[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 15 (Thursday, January 25, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1191-S1192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BENNETT (for himself and Mr. Hatch):
  S. 390. A bill to direct the exchange of certain land in Grand, San 
Juan, 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 reintroduce 
the Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 2007, together with my 
colleague Senator Hatch. 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 our children's education. A key component of our 
education system is the 3.5 million acres of school trust lands 
scattered throughout the State. Upon Utah's admission to the Union in 
1896, these lands were dedicated to support public education. Revenue 
from the 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 to fund 
Utah's public education. Unfortunately, the majority of these lands are 
surrounded by public lands, making responsible management very 
difficult. It is critical to both the State of Utah and the Bureau of 
Land Management 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 allow the 
Federal land management agencies to consolidate public 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, the 
caretaker of our public lands.
  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 play a role in those efforts, and the bill we are 
introducing today is yet another step in the long journey toward 
fulfilling the promise Congress made to Utah's school children in 1896.
  Utah's School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration manages 
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, and where responsible development makes 
sense. This will be an equal value exchange, with approximately 40,000 
acres exchanged on both sides, giving taxpayers and the school children 
of Utah a fair deal. Moreover, the legislation establishes a common-
sense valuation process for resources that are often either overlooked 
or overvalued because of their highly-speculative nature.
  This legislation represents a truly collaborative process that has 
included local governments, the State, the recreation and environmental 
communities, and other interested parties. We

[[Page S1192]]

also worked closely with the Department of the Interior on proper 
valuation in the appraisal of the lands. In a hearing held before the 
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on May 24, 2006, the 
Department of the Interior expressed their support for the bill and 
said that this land exchange will resolve management issues, improve 
public access, and facilitate greater resource protection. We look 
forward to working with the appropriate committees toward a successful 
resolution of this proposed exchange during this Congress.
  I ask my colleagues to support our effort to fund the education of 
our children in Utah and to protect some of this nation's truly great 
land. I urge support of the Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act of 
2007.
                                 ______