Matheson Land Swap Bill Approved in Committee

Washington D.C.—Congressman Jim Matheson’s bipartisan bill proposing a land exchange between the Utah school trust land administration (SITLA) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) won approval in the House Natural Resources Committee today.

The Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 2007 (HR 1210) authorizes the exchange of more than 40,000 acres of school trust lands for roughly the same number of acres of BLM land.  The parcels of state trust lands are scattered—in checkerboard fashion—amid the federal land, complicating each agency’s management objectives.

“This bill is the result of consensus among a broad, diverse group of stakeholders—public and private, urban and rural, industry, conservation, sportsmen and education,” said Matheson. “The result is a proposal that is fair to the taxpayer, beneficial to Utah school children, mindful of hunting and other public access opportunities and a better configuration for land managers to protect habitat, watershed and recreational values.”

Matheson said concerns from sportsmen regarding ongoing access to the exchanged lands have been addressed in a separate agreement between SITLA and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

“I am pleased with our progress, culminating in today’s Committee action and I look forward to the bill’s final passage in the House,” said Matheson.

Sen. Bob Bennett has introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

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