Managing State Trust Lands Fiduciary Duty in the Changing West

Arizona Trust Land

click map to enlarge	Arizona State Land Department 1616 West Adams Street Phoenix, AZ 85007 602-542-4621
Of Interest	Arizona Trust Lands and Education Funding
State Resources	Arizona State Land Department 2007-2008 Annual Report Trust Land Management in Arizona Arizona FY 2007 Revenues
Current Land Holdings	9.3 million acres (85 percent of original land grant of 10.9 million acres)
Uses	grazing, oil and gas, use permits, mining of minerals, agriculture, rights-of-way, commercial leases
Primary Revenue Source	land sales for commercial and residential development
Trust Requirements	Lands are held in trust pursuant to the state enabling act and state constitution. Arizona has one of the most restrictive trust management requirements: trust lands and their natural products may be sold only to the "highest and best bidder at public auction;" all lands and leases must be appraised at their "true value" before being offered; and lands cannot be disposed for less than the appraised value. Lands are managed by the Arizona State Land Department under the direction of a state land commissioner who is appointed and serves at the pleasure of the governor.
Beneficiaries	common schools universities – includes normal schools, agriculture and mechanical colleges, military institutes, school of mines, university land code, and University of Arizona miners' hospital school for the deaf and blind state charitable, penal, and reformatory penitentiaries state hospital legislative, executive & judicial buildings