“Vegetable and melon farm” outbidding competition for prime parcels near national parks
Two weeks ago, the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) sold off nearly 400 acres of state-owned lands within the proposed Bears Ears National Monument. Situated along Comb Ridge, a striking fin of red rock full of Ancestral Puebloan ruins and rock art, this parcel also included portions of the historic Hole in the Rock Trail used by Mormon settlers. Unfortunately, instead of being protected, the land was sold to a shadowy corporation named Lyman Family Farm, Inc. This is a reminder of just how important our national public lands are and what could happen if they are auctioned off to the highest bidder.