Commission supports DWR purchase to expand Cook Wildlife Management Area, asks that access and tax impacts be addressed

Daggett County commissioners voted to support a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) proposal to add a roughly 53.4-acre parcel to the Cook Wildlife Management Area, but made clear they want the state to address access and tax/valuation concerns before the transfer is finalized.

Commissioners heard from DWR staff about parcel details and outreach efforts. The presenter said the holding parcels are in green-belt classification and that the owner currently pays $4.85 a year in taxes on the parcel while the county’s total payment would be about $26.70 a year, figures commissioners cited when weighing the fiscal impact of the acquisition. The parcel discussed would join land the state previously acquired from the Cook family.

Several commissioners said the county should press the state to ensure public access and to consider the county’s stated principle of 'no net change' in public lands. One commissioner raised concern that a parcel without a guaranteed access easement could be undervalued and therefore change the property’s utility and the competitive dynamics for buyers. DWR staff said they can outline potential access routes and that the agency typically discusses financing and loan concerns with the governor’s office.

Speaker 1 argued in favor of private property owners’ freedom to sell while recognizing both "positive and negative" consequences for the county if the state acquires more land, saying, "if a private landowner wants to sell land, I I could make the argument that he should be able to sell the land to whoever he wants to sell it to as well." Speaker 6 pressed the point about access and valuation, saying the division’s unwillingness to secure access "changes the value of that property."

DWR staff described current access to the WMA as gated and open to the public for foot and horseback traffic only (no vehicle or bicycle access) and noted that the agency will develop a management plan over the coming winter. Staff also said a special-use permit was granted previously for a family gathering and that the agency can work to outline pathways for potential buyers seeking access.

The commission placed a motion on the table to support the transaction "with concerns" and instructed staff to edit the county’s letter to the governor’s office to reflect those concerns. The motion passed on vocal "Aye" responses; no roll-call tally of individual votes was recorded in the public transcript.

What’s next: the county will revise the support letter to request clearer commitments on public access and how acquisition affects county tax receipts and the county’s no-net-change expectations. DWR indicated it will continue outreach and return with more detailed management/access information.