Public land swaps are common in this country and hundreds of acres of land might be exchanged in any given year. As part of our mission to preserve Utah’s public lands for all to enjoy and use, we at Utah Public Lands Alliance keep an eye on ongoing land swaps that might restrict our use of these public lands.

The Land Exchange Program

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducts land swaps with other landowners in order to acquire important or threatened lands while disposing of lands that have become difficult or impossible to manage. This allows BLM to trade off parcels of private or public land, to smooth out ownership of land in the country and to improve access to public land. The agency is authorized to conduct land exchanges under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976. Furthermore, Congress sometimes enacts legislation that governs or authorizes specific land swaps.

FLPMA outlines how land exchanges are to happen. Some of the stipulations include:

• Land exchanges must be in the public interest.
• The nonfederal and federal lands to be swapped must be in the same state.
• The value of the lands swapped are to be equal – sometimes payments may be made under strict and specific terms to equalize the value.

Some land exchanges involve single parcels of land while others have involved the consolidation of multiple parcels involving one or more swaps over time.

Does the Public Really Benefit?

Lands that are acquired by BLM through exchange become public lands and are managed under existing authorities.

While land swaps can offer local communities better access to public land or help in preserving areas of historic, natural or recreational significance, these exchanges are not always benign. There have been instances where land swaps have benefitted private interests such as mining conglomerates, timber companies and developers who then traded used-up tracts for pristine swathes of land. This compounded by under-appraisal of public lands and overvaluing of private lands means that the swaps sometimes yield dubious benefits to the public.

Additionally, the complexity and obscurity of land swaps mean that the public often remains in the dark, hence largely unaware about the entire process.

Support Our Work To Preserve Utah’s Lands

Given the importance of our public lands, the UPLA works to expand public knowledge of the land swap program and encourages citizens to become more involved in his crucial issue. Through our projects, we strive to make a difference in Utah land use and we won’t hesitate to speak out when our public lands are threatened.

You too can get involved with UPLA through one of our membership options, subscribing to our newsletter or sharing our mission and work with others. We also hold or assist in events to encourage people to enjoy this beautiful land we have.

It would be tragic if the public lost some of the most valuable lands we have left. That’s why we encourage all Utahns and Americans to join us in our cause to preserve and keep Utah’s public lands for public use.

Over 70% of Utah land is public and our mission here at Utah Public Lands Alliance is to preserve these lands for public use. Utah’s public land is put to a variety of uses including solar and wind farms, gas wells, grazing, wildlife habitats, and recreation. Each year, hundreds of tourists and visitors come from all over to take part in different recreation activities on our public lands – including ohv travel, overlanding, hiking, cycling, canyoneering, equestrian, fishing, and boating.

In order to carry out our mission and help make a difference in Utah land use, we rely on assistance from a team of volunteers. It would have been impossible to accomplish all our various projects without the support and commitment of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers over the years. Additionally, without volunteers, the UPLA would not have achieved the level of influence and presence we’ve had both locally and nationally.

We welcome new volunteers all the time and we greatly value the ideas, expertise, time and commitment you bring.

Some Of The Ways Utah Volunteers Help Us

Volunteering with the UPLA is an opportunity to develop new skills, learn more about Utah’s public lands and their use as well as make new friends.

By volunteering with us, you’ll be helping us reach more people to raise awareness of the importance of our precious public lands and ensuring they remain in public hands for years to come.  There is something for everybody whether you want to spend time helping organize some of our events or helping out with one of our projects.

Some of the tasks our volunteers have helped with include:

• Creating approved new trails or maintaining existing trails, including adding signs.
• Keeping an ear out for news that affects our public lands and bringing it to our attention.
• Helping at events. During events such as the Winter 4×4 Jamboree, our volunteers help with search and rescue, registration, recovery, clean up and even act as trail leaders.
• Lobbying – Keeping everyone updated on legislation that might restrict our use of public lands and chatting to government or local authority officials and representatives to lobby support for our mission and campaigns.

Other Ways To Get Involved With UPLA

Other than subscribing to our newsletter, spreading word about what we do on social media and volunteering, you can also help the UPLA by donating.

We have several membership subscriptions available, each with different donation amounts so you can choose the one you’re most comfortable with. For instance, a small donation of $10 per year would get you an individual UPLA membership with access to GPS tracks and reports to help you enjoy the best trails in Utah.

A donation of $50 or $100 annually will get you Organizational or Corporate Membership, respectively, while a donation of $500 will give you Lifetime UPLA Membership.

Every little donation or time spent volunteering counts and is appreciated. We welcome you to volunteer or donate and help us carry on with our work.