OCR Text |
Show BLM Processin Land to Communities The Bureau of Land Management is processing applications for transfer of lands to Utah communities, putting into effect Secretary of the Interior James Watt's offer to help, states meet community needs, according to BLM Utah State Director Roland Robison. Robison said several leases and patents are about to be issued to Utah communities for lands requested by' those communities. All Western governors received a letter from Secretary Watt asking them to identify parcels of federally owned land needed for community - y 5 expansion purposes and associated services such as schools, hospitals,,, parks, ' etc. A riding arena, a watershed protection area for a town's culinary water supply and two sanitary landfills are examples of community needs in Utah consistent with Secretary Watt's offer for which applications are 'now awaiting filial approval. Forty-six requests for some 88,000 acres have' been submitted by communities under Secretary Watt's call for identification of community land needs. An important facet of the transfer program is the identification of lands which can or cannot be transferred under tiurrent ) regulations '- ' governing the BliM; Communities with interests in acquiring public lands should be. aware of the. need to identify! acreage needs, proposed land use, development, timetable and project funding' . They should know, as well, that rental, market Value or other appropriate charges will be assessed acccording to the regulations governing the use or transfer of land. The BLM district or area off ice. having jurisdiction over the land in question muit be contacted where an, application form and filing information can be obtained. |