Parcel near Little Hole to go to highest bidder

The future of a highly sought-after land parcel near Flaming Gorge on the Green River is now in the hands of the highest bidder.

The 365-acre parcel near Little Hole, east of Flaming Gorge Reservoir, had been considered for three potential options for lease, sale or exchange but will now be offered at public auction, the state's School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) said Friday.

One proposed lease option submitted by Flint Timber, a Georgia-based developer, included plans to build a fishing lodge, 10 cabins and a restaurant on the site. Plans for the lodge drew strong protests from anglers and environmentalists who do not want the area developed.

The other two options were a land sale or exchange proposal from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for preservation of the parcel as wildlife habitat, and a sale option from a private individual who wanted to use the land for agricultural purposes.

SITLA officials said Friday that all three options were rejected because they believe the land will bring in more money at auction.

"When we looked at the economics of the offers, auction was the best option for the schoolchildren," said Kevin Carter, director of SITLA. "It was clearly the best decision for them."

In its record of decision, SITLA estimated that the land is conservatively valued between $915,000 and $1.19 million. Carter said he has received several offers — in addition to the original three — that exceeded the land's appraised value.

"I'm confident if we go to auction, we will get better than appraised value," he said.

Carter said because SITLA will be selling the land at auction, it will no longer have to worry about road access to the property through DWR land. The DWR in July told SITLA that it would not allow a road to pass through DWR land to the proposed lodge site.

"Whether or not there is access to the property does not affect our ability to sell," Carter said.

DWR director Jim Karpowitz could not be reached for comment Friday.

For fishermen who have objected to any development on the land, SITLA's announcement was disappointing.

"The land could have been put in better hands rather than up for auction," said Steve Schmidt, a member of the Blue Ribbon Fisheries Coalition and operator of Western Rivers Flyfishers in Salt Lake City. "Given the value of that resource to this state, it's really a travesty."

Daggett County officials hope to see the land used for commercial purposes. County commissioner Craig Collett has said the county desperately needs the tax revenue the lodge would create.

Representatives from Flint Timber did not return telephone calls seeking comment Friday. Dudley Campbell, co-owner of Spinnerfall Guide Service, Flint Timber's local business partner for the lodge plan, was out of town and could not be reached for comment.

No date has yet been set for the auction, and SITLA officials said the auction could not be held for at least 90 days, until necessary paperwork is completed.

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