Provo is pursuing a conservation easement on 115 acres of city-owned land near Slate Canyon to preserve open space and wildlife resources, with Utah Open Lands serving as the protector of the property.
PROVO — Provo is moving to potentially place 115 acres near Slate Canyon into a conservation easement . The Provo City Council unanimously voted during a work meeting on April 28 to pursue a conservation easement on city-owned parcels near the mouth of Slate Canyon .
The approximately 115 acres in the foothill area would still be owned by the city but would be protected by the easement holder, Utah Open Lands. Wendy Fisher, executive director of Utah Open Lands, said the organization works with private landowners and government entities to create conservation easements "primarily with the purpose of protecting agricultural, recreational, wildlife, scenic and open space resources throughout the state.
""I do believe that our long-term economic vitality is tied to our quality of life, and a huge part of that quality of life are our open spaces," she said during a presentation in the work meeting. Fisher explained that she loved exploring the outdoors as a kid and feels that Utah is losing some of those places, so she wants to protect them.
A conservation easement puts an encumbrance on the land, meaning the city is still the property owner, but the easement holder has the obligation of protecting the land from improper uses.
"People think that a conservation easement locks in the fate of the land, and yet development locks in the fate of the land far greater than a conservation easement would," Fisher said. Melia Dayley, a policy analyst for Provo, said there are very few buildable portions in the proposed property area, as most of the land is at a 30% grade and too steep to build on.
A map of proposed city-owned land parcels near Slate Canyon to place into a conservation easement that will be protected by nonprofit Utah Open Lands. Despite that, the city has received proposals for development of the property, including a controversial proposal last year to expand the Splash Summit Water Park. Residents spoke out strongly against the proposal, and then-Mayor Michelle Kaufusi announced the land is "not for sale.
"The city will be able to install adaptive "guardrails" in the easement to guide future land use. While the area is slated to become a park one day, the council noted that placing the land in a conservation easement may not expedite that process, as park funding is "few and far between.
"The city entered into a similar easement for Bunnell's Fork in Provo Canyon and has previously worked
Provo Slate Canyon Conservation Easement Utah Open Lands Land Preservation
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