The good news is the money was awarded to the local open space organization from the Natural Resource Conservation Service or NRCS. But now, Summit Land Conservancy CEO Cheryl Fox says they’ll have to raise the rest of funding from local sources.
“The Summit Land Conservancy is in our second year now of our Utah Headwaters Initiative, and our campaign For the Future. We're still looking for people to come in and support us in that because it's those individual donations that give us the flexibility to bring money to the table when it's needed and really get these projects done.”
Fox says they have other funding sources. They’ve also been working with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and have recently received $450,000 in grants from this organization.
“One of those was an Acres for America grant, which is funded every time Walmart builds a new Walmart, they put money to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to preserve agricultural land and that pot of money has never been accessed in Utah before. So, we were the first to get awarded a grant from that last year. So, we were excited about that. And I always say it but to go back to the fact that it is our it is individual donors that make this possible.”
She says the conservancy is also working to close on six other federally funded open space easements.
“There's one in Morgan County, there are several in Summit County. We've got a project in Wasatch County. So, we’re just trying to keep these all moving forward.”
Fox added that they’re hiring. They’re looking for a summer conservation leadership intern, a position funded by locals Frank and Alice Puleo. Applicants must be 18. Information about the position can be found in this report at kpcw.org.