Landowner presents preliminary plan to conserve Seth Alder farm river corridor and add public trail

Kathleen Alder, trustee for the Seth Alder property, told the Cache County Open Space Advisory Committee on Feb. 3 she wants to conserve the river corridor along the Blacksmith Fork River and explore public access via a trail.

The proposal is at an early stage. Alder said an appraisal is underway to determine how much land should be conserved. She described the site as a riparian corridor with wetlands and wildlife habitat and said the owners want a publicly accessible trail along the river while allowing nonriver areas to be developed. “I am the trustee for this large piece of property … I understand the need to conserve riparian areas,” Alder said.

Staff and the applicant discussed two paths for funding and delivery: a trails application that would focus on constructing a trail (with construction money provided by UDOT) or an open‑space/conservation easement application that would secure a broader corridor for habitat and public access. Landis (staff) described…