The long-awaited Sutey land exchange will take place tomorrow when the final documents are signed. David Boyd with the Bureau of Land Management says this exchange will have a positive impact on lands in Garfield, Eagle and Pitkin Counties. The Sutey Ranch north of Carbondale encompasses 557 acres while the Haines parcel south of Carbondale is 112 acres. Leslie Wexner (owner of Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body Works) and his wife, Abigail Wexner, the main proponents of the exchange, will donate $100,000 to the BLM for the development of a site-specific management plan for the Sutey Ranch. They will also donate one million dollars to the Aspen Valley Land Trust to hold for the BLM’s long term management of the properties. The Wexners will get nearly 1,300 acres of land at the base of Mount Sopris.
The swap is still subject to an appeal, which claims the BLM underestimated the worth of the land going to the Wexners. The BLM says it’s less valuable because it’s difficult to access.
