Utah Recreational Land Exchange
The Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 2009 (URLEA), Public Law 111-53, provides for the exchange of land in Uintah, Grand and San Juan Counties between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the State of Utah, School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA). The purpose of the legislated land exchange is to consolidate land ownership for both the United States and the State. The United States would acquire valuable conservation and recreation lands, including lands within and contiguous to wilderness study areas, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, and lands and mineral interests near the Utah’s Colorado River corridor, the Book Cliffs, and Dinosaur National Monument. The State would acquire lands and mineral interests with higher development potential for the benefit of the public schools in the State of Utah.
The URLEA directs the transfer of approximately 36,000 acres of Federal lands and interests in land in exchange for approximately 46,000 acres of State (or non-Federal) lands or interests in land. The affected lands and interests are described in the Notice of Exchange and are depicted on the Uintah and Grand County maps that accompanied the legislation.
Further information on this legislatively-directed land exchange may be obtained by contacting the BLM Utah State Office. Information on specific exchange parcels may be obtained by contacting the appropriate BLM Field Office or the SITLA:
BLM Utah State Office
440 South 200 West, Salt Lake City, Utah
Joy Wehking, 801-539-4114, jwehking@blm.gov
Uintah County Federal Parcels
Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, Utah
Kelly Buckner, 435-781-4445, kbuckner@blm.gov
Grand and San Juan Federal Parcels
Moab Field Office, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, Utah
Katie Stevens, 435-259-2172, kstevens@blm.gov
State/Non-Federal Parcels
SITLA, 675 East 500 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
John Andrews, 801-538-5180, jandrews@utah.gov
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