Summit Land Conservancy

Land conservation - in 2023, Summit Land Conservancy placed six new conservation easements, preserving an additional 1,479 acres of Land. These easements include three public recreational pieces-iron mountain, sommet blanc, and muirfield park-and three private agricultural lands. 2023 was a significant year for funding. We applied for four federal agricultural Land easement applications and were awarded each, totaling over 19 million. We also submitted a new federal regional conservation partnership program grant, which was also awarded for about 22 million, bringing the total of federal awards in 2023 to over 40 million we signed new letters of intent with five landowners in the wasatch back and talked to many others who are interested in placing their Land under easement. As we continue to grow and save Land, we are discovering more landowners, funding opportunities, and partners to help us preserve critical landscapes in the watershed of the great salt lake.

Stewardship and monitoring - this year the Conservancy monitored 57 properties in person, totaling over 14,000 acres. Staff visited every easement in person and utilized foot, bike, ski and vehicle travel to inspect properties and talk to landowners about their management of easement properties. Every year, the baseline and conservation easement are reviewed prior to monitoring for each property, and the sites of any reserved rights requests or violations are visited. The past year has been very active for reserved rights requests. Utility and infrastructure projects have continued on or near the easement areas, and a significant amount of time was needed to ensure compliance with the terms of the easements. One property had a major easement violation. Non-permitted river dredging and channeling was done on the provo river. The Conservancy has worked with the landowners and regulatory agencies involved to ensure that resolution is consistent with the terms of the conservation easement, and no further violations occur. The Conservancy has assisted in the permit writing and consultation on plans to restore the area and has continually monitored the property roughly every two weeks. Resolution is expected to take at least two years to reestablish vegetation. Stewardship staff dedicated significant time to constructing key infrastructure pieces for trails and continued agricultural use of the fee title properties. Grant funding has been obtained to continue the marchant meadows projects and the preserve is expected to open to the public next year. Several partners are involved in ongoing projects on the property.

Outreach - the Summit Land Conservancy values the participation of its supporters in events and activities surrounded by the lands and waters we protect. Connecting to nature and with each other builds a strong community and an appreciation for open spaces. Through hands-on experiences our community shares values essential to conservation and protecting Land for the future. In 2023 we developed and grew various experiences from hiking under every full moon, harvesting wild hops, and meditating with sunsets. We explored the outdoors with guest speakers such as historians, artists, landowners, and even ghost experts. We celebrated and made friends at the ninth annual hoppy hour. Elementary school children from the south Summit school district were guided in a junior naturalist program to learn about their surroundings and the changing of the seasons. And Summit Land Conservancy partnered with other non-profit organizations to foster a strong message of support and comradery.