The Wasatch County Council pledged $3.6 million for a conservation easement for the North Fields, a large swath of farmlands north of Heber and west of U.S. 189.
Its decision June 26 came a week after the Midway City Council made a similar promise of $1.25 million for conservation.
Both governments’ funding commitments are in support of an application for federal open space funding that could bring as much as $20 million to local conservation efforts.
The $3.6 million sum includes $2 million the county already pledged toward the pending Lundin farm conservation easement.
Utah Open Lands Executive Director Wendy Fisher said the additional $1.6 million could help the organization leverage more federal dollars.
“This commitment is only good if we receive the funding,” she said. “So, in other words, if our grant that we’re requesting for up to $20 million does not go through, then… you don’t have that obligation.”
The Wasatch County Council voted unanimously to support Utah Open Lands.
If approved, federal money for North Fields conservation would come from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, a U.S. Department of Agriculture project offering $1.5 billion for conservation nationally.
Fisher said she doesn’t expect grant awards to be announced until at least the end of this year.
