The deadline to secure funding for a conservation easement for Armstrong Snow Ranch Pasture is fast-approaching, with nearly $1.5 million left to raise.
Of the $6 million price tag for the Armstrong Snow Ranch Pastures, Utah Open Lands still has to find $1.47 million to preserve 19 acres of open farm land, after $3 million was funded by the voter-approved 2018 Treasure Hill/Snow Ranch Pasture bond. But the effort has been granted a bit of a blessing: Instead of having to meet a March 31 deadline, the Armstrong family has granted another extension to the organization to raise funds until June 30. Utah Open Lands Executive Director Wendy Fisher is hopeful that the extension—along with $650,000 in pending grant money and the opportunity to apply for more grants—will help them meet their goal.
“It's going to take every dollar; it’s going to take every day; it’s going to be a constant push to try and get this done, but there's no question that the Armstrong family has just been really tremendous as we work through this process,” Fisher said.
This week, another conservation effort found success when Summit Land Conservancy secured its funding to preserve the Osguthorpe Farm. With that undertaking behind the community, Fisher says people won’t feel stretched so thin to donate.
“All of these projects are important projects, and they need to get done, and we have a hearty congratulations for the Summit Land Conservancy in getting the Osguthorpe saved," Fisher said. "Now that that is off of the collective plate, we hope that people will turn their focus and their attention to the Armstrong Snow Ranch Pastures.”
As Utah Open Lands applies for financial support from foundations, Fisher says it’s more important to note how many individual people support conserving Snow Ranch Pastures, not how much money has been donated. Fisher says the results of the 2018 Treasure Hill/Snow Ranch Pasture bond—which passed with 77% of the vote—show the community has deep ties to the project.
"Even beyond the dollars that can be contributed, it's the number of people that step forward and say, 'we want to make sure that Armstrong Snow Ranch Pastures is protected,'" Fisher said. "We really appreciate the number of people that participate in this effort, and we hope more will."
For more information on the Armstrong Snow Ranch Pastures or to donate, visit utahopenlands.org.
