Fed-State Land Swap Includes Corona Arch

Corona and Bowtie arches, near Moab, are popular destinations, very photogenic, sitting on land owned by the State of Utah.

Now, in an interesting swap, the state wants to trade ownership to the federal government, in exchange for oil-rich land in NE Utah. That means appraisers have to somehow come up with a dollar value for the arches, to work out an equitable deal.

Forbes.com has this interesting article about the swap. Below are excerpts.

The state is giving up 72 square miles of wilderness-worthy parcels around Moab, including Corona and Morning Glory arches.

In return, the federal government will turn over energy-rich lands totaling 56 square miles, mostly in the Uintah Basin oil patch.

The legislation landed Tuesday on the desk of President Barack Obama, but it could take appraisers a year to decide if the swap is fair for both sides.