Utah, U.S. agree on trust-lands uses

Hunting, trapping and fishing will continue on 3.2 million acres of Utah trust lands following a new agreement between the Trust Lands Administration and the Department of Natural Resources.

The 10-year deal begins Sept. 1, 2007, and requires the Trust Lands Administration to not join in any cooperative wildlife management unit or into any agreement that would preclude hunting, trapping, fishing or viewing of public wildlife.

The agreement also allows the administration to have regulatory authority over trust lands, pursue revenue-generating activities on the lands and lease or sell trust lands.

If the administration does sell or lease large blocks of trust land, the payment made by the Department of Natural Resources to Trust Lands will be reduced by certain amounts.

"I believe we have an accord that serves two worthy purposes — public access to premium hunting and recreational lands and fair compensation to the beneficial owners of those lands," trust lands director Kevin Carter said in a news release.