Utah Open Lands

LAND CONSERVATION: The importance of perpetuity begins with the crafting of the conservation easement and a full understanding of the conservation values and the public benefit of each landscape under consideration for conservation. Utah Open Lands continued considering, investigating, discussing and negotiating more than twenty-three projects, four of which were finalized this reporting year, all four were donations of Conservation Easements: 1) Bishop Family Scenic Preserve, is situated among bucolic farmland encompassing wetlands and between the craggy pinnacles of the Wellsville Mountains and Bear River Mountain ranges, the property provides open pastoral views with a lush riparian zone; 2) Peterson Family & Wildlife Preserve, consists of 91 acres located in Garfield County. The property can be seen from popular Scenic Byway 12 between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Park, the property represents charming ranch lands with towering conifers, open pastures, and rich riparian areas; 3) Monarch Haven, consists of ~19 acres and is located in Salt Lake County, UT. In line with its moniker, this Property boasts certification as a Monarch Butterfly waystation from Monarch Watch and additional certification from the National Wildlife Federation; and 4) Killyon Canyon Redrocks Preserve, which consists of approximately 120 acres and is situated in the Killyon Canyon drainage of Upper Emigration Canyon, just 8 miles east of Salt Lake City, the Property boasts red sandstone reefs and pristine natural vegetation along with low-impact recreation.

EDUCATION and OUTREACH: Utah Open Lands is committed to working with landowners and communities interested in ensuring the protection of the lands they love; from working landscapes, ecological refuges, to heritage values and the 'sense of place' as described by Wallace Stegner's vision of quality of life. This year the organization provided leadership and presentations, virtually and in person, from law school guest presenters to town and county councils and local community meetings. Utah Open Lands continued with our annual Gaining Ground: Trying Times Symposium hosted by the University of Utah's SJ Quinney Law School in an effort to educate elected officials, state and local agencies, students, landowners, attorneys, appraisers and other conservation professionals. The presentation provides information from IRS representatives, appraisers, UOL staff and board members, and conservation specialists and attorneys, in order to review land trust requirements, laws, and legal cases affecting land trusts, local conservation and professional scholarship.

STEWARDSHIP: Utah Open Lands' stewardship division has monitored all the ever increasing lands Utah Open Lands has protected over the last 32 years. Our role in monitoring these projects is to ensure their compliance with the conservation easement that governs these landscapes. Utah Open Lands' monitoring reports identified the trajectory of the conservation values to ensure the conservation purposes are protected. Utah Open Lands is continuing to work with several state and local agencies and landowners to improve public access, ecological and wildlife health, scenic values, and public trails. Utah Open Lands continues our work with landowners, Park City Municipality, to create new and improved public trails and trailheads on Bonanza Flat, a 1500-acre, much treasured and even more visited, passive recreational area. Utah Open Land' Stewardship Division also in conjunction with Park City, a rideshare shuttle program, Transit to Trails, which reduces the amount of traffic, passenger vehicles and parking limitations. This program will be repeated next year as it has received much acclaim by the local resident.