JUAB COUNTY, Utah — The R6 Regional Council (R6) has purchased 960 acres of land northwest of Nephi from the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (TLA) for the future development of the Central Utah Agri-Park. The project is intended as a long-term effort to support agricultural processing, distribution, and related infrastructure that benefits legacy agriculture and regional economic development.
“We’re excited about this sale,” said Michelle E. McConkie, executive director of TLA. “We were only able to make this land available and sell it to R6 because of our land exchange with the BLM. It’s a great example of how land exchanges with the federal government directly benefit Utah by opening up rural economic development options for us”, McConkie continued.
The property was conveyed to TLA by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the John D. Dingell Act, a large-scale land exchange involving federal and state lands across Utah. Through this transaction, the site is now positioned for careful planning and future use aligned with agricultural and economic priorities.
Over time, agricultural producers in Utah have experienced significant changes in how their products move from field to market. The Central Utah Agri-Park is a location where agricultural-related businesses can operate closer to the source of production, helping sustain farming and ranching traditions that have supported families and communities in the region for generations.
“R6 wants to commend the Trust Lands Administration’s stewardship of this land and its role in enabling thoughtful, planned development at this site,” said Travis Kyhl, executive director of R6. “We are working collaboratively with local partners and coordinating closely with Juab County and Nephi City as master planning efforts move forward to ensure the project benefits surrounding communities while supporting agricultural producers across central Utah and the state,” Kyhl continued.
The R6 Regional Council (formerly the Six County Association of Governments) provides services to residents of Juab, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wayne counties through state and federal programs. R6 serves as a multi-purpose regional organization supporting economic and community development, as well as essential human services, through coordinated local and regional efforts.
The Trust Lands Administration manages 3.3 million acres of Trust Lands in Utah. Trust lands are not public lands. Congress allocated Trust Lands specifically to generate revenue to support designated state institutions. The beneficiaries of trust land revenue include public schools, hospitals, teaching colleges, universities, and reservoirs. The Trust Lands Administration is constitutionally mandated to manage the lands and revenues generated from them in the most profitable manner possible for the current beneficiaries and preserve trust assets for future beneficiaries.