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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah and federal land managers are inching closer to a land exchange that would impact more than 200,000 acres of state and federally managed lands across the Beehive State.
The Bureau of Land Management on Thursday published a 500-page environmental assessment report on a plan to acquire 116,000 acres of land managed by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, commonly referred to as SITLA, while sending 92,000 acres of the bureau's land to SITLA. While most of the land involved is in Emery County, land in up to 17 other Utah counties would change hands in the deal.
Bureau officials say the Emery County Land Exchange is meant to "consolidate land ownership" for both Utah and the U.S.
It would move some areas of mineral interests, recreation lands and "valuable conservation" into a few areas that were designated for wilderness, recreation and conservation four years ago, according to the agency. It would also send "revenue-producing potential located outside of special management areas" to Utah, in exchange.
"The exchange demonstrates our continued commitment to protecting special places in Utah and supporting economic opportunities in local communities," said Greg Sheehan, the bureau's Utah state director, in a statement Thursday.
Federal land managers first announced a proposed land swap in July 2022. Sheehan explained last year that the exchange would allow for the bureau to "better protect" the parcels of land near the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area, the Green River Wild and Scenic Rivers Corridor, and the John Wesley Powell National Conservation Area, while Utah public school officials could "potentially grow revenues or consider other future options for land use," too.
The recreation area, conservation area and river corridor were all established by the bipartisan-backed John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act that President Donald Trump signed in 2019.
Most of the land SITLA would acquire — about 83,000 acres altogether — is considered "surface and mineral estate." Another 5,000 acres of "mineral, oil and gas, and coal-only estate" would also be included in the exchange, as would 4,000 acres of "surface-only" estate and 48 water rights.
SITLA, which was established in 1994, manages 3.4 million acres of trust land that is used for "energy and mineral leases, rent and royalties; real estate development and sales; and surface estate sales, leases and easements," according to the organization. Its proceeds go back into public education and other education-related beneficiaries.
The land administration would hand over 114,700 acres of surface and mineral estate, 1,100 acres of mineral-only estate and 60 water rights to the Bureau of Land Management in exchange. The value of all the parcels owned by each side is about the same, according to a notice of the exchange that the bureau posted. The document adds that the bureau could acquire additional SITLA land within wilderness areas in Washington County if there's a need to "equalize values."
A map of all the parcels can be found here.
The newly released environmental assessment report explains that some of the parcels initially considered in the exchange were dropped for various reasons, including impacts on wildlife habitats, conflicts with other agencies that have jurisdiction over the land and trespassing concerns.
It also notes that SITLA could increase mineral development, but the impact of the land swap is "anticipated to be minimal due to the low number of mineral leases and limited mineral development potential on these parcels."
The report adds that any parcels with oil and gas production or mining would add to the greenhouse gas emissions; however, it finds "no significant impacts would occur" by the exchange. It also finds no real changes to recreational access to any of the land parcels.
"The land exchange would allow for more contiguous land units to manage for desired recreation outcomes and could lead to some increase in user experience within the (special recreation management areas)," the bureau wrote. "Consolidation would also allow for more contiguous designated wilderness areas and increase opportunities for primitive recreation opportunities."
Overall, Sheehan concluded that "no significant effects would occur" from the proposed exchange, in a 47-page summary report also released on Thursday.
The bureau opened a 30-day public comment period on both reports last week. Agency officials said they are hoping for more "new technical or scientific information relevant to the proposed action" with the public comment window.
"We appreciate public input about this proposed land exchange that could help the (bureau) better protect wild landscapes within and near wilderness, recreation areas and conservation lands, while supporting Utah's interest in growing revenues that benefit the state's educational and public institutions," Sheehan said.
All comments can be submitted online to a website that the bureau set up until 8 a.m. on June 26. The agency did not provide a timeline for when the land exchange will be finalized.
