This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The family of a man who helped settle the tiny town of Mantua gave the Forest Service 32 acres in exchange for a $1 bill. Now, 70 years later, Congress is giving the land to the town, as long as it's used for a public purpose.
On a unanimous voice vote late Wednesday, the House ended a three-year legislative push by Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, to transfer the land to the town. The land-transfer is also the first piece of legislation sponsored by freshman Sen. Mike Lee to become law.
The bill requires the Forest Service to turn over the legal right to two parcels on the town's south end to the local government within the next year.
"Transferring this land to Mantua not only means it will be used in a more productive manner, but also shows the progress that can be made when federal, state and local officials work together," Lee said.
Bishop first introduced legislation in 2008 and the House has passed the bill twice, only to see it stymied in the Senate.
In promoting the bill on the House floor, Bishop took a few jabs at the other chamber, saying: "The fact that the Senate did anything should be a cause for our celebration today."
He said the land transfer in Box Elder County made sense because the Forest Service hasn't used the property since taking control of it in 1941.
"In the intervening time period that the Forest Service has owned these lands, not only have they not needed them, they have not used them and until five years ago forgot they had them," Bishop said.
He mentioned the town of less than 800 people could use it for a new town hall, a fire station or a new cemetery.
Mantua resident Karen Nelson said the reason she has pressed the issue for the past few years is the need to create a new cemetery on the larger of the two lots, which could also hold municipal buildings in the future.
"That was the push; we had to find some land for our cemetery to grow," said Nelson, who lives next to the town hall.
The plan for the smaller lot, about 11 acres, is to use it for recreation, a park, baseball diamond or maybe horse stables.
Twitter: @mattcanham