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Office reports on Recreation and Public Purposes applications; 11 still pending since 2014
Summary
The Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office presented a map and statistics on Recreation and Public Purposes Act applications in Utah since 2014: roughly 38 applications in 14 counties, more than 67,000 acres transferred historically; 10 patents, 10 leases, 2 to nonprofits, 11 pending, 4 withdrawn and 1 denial since 2014.
The Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office presented a historical review of lands transferred under the Recreation and Public Purposes (RPP) Act and an interactive story map that staff said can be used to drill down by county and application status.
Nicole Nelson told commissioners the office examined RPP activity from 2014 to the present and noted that, since the statute’s inception, more than 67,000 acres have been conveyed in Utah. From 2014 onward staff identified 38 applications across 14 counties: 10 ultimately patented, 10 leased to state or local governments, 2 transferred to nonprofits, 11 still pending, 4 withdrawn by applicants and 1 application denied for watershed protection reasons.
Commissioners asked whether a spreadsheet of underlying application records could be shared; staff said they would provide the spreadsheet showing applicants, acreage and status. Commissioners also asked how the state prioritizes applications if acreage thresholds are reached and whether the state maintains a ranking process; staff said decisions are processed by the Bureau of Land Management field office that handles each application and that the story‑map exercise highlighted where the state or counties might help push applications to completion.
Staff said they would provide the spreadsheet and investigate whether a statewide prioritization or ranking practice should be considered.
