36-9-101. Authority; restrictions.

(a) The board of land commissioners may at any time direct the sale of state lands subject to any lease thereof. Subject to criteria established by the board, any person may request that a parcel of state land be considered for sale by the board, but such lands shall only be nominated for sale by a majority vote of the board. Such lands which have been reserved in any way to the public use, or for the use of public institutions, shall not be sold to any member of the board. The board shall sell such lands according to the subdivisions of sections as established by the United States survey thereof, or by metes and bounds, as may appear to be to the interest of the state of Wyoming. The board shall sell such subdivisions as it shall deem for the best interests of the state land trust. The board shall not sell state land unless the board finds that the proceeds from the sale are protected from inflationary effects and the proceeds will earn a significantly higher rate of return than can be realized through retention of the surface estate and if the board finds that the sale will:

(i) Make state lands more manageable where the lands are not otherwise manageable;

(ii) Meet a specific need of a school or community for land;

(iii) Better meet multiple use objectives of the beneficiaries of the trust; or

(iv) Realize a clear long term benefit to the trust which substantially exceeds the present and probable future benefit from continued ownership.