Kevin Carter, director of SITLA, said Friday that he was pleased with the result of the auction.

"The process ran its course and the (Department of) Wildlife Resources prevailed in the marketplace," he said.

Paul Dremann, chairman of the governor's Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council, said he is happy that DWR now owns the parcel.

"I think that the anglers are going to be very pleased that the issue has been resolved and that the property will not be commercially developed," he said Friday. He said he hopes the state will make changes to how SITLA operates so environmentally important land can be protected from sale. However, as a trust, SITLA is charged by law to make the most profitable use of its lands. The money goes into a permanent fund, with interest and earnings going to support education.

The auction had three bidders. All three made sealed bids and advanced to the oral bidding portion of the auction. One bidder did not make any oral bids, leaving the other bidder and DWR in a duel that Carter said lasted about 10 minutes.

Daggett County Commissioner Floyd Briggs said that he has mixed feelings about the sale. He said he didn't want another public entity to purchase land in the county, which consists mostly of public land. But he said he also recognizes the value of leaving the land "as is," in its undeveloped state.

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E-mail: bcaballero@desnews.com