Nonprofit Reaches Land Preservation Milestone

None by KCPW

50,000 Acres Safe from Development

(KCPW News) More than 50-thousand acres of land have been saved from development by the nonprofit Utah Open Lands. Most of that land will be forever preserved through conservation easements, which were a foreign concept when Utah Open Lands founder Wendy Fisher began her crusade 18 years ago:

"When I first was trying to explain them, I would often be accused of conservation easements being akin to a Communist plot," notes Fisher. "So it's definitely changed to have communities recognize this is a private property right to preserve your land. And communities are anxious to ensure they can protect the places that they love."

Through a conservation easement, owners keep their land, but sell the development rights to a group like Fisher's. Utah Open Lands has raised tens of millions of dollars to save those 50-thousand acres. In recent years, local governments like Salt Lake City and County have helped the effort by establishing open space funds. However, she laments legislators have not filled the state's open space fund as aggressively. Escalating land prices are one of the biggest challenges facing future preservation, says Fisher:

"There will never enough conservation dollars for all the lands worthy of protection," says Fisher. "And along with that, there's a dwindling supply of land. We lose an acre of farmland to development every minute nationwide."

Much of the property protected by Utah Open Lands is open to the public. Castleton Tower near Moab is a popular rock-climbing destination. And a scenic strip of 800-acres along the Alpine Loop draws more than a million visitors a year, says Fisher.

This Saturday, Utah Open Lands will celebrate its preservation milestone with a fundraising event at another of the group's properties in Parley's Canyon. Details online at www.utahopenlands.org.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2009 KCPW