Agency: School & Institutional Trust Lands

Function

The state is divided into townships that are six miles square. Each of these township squares is divided into 36 sections, each being one mile square. Under the terms of the Enabling Act, as part of Congress' granting Utah statehood, the federal government awarded sections 2, 16, 32, and 36 in each thirty-six section township of Utah for the support of the common schools. The state was also given 1.6 million acres to fund higher and special education needs within the state.

It is important to understand that these lands are not like other state lands but are granted to the state in trust for the benefit of the various beneficiaries (primarily public education). State law says that 'As trustee, the state must manage the lands and revenues generated from the lands in the most prudent and profitable manner possible, and not for any purpose inconsistent with the best interests of the trust beneficiaries… the beneficiaries do not include other governmental institutions or agencies, the public at large, or the general welfare of this state' (UCA 53C-1-102).

SITLA was established under UCA 53C-1-201 as a quasi-governmental independent state agency to manage all school and institutional trust lands and associated assets. A seven-member Board of Trustees establishes the agency's policies.

Administrative expenditures are funded from the various beneficiary land use revenues as allocated based on the beneficiary's pro-rata share of mineral, surface, and miscellaneous income.

Funding Detail