The purchase is final of a roughly 50,000-acre parcel of land in the roadless area of the Book Cliffs. The Division of Wildlife Resources issued an announcement that the purchase officially finalized on Thursday and the land will become part of an existing DWR wildlife management area in northeastern Utah. In 2025, the Utah Legislature allocated $50 million to the DWR for the purchase of large trust land parcels to secure hunting, fishing and public access on these properties into the future. The 50,608-acre parcel owned by SITLA in the Book Cliffs was identified. “This property provides important habitat for deer, elk, bison, black bear, Colorado River cutthroat trout and many other wildlife species, and it was crucial to ensure this area remains available for wildlife and the public,” shares DWR Deputy Director Michael Canning. “We are grateful to the Utah Legislature for allocating the funding for this land purchase, which will provide public hunting and fishing opportunities on this property into the future.” The property will be added to the existing 6,929-acre Little Creek Wildlife Management Area and renamed as the Book Cliffs Roadless Wildlife Management Area.
