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THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2003

A controversial land swap between the federal government and the state of Utah is being canceled after an independent review found significant problems with the transaction.

The state was to gain 135,000 acres said to be worth $35 million. But Bureau of Land Management experts said the proper appraisal value was about $100 mllion.

"The Department of Interior bears the responsibility for ensuring that we present accurate facts to the Congress and the public," Norton wrote in a letter quoted by the Associated Press. "In this instance, we did not live up to that responsibility."

Get the Story:
Administration Cancels Swap of Federal Land With Utah (The Washington Post 7/24)
Report Faults Lopsided Utah Land Deal (AP 7/23)
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