This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A recent auction of state trust lands yielded nearly $2 million.

The Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration took bids on June 3 for six parcels totaling about 2,400 acres, including three 80-acre lots outside Tropic that offer scenic views of Bryce Canyon National Park and a fourth near the park's entrance.

Lyman Family Farm, Inc. bought the Tropic properties for $292,000, while Forever Resorts landed the 40-acre lot near the Bryce airport for $355,000.

Proceeds from the sales, which did not include the land's minerals, go into Utah's endowment that supports public schools. The $2 billion fund paid out $40 million last year.

Lyman also made the winning $260,000 bid on a Snake Valley lot. The auction's largest holding, 1,535 acres in sections scattered on the east side of the Green River, went for more than $1 million.

Grazing permits cover all the acreage, but those will be retired once the sales are final.

Brian Maffly