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This year marks Summit Land Conservancy’s 20th Anniversary as Park City’s local land trust–- 20 years of saving the landscapes that are the heart of our community. The first 20 years of forever…
To honor the places we have protected, we will highlight and share some of the stories about these precious lands and how the Conservancy has grown over the years.
The Enclave at Cedar Draw conservation easement protects 63 acres of steep, densely forested open space adjacent to the Sun Peak Development located in the Snyderville Basin. The property provides scenic, wildlife, wetland and recreational conservation values, and can best be enjoyed on trails such as Colin's, Du Bois, and Rob's.
“One of the Conservancy’s first easements came as a grant from the developer of the Enclave project. The property along Bear Hollow Drive had been proposed for some ski runs and a large hotel. People in the Sun Peak neighborhoods felt that such a use wasn’t compatible with the residential area.
The developer’s plan was to remove the potential threat of a ski resort, so he granted an easement to the Summit Land Conservancy on 63 acres in 2006 and proceeded with a residential development that included a few houses and sets of townhomes.
Years later, the developer decided that he didn’t want to build all of the townhomes that had been approved and platted. A number of the neighboring residents decided that they didn’t want to live in a construction zone while those units were built either.
The Conservancy and the neighbors raised the money to buy the land and add it to the existing conservation easement. This permanently removed the 10 platted development units.
The project only worked because the land was adjacent to the first Enclave Easement from 2006. The Conservancy can’t save land unless it has conservation values that will be viable forever. In this case, because the new property expanded the existing open space, protected the view shed, and included a small riparian area, we were able to make it work.
The neighbors who helped save this land have frequently supported other Conservancy projects like the Osguthorpe Farm on Old Ranch Road and Marchant Meadows. One of them, Will Hodgman, now serves on the Conservancy’s Board."
Learn more about the Conservancy’s work and how you can save the lands and waters you cherish at www.wesaveland.org.
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