State Land Board

Like most other states, Utah was granted large tracts of public lands by an enabling act of the Federal Congress. The Land Board was charged with responsibility for selling the land grants and investing the proceeds for the interest of the designated beneficiaries. Land grants were given for the establishment and support of water storage reservoirs, public schools, a university, an agricultural college, and other public institutions. Became a policy board to the division in 1969.

Between 1941 and 1957 the State Finance Commission served ex officio as the State Land Board. Management and control of all state-owned lands was vested in the board.?The 1957 Legislature created a separate and independent agency for the control and management of state lands. The State Land Board did the work themselves until 1969 when a Division of State Lands (#1125) was created and the board was merely an advisory policy board until its demise in 1988. Since 1969 the Board and Division of State Lands have been within the Department of Natural Resources. The Board consisted of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (or his representative) and six other members appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate. They served four-year staggered terms and members represented geographical areas of the state. One had to be trained in forestry and fire-prevention. A professionally qualified full-time director was chosen by the board.?In 1988, lands and forestry functions were merged into the renamed Division of State Lands and Forestry (#1125). That organization administered trust lands, sovereign lands and the state forestry program until 1 July 1994. The 1994 Legislature split the Division of State Lands and Forestry into two organizations: The School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (#2833) and the once again renamed Division of Sovereign Lands and Forestry (#1125). Lands and Forestry continued within the Department of Natural Resources; Trust Lands is a separate, independent agency not part of any other department of state government.