[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23478]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    INTRODUCTION OF THE UTAH RECREATIONAL LANDS EXCHANGE ACT OF 2004

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM MATHESON

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2004

  Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of legislation 
that my colleague Chris Cannon and I are introducing in the House 
today. I am pleased that so many stakeholders have come together to 
create this legislation, which will preserve thousands of acres of land 
along the Colorado River corridor and help to fund Utah's schools.
  Since statehood, Utahns has been blessed with millions of acres of 
lands that are held in trust to generate funding for our schools. These 
lands are scattered throughout the state in a checkerboard pattern, 
making it hard for Utah and the federal agencies with adjacent property 
to manage our public lands. The legislation we are introducing today 
would consolidate some of these lands, with the goals of improving the 
state's ability to maximize the funding it earns for schools, 
preserving land along the Colorado River corridor for recreational use, 
and easing the Department of Interior's ability to manage federal land 
in Utah.
  The land exchange that is being proposed today has the potential to 
be a win-win solution for the State of Utah and the United States. This 
legislation seeks to create an equal value exchange where both American 
taxpayers and the school children of Utah get a fair deal. Important to 
achieving this goal, the legislation establishes a valuation process 
that is transparent for the public to view.
  This legislation represents a truly collaborative process with all of 
the stakeholders represented. It is supported by local government, the 
State of Utah, the recreation community, and the environmental 
community and has been worked on closely with the Department of 
Interior. The State has been working over the past year to address the 
concerns of all of the stakeholders and will continue to work until the 
legislation is perfected.
  The introduction of this legislation marks Congressman Cannon's and 
my commitment to working with the local stakeholders, appropriate 
congressional committees, and the Department of Interior to craft a 
legislative product with a broad range of support. I urge the Secretary 
of Interior and her staff to dedicate the resources and time necessary 
to move this process forward in the coming months.

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