Industry News
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate by Utah Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis in May would transfer 24 acres of public land in the Dixie National Forest from the Federal Government to Brian Head Town for free. The land would be used for public works projects for the sleepy mountain town that has huge growth aspirations in the coming years. The Brian Head Town Land Conveyance Act departs from typical Federal land transfers in that the Federal Government does not receive anything in return. Sometimes, federally managed lands are sold to local governments at steep discounts, while other times the Federal Government will participate in a land swap with a local government, but it is rare that nothing comes in return.
Brian Head Town, located in southwestern Utah at an elevation of 9,800 feet, only has a population of 151, according to the 2020 census, but has big aspirations for growth. The neighboring Brian Head Resort is currently seeking permission from the Forest Service to expand the ski area from 887 acres to more than 2,500 acres, serviced by 14 new ski lifts. With such a big project to be built out over the next thirty years, the town is preparing for expansion. The 2018 General Plan identifies the adequacy and availability of public facilities as a key issue for economic development. Free land from the Federal Government certainly makes the construction of new public facilities easier. Is the Brian Head Town Conveyance Act just an example of two senators taking an interest in supporting development in their state?
Utah Senator Mike Lee made headlines earlier this year when he authored an addition to the Big Beautiful Bill that put more than 3.3 million acres of public land up for sale, which was later withdrawn after intense public backlash. Brian Head Town appears to have been caught up in a quest to privatize public lands. “Local communities understand their needs better than distant federal bureaucracies,” Senator Lee said in a press release about the bill. American Hunters and Anglers, a public land advocacy group, has come out in opposition to the land giveaway.
With Congress unwilling to work on anything else until the government shutdown is resolved, the land transfer may not be approved anytime soon. The final environmental impact statement for the Brian Head Expansion is not expected until July 2027, giving Brian Head Town several years to prepare its own plans for accommodating the expected growth. Ski industry developments in the last decade have emphasized recreation access and conservation of public lands alongside development. But, with shifting priorities for land management from the Trump Administration, those trends could shift in the coming years.
