A conservation easement will permanently protect the scenic viewshed, natural habitat for wildlife, agricultural heritage, outdoor recreation, and water quality in Echo Canyon.

(Echo, Utah) September 16, 2024 – The Summit Land Conservancy has officially closed on a 4,285-acre conservation easement located in Utah’s scenic Echo Canyon. The conservation deal will protect natural habitat for wildlife, agricultural rangeland, water quality, and public outdoor recreation. Visible from Interstate 80, Wright Echo Canyon boasts iconic red cliffs and dramatic rock formations that are unique to Summit County. The property can also be seen from other public roads and vantage points around Coalville. Preservation of Wright Echo Canyon is supported by six local land management plans which include the Eastern Summit County General Plan, the USDA-NRCS Sage Grouse Initiative, the 2016 Morgan-Summit County Adaptive Resource Management (MSARM) Sage Grouse Local Working Group Conservation Prioritization Plan, the Utah Statewide Elk Management Plan, the Utah Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan, and the Weber River Watershed Plan.

“We are so honored that the Wright family trusted Summit Land Conservancy with a second conservation easement on their heritage ranch,” stated Summit Land Conservancy’s CEO, Cheryl Fox. “The first, on over 800 acres, was completed in 2019. This second easement on over 4,200 acres took five years to get funded, but the family worked with us and trusted in us. All told, the Wrights have perfectly protected over 5,100 acres of Summit County’s beautiful rangeland, elk habitat, and watershed. They are true heroes.”

This is the second time the Conservancy has worked with the Wright family to protect important conservation values on landscape-scale properties. In 2019, Summit Land Conservancy protected 841 acres of rangeland within Chalk Creek Canyon, known as The Narrows, in Coalville, Utah.

“I’ve learned to trust Summit Land Conservancy. When they tell you something, it comes true,” said Dennis Wright. “I’m just glad we had the chance to do this for the next generation. I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to protect our heritage, and I know my grandfather would feel proud.”

The Wright family has owned and operated Wright Echo Canyon for over 100 years. In addition to being integral to the Wright family’s cattle operation, it was once part of the family dairy operation before transitioning to cattle grazing. The property is currently used for livestock grazing and the agricultural land contains “soils of statewide importance” as determined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service ("NRCS"). Under the Wright’s management, they intend to continue ranching operations in concert with the conservation values and adhere to the conservation easement restrictions. In addition to keeping Summit County’s rural, agricultural heritage, the land has also provided critical habitat to many mammals and birds, including the Greater Sage-Grouse, and the landowners will continue to allow hunting leases on the property.

The ranch is a natural habitat for diverse terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. The varied elevation and vegetation of sagebrush steppes, wet bottomland, and forested ridgelines create a range of habitats for many important species of wildlife found in northern Utah. Resources from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have identified 17 wildlife species listed as either threatened, sensitive, conservation agreement, or recently de-listed, that may utilize the ranch and/or benefit from the protection of the property including: Canada Lynx, Bobolink, and several snail species including the threatened Deseret Mountainsnail. Large game use the property as summer, winter, and calving grounds, including elk, moose, mule deer and black bear. The sagebrush steppe at middle elevations is the most critical habitat for elk and other big game on the property as it provides a vital food source for herds during the winter and spring months. Wright Echo Canyon is part of an important wildlife corridor that connects to a larger, protected open space to the west, managed by the Department of Natural Resources.

Sageland Collaborative has created a Stream Restoration Plan for Echo Creek which flows through Wright Echo Canyon, providing habitat for the Bonneville cutthroat trout which is designated as a “Sensitive Species” by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bluehead sucker, which may become listed as “Endangered” under the Endangered Species Act. The plan involves the installation of beaver dam analogues (BDA’s) along the creek through 2027 to further improve aquatic habitat.

The entire property is located within Greater Sage-Grouse Priority Habitat as defined by Bureau of Land Management Utah Greater Sage-Grouse Management Areas. Greater Sage-Grouse have historically used this Property, with the closest active lek located about 9.5 miles from the ranch. Wright Echo Canyon is noted as an NRCS Sage Grouse Initiative Grassland Reserve Program 2013 priority area and it also falls within the Rich Morgan-Summit Sage Grouse Management Area noted in the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-Grouse in Utah.

The preservation of the Wright Echo Canyon project was made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) Agricultural Land Easement (“ALE”) program, the Cross Charitable Foundation, and the Conservancy’s For the Future Fund which was publicly launched in May 2023, to save more land and save it faster. The property is also Summit County’s Open Space Advisory Committee’s ("OSAC") fourth purchase with Summit County General Obligation Bond funds, and it’s their first acquisition in North Summit County.

"Summit County is thrilled to partner with Summit Land Conservancy to contribute funds for the protection of Wright Echo Canyon,” stated Summit County Council Chair, Malena Stevens. “The property boasts expansive rangeland, thriving big game habitat, and secures permanent public access to an established recreational climbing area in Echo Canyon."

Rock climbing has been allowed on the northwestern section of the property, with bolts and a designated area in place for public recreational benefit. The same cliff bands found on Wright Echo Canyon are utilized by raptors such as Bald and Golden Eagles, Red-Tail Hawks, and Prairie Falcons. The property is known territory for several different Golden Eagles, and representatives from HawkWatch International have visited and observed individuals and active nest sites.