The 37-acre Pear Tree Llamas Ranch in Heber Valley sits east of Center Street and south of Midway.
Wood Robinson from Utah Open Lands said it's an important conservation property.
“It hosts a number of scenic and agricultural characteristics that we think are fundamental to kind of the cultural fabric of Midway and the Heber Valley,” he said. “We've also seen a silver fox on the property, which is just a unique type of red fox that is really quite stunning.”
The property has a diverse ecosystem and also features pollinator-friendly plants and a range of birds, including ruffed grouse, sandhill cranes and California quails and partridges.
The land is worth $6.5 million. Property owners plan to provide a quarter of the value — around $1.6 million — to aid in its preservation. Robinson said Wasatch County has approved $750,000 of Wasatch Open Space Bond Funds to preserve the property. The Midway City Council is considering providing the same amount.
“A formal recommendation has been issued by the Midway Open Space Committee,” Robinson said.
The city council visited the site on June 13 and discussed the recommendation. It’s unclear when the council will vote on the proposal.
Federal and state funding would cover the rest of the cost, including money from the LeRay McAllister Fund, a program to preserve agricultural land in Utah, and the federal Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
