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Utah Land Trusts
Protection & Advocacy Office
The Advocacy Office represents Utah’s school and institutional trust beneficiaries established in the Utah Enabling Act by advocating for their rights and interests. The office monitors trust activities, facilitates communication, and provides guidance to safeguard trust integrity and ensure lasting impact for beneficiaries.
These lands are held in trust specifically to generate revenue to support each designated beneficiary institution. Each receives an annual distribution from their permanent fund. Distributions provide an important and growing source of funding for several of Utah’s most important public purposes.
- Beneficiary Representation: Facilitate engagement with trust beneficiaries.
- Trust Protection: Preserve trust principles and promote optimal revenue generation.
- System Accountability: Monitor trust system compliance with the Utah Constitution and statute.
- Political Advocacy: Promote understanding of the trust system’s purpose and value.
Designated Beneficiary Institutions
These lands are held in trust specifically to generate revenue to support each designated beneficiary institution. Each receives an annual distribution from their permanent fund. Distributions provide an important and growing source of funding for several of Utah’s most important public purposes.
Utah’s schoolchildren represent the largest beneficiary institution and receive nearly 95% of all trust distributions combined. Every public K-12 school has a council that reviews data to identify relevant gaps in student learning. School LAND Trust funds are used to improve learning and outcomes in those areas.
Utah’s Schools for the Deaf and Blind Trust distributions provide specialized programming and enriched learning opportunities beyond the normal scope of traditional school programs. These enhanced education services benefit students enrolled in schools that specifically support the deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or deaf-blind.
Trust land fund distributions to the University of Utah, one of Utah’s prestigious land grant higher education institutions, are used to help fund an academic environment in which the highest standards of intellectual integrity and scholarship are practiced. With 18 colleges and schools and nearly 100 departments, the University of Utah contributes to the intellectual energy of the State. Many of its colleges and programs rank very high on national and world-wide scales for their research and academic excellence.
Distributions for the College of Mines and Earth Sciences at the University of Utah help educate and prepare students for careers related to mining. The college has established national recognition and is pivotal in developing expertise that is increasingly vital to the nation’s mining and energy future.
The distributions to Utah’s Colleges of Education support the state’s teacher colleges and help train and strengthen Utah’s teaching community. The Colleges of Education Trust consists of six universities throughout Utah who award teaching degrees (University of Utah, Utah Tech University, Southern Utah University, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, and Weber State University).
Distributions sent to Utah State University help support its distinction of being one of the nation’s premier student-centered land-grant universities. In 2020, the Washington Monthly recognized it as the number 2 public university in the nation. The university prides itself in fostering the principle that academics come first, the importance of cultural diversity, and serving the public through learning, discovery, and engagement.
Distributions sent to the Miners Hospital Trust provide funding to operate and expand the reach of Utah’s Miners Hospital Program to treat patients with mining related injuries and illnesses. There are currently 1,704 miners enrolled and receiving treatment from this program.
Distributions for the Utah State Hospital assist in its mission to provide excellent care in a safe and respectful environment to promote hope and quality of life for individuals with mental illness.
Distributions are sent to Utah’s Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services to help provide youth offenders a continuum of supervision, rehabilitation, along with education and vocation training programs.
Distributions from the Reservoirs Trust are carefully utilized by the Utah Division of Water Resources and are used to help fund new water construction projects, fund repairs of existing and aging projects, and improve water efficiency across the state.
In advance of the 2004-2008 renovation of the Utah State Capitol, trust lands that were managed for Utah’s public buildings were sold. The proceeds were used to help offset the costs of extensive renovation and restoration of this iconic building.
Distributions for the College of Mines and Earth Sciences at the University of Utah help educate and prepare students for careers related to mining. The college has established national recognition and is pivotal in developing expertise that is increasingly vital to the nation’s mining and energy future.
Distributions sent to the Miners Hospital Trust provide funding to operate and expand the reach of Utah’s Miners Hospital Program to treat patients with mining related injuries and illnesses. There are currently 1,704 miners enrolled and receiving treatment from this program.
Utah's schoolchildren represent the largest beneficiary institution and receive nearly 95% of all trust distributions combined. Public K-12 schools receive trust distributions separate from other legislatively appropriated funds for education. School Community Councils, made up of parents, principals, and teachers prepare plans tailored to address unique academic needs of students in each school.
Utah’s Schools for the Deaf and Blind Trust distributions provide specialized programming and enriched learning opportunities beyond the normal scope of traditional school programs. These enhanced education services benefit students enrolled in schools that specifically support the deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or deaf-blind.
Trust land fund distributions to the University of Utah, one of Utah’s prestigious land grant higher education institutions, are used to help fund an academic environment in which the highest standards of intellectual integrity and scholarship are practiced. With 18 colleges and schools and nearly 100 departments, the University of Utah contributes to the intellectual energy of the State. Many of its colleges and programs rank very high on national and world-wide scales for their research and academic excellence.
Distributions sent to Utah State University help support its distinction of being one of the nation’s premier student-centered land-grant universities. In 2020, the Washington Monthly recognized it as the number 2 public university in the nation. The university prides itself in fostering the principle that academics come first, the importance of cultural diversity, and serving the public through learning, discovery, and engagement.
Distributions are sent to Utah’s Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services to help provide youth offenders a continuum of supervision, rehabilitation, along with education and vocation training programs.
In advance of the 2004-2008 renovation of the Utah State Capitol, trust lands that were managed for Utah’s public buildings were sold. The proceeds were used to help offset the costs of extensive renovation and restoration of this iconic building.
Distributions from the Reservoirs Trust are carefully utilized by the Utah Division of Water Resources and are used to help fund new water construction projects, fund repairs of existing and aging projects, and improve water efficiency across the state.
The distributions to Utah’s Colleges of Education support the state’s teacher colleges and help train and strengthen Utah’s teaching community. The Colleges of Education Trust consists of six universities throughout Utah who award teaching degrees (University of Utah, Utah Tech University, Southern Utah University, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, and Weber State University).
Distributions for the Utah State Hospital assist in its mission to provide excellent care in a safe and respectful environment to promote hope and quality of life for individuals with mental illness.
