Firm says appraisal way off after McCall land swap denial

By KEITH RIDLER
Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An investment firm says state officials erroneously over-appraised the value of state land in and around McCall in rejecting the company’s land-swap application. Trident Investments in a statement Wednesday says it’s disappointed in the appraisal it says any professional appraiser can see isn’t accurate. The Idaho Department of Lands on Tuesday rejected Trident’s application for a swap involving 33 square miles of state land in and around McCall for 33 square miles of private timberland in northern Idaho because the state would lose $292 million. The Lands Department says the land Trident Holdings sought is worth $366 million, while the land it offered is worth $74 million.