Bush OKs Utah land transfer

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration on Wednesday strongly endorsed giving Beaver County clear title — at no cost — to lands in the recently closed Minersville State Park, so the county could assume control and operate it.

"Normally, we would require payment of fair market value," Bob Anderson, deputy assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, told the Senate Energy Committee. "However, we recognize the unique circumstances here."

In 2002, Utah decided to close the 200-acre state park around a lake because of budget shortfalls. Beaver County sought to assume control — but wanted clear title so that, if necessary, it could sell off parcels for cabins and lodges to finance park operations.

However, that would violate terms of a 1964 agreement that transferred what had been federal land to the state for use as a park. It required that ownership of the land revert to the federal government if its use as a park ceased.

"The local BLM staff told us that the existing facilities would be removed from the property and that the property would be reclaimed back to its native condition unless another government entity took over," Beaver County Commissioner Mark Whitney told the committee.

He said Beaver County is the only government interested in that.

So Anderson said the administration strongly supports a bill by Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, R-Utah, to give title to the land to Beaver County to let it take over and run the park.

He said the administration views it "as a creative solution to a difficult problem."

He even recommended going a step further than Bennett and Hatch had proposed. They wrote the bill so that if Beaver County ever ceases to use the area as a park, the ownership would again revert to the federal government. But Anderson recommended simply giving Beaver County the land outright with no catches.

He said that would "avert a situation where the BLM would be responsible for managing a small local park, or abandoning its use as a park, either of which we are ill-prepared to do."

Whitney testified, "The park is very important to the residents of Beaver County. We do not want to see the park demolished."

But, he added, "Beaver County with its limited resources and small tax base does not have the funds to subsidize the park indefinitely," and it would like the ability to raise revenue by possibly developing "lots in harmony with the surrounding environment, which could be sold for vacation homes, a lodge, rental vacation cabins, etc."

Hatch testified demolishing the park would be a waste of $1 million in park facilities constructed by the state.

"If Beaver County acquires the property, it will continue to make this park an excellent recreational refuge, a superb fishery, and a great place to visit," Hatch said.