# Who's selling off the National Forest??!!



## Wb1247 (May 29, 2011)

How is it possible to buy public land. I thought the National forest was protected..from development. The Manti mountains is being sold to whoever can afford to buy it.. This is total BS. Does anyone know how this is being done? Is it legal?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

How about a link to what is being sold? Also are you sure what is being sold or developed isn't private?


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

There is a lot to play. Lots of our public lands (BLM and Forest Service) are checkerboarded or bordered by state trust lands. Many times, these state trust lands have no markation at all, and we just figure they are BLM. But they are owned by the State of Utah. And they can be sold. Proceeds from sale of state trust lands goes into the State Schools trust fund as an endowment. Any interest or income generated from these lands, or sale of these lands, is distributed to public schools and colleges throughout the state. 

BLM lands can be sold, but it is a pain in the rear to do it any more. Usually if BLM gets rid of land, they will only do a land exchange. And then, there have to be some pretty good reasons for the land they get rid of, and for the land they are taking. BLM land exchanges are becoming harder and harder to do, and will really only happen with trading partners like State governments, local governments, or in some occasions, conservation organizations. And only lands that have been previously identified in the Resource Management Plan can be traded or sold. And that isn't very many.

Forest Service lands are even harder to sell or trade than BLM lands. Most National Forests were established by an act of Congress, so any changes in land ownership takes some kind of Congressional action. In few instances, National Forest Lands can be exchanged, but the only times I've seen it happen are for making boundary adjustments for resource or management reasons. (such as moving the boundary to a road or river or something, instead of a random line or something. And I've never seen the Forest Service sell off a parcel of land that becomes an "island" or private land, surrounded by National Forest land.


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## Wb1247 (May 29, 2011)

Well I'm not sure how the land is being converted to private use. I even asked some of the locals in Huntington area who aren't sure how it's being done but they are aware that it's happening. I hunted here about ten yrs ago, and the land above electic lake was open to hunting. Now it's all posted and next to impossible to hunt without trespassing. I waited 10 years to draw the LE bull elk hunt and now find the area difficult to access. I had one of the rangers give me a map to show the open areas to hunting.


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## Wb1247 (May 29, 2011)

By the way, Garyfish thanks for the post it was most informative. I had know idea someof that was even possible.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I know that years ago a lot of the property around Electric Lake was private it is just that the owners didn't care if you hunted on it or not. Also you have a lot of old mine claims up there that you would have to work around if they ever decided to reopen them.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm pretty sure Critter is correct. There was/is a ton of private land around Electric Lake. And for years, it hasn't been fenced or marked off. In today's world, more and more of these places are getting fenced and marked by the property owners. So probably not a change in ownership. Just a change in management by the land owners.


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