Overview 

State trust lands are lands that were given to western states at the time of statehood for the purpose of generating revenue. While some states immediately sold most of their trust lands to raise funds, approximately 46 million acres remain across 23 of the lower 48 states. Most remaining state trust lands are concentrated in the nine western states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.  Many states also own additional lands that they acquired through other means, such as wildlife management areas and parks, but these lands are not governed by trust mandates.  

States are legally required to manage trust lands in perpetuity for the financial benefit of specific beneficiaries. Public schools are the designated beneficiary for majority of state trust lands, but a smaller portion of these lands also support universities, hospitals, and other public institutions.  State trust lands earn revenues from a variety of activities, including timber harvesting, grazing, mineral extraction, and recreation, but most revenue is generated through sale of trust lands for development. Revenues from sales of land and extraction of non-renewable resources are invested to provide long-term interest income for the beneficiaries. It is this trust responsibility that sets state trust lands apart from other state and federal lands.