Under Article 10 of the Arizona State Constitution, Superstition Vistas land is held in trust by the State of Arizona, for the benefit of the state’s schools and other beneficiaries. Under this provision, when selling trust property, the State Land Department is required to maximize the value returned to the trust.

The agency’s mission is to: manage State Trust lands and resources to enhance value and optimize economic return for the Trust beneficiaries, consistent with sound stewardship, conservation, and business management principles supporting socioeconomic goals for citizens here today and generations to come. To manage and provide support for resource conservation programs for the well-being of the public and the State’s natural environment.

The State Land Department is directed by statute to create conceptual land use plans for state trust lands for which such plans would be appropriate. Such plans are to identify appropriate land uses, transportation corridors and infrastructure requirements, and natural and artificial constraints and opportunities associated with the land.

The central objective of the Superstition Vistas scenario planning project was to determine whether use of proactive smart growth planning practices and coordinated economic development initiatives would enhance the land’s value for the trust upon sale. The results of the scenario building and evaluation process, which modeled four initial land use and transportation scenarios with different levels of building, water, energy, and transportation sustainability measures, found that significant benefits could come from a smart growth program of planning and design. Moving forward, the Superstition Vistas Steering Committee would like to see the Arizona State Land Department develop a long-term master plan for the future of Superstition Vistas.

For more information, see the Arizona State Land Department website.