Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Acquisition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State plans East Canyon expansion; small Summit County parcel included in 2,600‑acre purchase
Summary
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources told the Summit County Council it is buying roughly 2,600 acres to expand East Canyon Wildlife Management Area and State Park; 2.67 acres lie in Summit County. The state secured legislative funding and plans to deed a portion to State Parks for a campground and public access.
Hailey Blair, a wildlife land specialist with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, told the Summit County Council the division is working to purchase about 2,600 acres to expand the East Canyon Wildlife Management Area and East Canyon State Park. "It's 2,600 acres roughly, mostly located in Morgan County, but there is 2.67 acres here in Summit County," she said.
Blair described multiple conservation benefits: big‑game winter and summer habitat, a deer migration corridor and a sage‑grouse lek. She said the division will buy the entire property, then deed a portion to State Parks, which plans a new campground with roughly 50–70 campsites and additional recreational access.
DWR told the council it received legislative appropriations to support the purchase: $5,000,000 to DWR and $5,000,000 to State Parks, plus an additional $8,500,000 the division said was made available for the acquisition. Blair said the purchase is under contract with Golden Hills Estates and the closing is expected in the near term; she said the sale price is not public information.
The county asked about tax and inholding impacts: DWR said it has a contract to pay a payment‑in‑lieu‑of‑tax of 50¢ per acre annually for land it holds. Council members offered to sign a letter to the governor's office supporting the acquisition; Blair said she had a support letter and asked whether the council would sign it, which members agreed to do.
The presentation included maps showing GPS tracking for elk and mule deer and the property's relationship to the East Canyon Wildlife Management Area and East Canyon State Park. Blair and a second DWR land specialist, Kate Richardson, took questions from the council about parcels, inholdings and timing.
Next steps: DWR intends to complete its acquisition and to convey the State Parks portion for park management and recreation development. Council staff will circulate the support letter to council members for signature.
