Commission declines to serve as cooperating agency on multi-county BLM/SITLA land-exchange process

Commissioners discussed a U.S. Department of the Interior/Bureau of Land Management letter inviting Utah County to act as a cooperating agency on a region-wide land-exchange and environmental-assessment process that will affect parcels across 18 counties. Ben Stanley of the County Attorney's Office read language from the BLM letter that assured the county would have “ample opportunities to participate in the NEPA process” whether the county signs on as a cooperating agency or not.

Stanley said the county received the letter on short notice and that staff were unsure which specific parcels in Utah County might be part of the proposed exchanges. Commissioners questioned the value of allocating staff and legal resources to a cooperating-agency role if the county could still submit comments and participate without formal status. After discussion, the commission voted to strike the agenda item and not undertake cooperating-agency commitments at this time; staff noted the county will still have opportunities for input as described in the BLM's letter.