State trust land near White Tank Mountains

Proposition 119 restored authority to the Arizona State Land Department to engage in land exchange transactions under specific circumstances.  The constitutional amendment authorizes exchanges only with the federal government for the purpose of preserving military installations in the state, or to improve the management, protection, and public use of Arizona state trust lands. Every exchange is subject to two independent appraisals, as well as analysis of the impacts of a proposed exchange to the trust's income, on the natural resources and economy, the local fiscal impact to adjacent communities, and impact to local land use plans. The measure also included provisions for public comment and hearings, with the final exchange proposal subject to voter approval.

Arizona State Land Commissioner Maria Baier says passage of Prop 119 "...is one of the biggest things that has happened in Arizona land management in a very long time." After two decades of attempts to restore this critical tool to trust land managers in Arizona, Proposition 119 passed with an overwhelming 62.3% (at press time) of the public vote.