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ArizonaArizona's entry into the Union was unique in many ways. Instead of the relatively simple enabling acts that the United States Congress had written up in the past, Arizona and New Mexico (who entered the union at the same time, and have virtually identical Enabling Acts) were given strict and rigid provisions. The Enabling Act of June 20, 1910, granted sections two, sixteen, thirty-two and thirty-six for the benefit of common schools, as well as grants to other public institutions. A township is a square of 6 miles on a side or 36 square miles total. A section is a mile on each side and contains 640 acres. The Enabling Act, as well as the State Constitution, established a permanent fund and specifically detailed how the lands could be leased and sold. Of the 9.5 million acres that were originally granted to Arizona, approximately 8.1 million acres still remain in the school trust. Arizona's school trust lands are managed by the Arizona State Land Department as the trustee responsible for generating revenue for distribution to schools and to the permanent fund. The fund, also established in the Enabling Act, is managed by the State Treasurer. Far and away the largest revenue stream is from land sales at auction. Beneficiaries, environmental groups, land managers, developers and land use groups have been meeting together over the past five years with the goal of enacting legislation to reform land management practices. Attempts to enact changes through the legislature have not been successful resulting in a splinter group of the coalition filing and collecting signatures for a citizen's initiative that, if passed, will enact the pieces of the task force package important to the splinter group. All annual revenue in excess of $72 million from interest earned on the permanent fund and renewable resource revenue flows to Arizona public schools through the Classroom Site Fund. The first $72 million is appropriated by the legislature to fund the general operation of schools. Research Links
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