Shadowy corporation dominates Utah land auctions
“Vegetable and melon farm” outbidding competition for prime parcels near national parks
By Jesse Prentice-Dunn
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.
When Utah became a state, the United States granted a checkerboard pattern of one-square-mile parcels of land to the state. Today, SITLA manages 3.4 million acres of state trust lands, with a charge of generating revenue to support public schools, universities, and other beneficiaries. In addition to leasing lands for oil and gas development, SITLA holds one or two auctions a year, selling parcels of land to the highest bidder.
Three years ago, on the exact date of a SITLA auction, Lyman Family Farm registered with the state of Utah as a “vegetable and melon farming” company. The company’s listed agent is Joseph Hunt, president of Utah-based Air Medical Resources Group, a for-profit company providing emergency medical flights with a questionable record of charging exorbitant fees and overworking employees.
Since its inception in 2014, Lyman Family Farm has dominated SITLA auctions, buying nearly half of the parcels of land sold — 19 of 40.* In total, the company has purchased roughly 5,200 acres for more than $6.4 million. These parcels include land bordering Zion National Park, three parcels with “spectacular views” of Bryce Canyon National Park, and now land within the proposed Bears Ears National Monument. View our map to see where Lyman Family Farm has purchased land within Utah.
So what does the company want to do with all this land? At auctions Joseph Hunt has contended the company’s interest is agriculture, but observers are skeptical. After losing out on a 40-acre parcel within the incorporated limits of Hanksville, Utah, a competitor cracked, “You can’t put cows on that.” When told that Lyman Family Farm thought the parcel within the proposed Bears Ears monument would be perfect for sheep grazing, Josh Ewing, executive director of Friends of Cedar Mesa, said, “He might want to check out the slick rock. Plus that’s pretty expensive land for grazing sheep.”
At the most recent auction, Lyman Family Farm purchased two parcels of prime big game hunting land that are completely surrounded by private land owned by Hunt Oil, which manages the land in partnership with Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources for big game hunting. Hunt Oil is owned by Texas billionaire Ray Hunt and is not associated with Joseph Hunt. At the auction, representatives for Hunt Oil attempted to purchase the land, while noting there is no public access to those parcels, but they were outbid by Lyman Family Farm.
More Americans are visiting our national public lands than ever before, driving a powerful outdoor economy. In Utah alone, outdoor recreation generates $12 billion in consumer spending annually, supporting 122,000 direct jobs. Unfortunately, some in Utah are calling for the state to seize national public lands, in part to generate more revenue from development. Lyman Family Farm’s track record is a powerful reminder of what could happen if our public lands are put up for auction.
*Land sale data requested and acquired by the Center for Western Priorities from the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration.
