[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 72 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S6030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BENNETT (for himself and Mr. Hatch):
  S. 1135. A bill to authorize the exchange of certain land in Grand 
and Uintah Counties, Utah, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I am pleased to be able to re-introduce 
the Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 2005, together with my 
colleague Senator Hatch. Legislation was introduced in the previous 
Congress to lay the groundwork for our efforts in the 109th Congress.
  This legislation will ensure the protection of critical lands along 
the Colorado River corridor in southeastern Utah and will help provide 
important funding for Utah's school children. In Utah we treasure the 
education of our children. A key component of our education system is 
the 3.5 million acres of school trust lands scattered throughout the 
State. These lands are dedicated to the support of public education. 
Revenue from Utah school trust lands, whether from grazing, forestry, 
surface leasing or mineral development, is placed in the State School 
Fund. This fund is a permanent income producing endowment created by 
Congress upon statehood to fund public education. Unfortunately, the 
majority of these lands are trapped within federal ownership patterns 
that make it impossible for responsible development. It is critical to 
both the State of Utah and the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, that we 
consolidate their respective lands to ensure that both public agencies 
are permitted to fulfill their mandates.
  The legislation we are introducing today is yet another chapter in 
our State's long history of consolidating these State lands for the 
financial well being of our education system. These efforts serve a 
dual purpose as they help the Federal land management agencies to 
consolidate Federal lands in environmentally sensitive areas that can 
then be reasonably managed. We see this exchange as a win-win solution 
for the State of Utah and its school children, as well as the 
Department of the Interior as the caretaker of our public lands.
  Beginning in 1998 Congress passed the first major Utah school trust 
land exchange which consolidated hundreds of thousands of acres. Again 
in 2000, Congress enacted an exchange consolidating another 100,000 
acres. I was proud to playa role in those efforts, and the bill we are 
introducing today is yet another step in the longjoumey toward giving 
the school children the deal they were promised in 1896 when Utah was 
admitted to the Union.
  The School Trust of Utah currently owns some of the most spectacular 
lands in America, located along the Colorado River in southeastern 
Utah. This legislation will ensure that places like Westwater Canyon of 
the Colorado River, the world famous Kokopelli and Slickrock biking 
trails, some of the largest natural rock arches in the United States, 
wilderness study areas, and viewsheds for Arches National Park will be 
traded into Federal ownership and for the benefit of future 
generations. At the same time, the school children of Utah will receive 
mineral and development lands that are not environmentally sensitive, 
in locations where responsible development makes sense. This will be an 
equal value exchange, with approximately 40,000 acres exchanged on 
either side, with both taxpayers and the school children of Utah 
receiving a fair deal. Moreover, the legislation establishes a 
valuation process that is transparent to the public, yet will ensure 
the exchange process occurs in a timely manner.
  This legislation represents a truly collaborative process. We have 
convened all of the players to give us input into this legislation: 
local government, the State, the recreation community, the 
environmental community and other interested parties. At the same time 
we are working closely with the Department of Interior. We introduced 
this bill in the 108th Congress in order to initiate some discussion of 
moving forward with this exchange proposal. Since that time, some 
changes have been made in an effort to improve this legislation. We 
remain receptive to additional changes that might make further 
improvements. The State has been working with all of these groups over 
the past year at a grass-roots level to address concerns. We look 
forward to working with the appropriate committees and the Department 
of Interior toward a successful resolution of this proposed exchange.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support our efforts to fund the 
education of our children in Utah and to protect some of this Nation's 
truly great lands. I urge support of the Utah Recreational Land 
Exchange Act of 2005.
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