Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 2005
The Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 2005 (HR 2069) was introduced in Congress on May 4th by Rep. Chris Cannon ( R ) and co-sponsored by Rep. Jim Matheson ( D ) and Rep. Rob Bishop ( R ). The Senate bill (S.1135) was introduced by Senator Bob Bennett (R) and co-sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch.
The Grand Canyon Trust helped design this 88,000 acre legislative land exchange for Utah State Trust Lands (SITLA) and Bureau of Land Management in Grand and Uintah counties. The land trade will protect sensitive watersheds, critical wildlife habitat, important recreational lands and Wilderness Study Areas while conveying to SITLA valuable oil and gas development properties to provide for their beneficiaries in Utah schools and universities. This land exchange has a very broad coalition of support, from the Utah Wilderness Coalition to rural Republican county commissioners.
The Senate bill will be going through the Senate Energy and Resources Committee. The House bill will be going through the House Resource Committee.
For more information contact Laura Kamala, Director of Utah Programs, at kamala2@earthlink.net.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , I support the Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 2005 because it's important to the future quality of life in Utah. With growth and development proceeding at a record pace, we must act now if we are to protect these important lands for our children and grandchildren. Lands crucial to our future clean water supply are pressured by development, existing recreational lands are being overrun by too many users, and wildlife habitat is rapidly disappearing. Concern over these lands has brought together a wide range of people and organizations ranging from governmental entities to business coalitions to conservation organizations. It's not often that such divergent groups find common ground on such a sensitive issue and that fact displays the importance of this legislation to the citizens of Utah and those who visit. I urge you to support the bipartisan legislation as it makes its way through Congress.
Sincerely, |
Campaign Launched: |
| Background Information |
- On May 4, 2005 the Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 2005 (HR 2069) was introduced in Congress by Rep. Chris Cannon, co-sponsored by Rep. Jim Matheson and Rep. Rob Bishop. The Senate version of the bill (S.1135), was introduced by Senator Bob Bennett and co-sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch on May 26.
- This 88,000 acre land exchange in Grand and Uintah counties will convey to the BLM valuable recreational lands, critical watersheds and wildlife habitat, and lands in Wilderness Study Areas. A large tract of open space near the Colorado River, important to the Moab tourism economy, will be protected from being fragmented by development.
- In exchange, Utah’s School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) will receive federal oil and gas development property that will generate revenues for their beneficiaries, the school children of Utah.
- The exchange was designed by SITLA after consultation with the BLM, local county governments and conservation organizations. The legislation enjoys a broad coalition of support including: the unanimous endorsement of Grand County Council and the Uintah County Commission; the Utah Legislature; the Governor’s Task Force on Outdoor Recreation; tourist dependant businesses in southeast Utah; the Town of Castle Valley; The Grand Canyon Trust; the Outdoor Industry Association; The Nature Conservancy and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
- Because valuation has been controversial in the past, the legislation provides for third party appraisals of all parcels and for the lands to be exchanged at equal value.
- Approximately 48,000 acres of SITLA scenic lands being conveyed to the BLM include lands within the Westwater Canyon WSA, parts of the Kokopelli and Slickrock bike trails, Morning Glory and Corona Arches, lands adjacent to Dinosaur National Monument, lands in Nine Mile Canyon and at the Sand Wash boat ramp on the Green River.
- SITLA will acquire approximately 40,000 acres of land in the Uintah Basin, inholdings in the large block of State land in the Book Cliffs, lands near Green River and a parcel near Canyonlands Airport.
- On the SITLA side, the exchange will maintain valid existing rights including grazing permits, county roads, state mineral lease revenue sharing and PILT funds.