By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News
On Saturday, Feb. 22, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Sen. John Curtis and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox gathered in Salt Lake City to complete a historic land exchange of 205,432 acres of land in Eastern Utah. The state exchanged approximately 116,042 acres of non-Federal lands for approximately 89,390 acres of Federal lands.
Through the congressionally mandated exchange, the State of Utah will gain 47 water rights; approximately 83,000 acres with subsurface mineral estate; approximately 4,000 surface-only acres; and approximately 5,000 acres of subsurface mineral, oil and gas, and coal-only estate.
“This mutually beneficial land exchange benefits Utah and the entire country by advancing American energy production, supporting local jobs and economies, and improving the recreation experience on Utah’s iconic landscapes,” said Acting BLM Director Jon Raby. “Not only will the BLM’s management of world-class recreation opportunities be improved, but this action will help the State of Utah play a critical role in President Trump’s initiative to unleash American energy resources.”
According to David Holt, the president of the Consumer Energy Alliance, this initiative aims to,” get energy costs under control, lower gasoline prices and lower electricity prices to get American families and businesses back on track where we have more money in our pocketbook.”
These exchange areas were created as a part of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. This act was signed into law by President Donald Trump, and according to the BLM website,” consists of more than 100 individual bills that were introduced by 50 Senators and several House members, including Utah’s Emery County Public Lands Management Act.
This act authorizes land exchanges with and conveyances to local governments and private landowners.
Within the Castle Country Area, the BLM acquires 109,276.38 acres of surface and subsurface, 523.45 acres of subsurface, 40 acres of surface and oil and gas and other minerals, 80.17 acres oil and gas including sand and gravel, 237.68 acres of oil and gas and other minerals and 80.19 acres sand and gravel.
However, the Castle Country also gains a significant amount of land in the exchange, with 19,836.69 acres of surface and minerals, and 120 acres of coal returning to the county. Carbon County also gains land, 360.01 acres of surface and minerals. These acres become nonfederal land and fall under the purview of the Utah Trust Lands Administration.
More information, including a final map of exchanged lands, is available at the BLM National NEPA Register.