Conflict over land swap

A land swap near Utah’s Desolation Canyon gives the state more wildlife habitat so people can watch birds or hunt deer and elk. But sportsmen and hikers say the deal impedes access to a nearby plateau with 80,000 acres of federal land, a charge state officials dispute.

Recreational users were breaking the law to get up to the plateau, says Bill James of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. He says the new habitat is not surrounded by private land, so it has “legitimate public access.”

Three 2,600-acre parcels changed hands, involving the Jensen family, owner of the Tavaputs Ranch; Dallas-based Hunt Consolidated, an energy company; and the state.

The area, 200 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, is rich in Indian artifacts.

-- Charles Duhigg