Emigration Canyon planners refine draft fence rules, prioritize wildlife corridors and vegetation protections

Emigration Canyon Planning Commission members spent the bulk of the meeting continuing revision of Title 19 provisions for fences and tree/vegetation protections, focusing on how to measure setbacks, maximum fence heights, mandatory wildlife openings and how to handle tree removal in wildfire-prone areas.

The commission directed staff to revise the draft ordinance and bring a cleaned-up version with drawings to the next meeting; commissioners also agreed to seek input from wildlife experts (for example, state DNR wildlife biologists) before finalizing corridor spacing and opening sizes.

Why it matters: The revisions under discussion would change where property owners may place fences along canyon roads, how tall those fences may be, and what openings must be provided to allow wildlife movement. The rules could affect lot owners’ ability to enclose yards for pets or privacy and affect long-term efforts to reduce wildlife–vehicle conflicts and preserve migration routes.

Most consequential decisions and remaining issues

- Setback measurement: Commissioners agreed that setbacks should be measured from the recorded right-of-way or, if necessary, the road centerline rather than the variable edge of pavement. Staff said edge-of-pavement measurements are unreliable in the canyon because asphalt widths vary and some segments will be widened in the future for bike lanes.

- Setback distance: After discussion, the group indicated a working setback of 10 feet from the paved surface on most roads, with a specific caveat that Emigration Canyon Road is treated as a special case and that the draft should rely on right-of-way lines rather than pavement edge where…