The Summit Land Conservancy received over $15 million in federal farm bill grants in September to safeguard 7,900 acres near Coalville.
The conservation effort preserves two privately owned ranching properties.
Summit Land Conservancy CEO Cheryl Fox said the land is contiguous, which is crucial for the farmers and wildlife.
“There's a synergy when there's a broad area of agricultural producers all producing,” Fox said. “And if those agricultural areas get chopped up by housing developments and roads, then it just becomes a little more difficult for the remaining producers to stay in place.”
The conservation easements will also protect the creeks on the properties. Fox said this benefits the watershed.
“Spring Canyon [creek] goes through one of them,” Fox said. “The other one has some critical springs that flow into what's called Grass Creek, and all of these are tributaries to the Weber River.”
Fox said the farm bill grant protects agricultural property, but securing the funds is just one step in the conservation process.
“We have to get a final appraisal,” Fox said. “We have to do sometimes surveys, sometimes mineral remoteness studies. We have to work with the landowner through the process of determining the terms of the conservation easement.”
She said the process usually takes a year. She estimates the land will be formally protected in September 2027.
Once completed, the nonprofit will have preserved 20,000 acres in the Coalville area since 2007.
Summit Land Conservancy is a financial supporter of KPCW.
