The 910 Cattle Ranch finally belongs to Summit County. Officials announced they had finalized the $55 million purchase Jan. 27.
The closing date was delayed after the federal government shut down during the fall of 2025 and after it temporarily froze grants months earlier.
Most of the funding comes from a $40 million U.S. Forest Service grant, administered in part by the state Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands. The rest came from Summit County’s 2021 voter-approved open space bond.
“This acquisition marks a defining moment in Summit County’s land conservation history,” Summit County Lands and Natural Resources Director Jess Kirby said. “Most of all, I am deeply grateful to the landowner for embracing conservation for his land and for trusting Summit County to honor and care for this extraordinary landscape. His decision ensures that its beauty, heritage, and ecological value will be protected forever.”
The county’s Jan. 27 announcement emphasized the ranch’s ecological importance, “creating a vast and continuous corridor for wildlife movement.”
“Through [the federal grant] program, open space is preserved and working forests are protected that provide wildlife habitat, clean water, and recreational opportunities,” FFSL Forest Operations Manager Doug Campbell said.
Even with the purchase final, the general public is not allowed to roam the 910 Cattle Ranch. Only the seasonal East Canyon Road is available for public access, and it is closed to vehicles until April 30.
Summit County is in the process of planning what public recreation will look like.
County officials say they’ve heard loud and clear that there’s “‘one chance’ to get this right.” They committed to a transparent land management and planning process.
As a condition of the purchase from landowner David Bernolfo, hunting on the property is permanently prohibited.
The county says fishing is also barred pending future fishery restoration efforts.
By closing the sale Summit County can stop paying $150,000 in monthly interest and $5,000 in monthly rent. According to Bernolfo and the county’s agreement, half the monthly rent was credited toward the final purchase price.
The county initiated the purchase with its $15 million down payment in August 2023.
It closed the $25 million purchase of another ecologically significant ranch, the Kamas Valley’s 834-acre Ure Ranch, in December.
Summit County and the David W. Bernolfo Memorial Foundation are financial supporters of KPCW.
