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Commission to sign letter supporting Pace Family Ranch conservation easement pending legal review
Summary
The Conservation Fund requested county support for a conservation easement on the Pace Family Ranch to preserve ranching, allow stewardship actions including fuels mitigation, and prevent subdivision; commissioners agreed to sign a template letter after edits and legal review.
Gavin Kackel (S14) of the Conservation Fund presented a proposed conservation easement on the Pace Family Ranch as part of the Zion Connectivity Project and asked the county for a letter of support.
Kackel said the easement would prevent subdivision and development while allowing the ranch family to continue grazing and carry out stewardship actions, including forest thinning and fuel-mitigation work tied into a stewardship plan. He listed supporting organizations, including Utah Sen. Evan Vickers’s office, Zion National Park, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.
Commissioners voiced concern about preserving public access where roadways cross the property and asked staff to include language defending longstanding public access if they adopt the support letter. The commission moved to endorse the conservation-fund template and instructed staff to adapt the language and route the letter for signatures after legal review.
Why it matters: A conservation easement would protect open rangeland, help maintain agricultural uses and could support fuels mitigation and broader forest-health goals in the region.
Next steps: Staff will finalize edits to the template, include any access protections commissioners request, and return the letter for signature and submission with the easement application.
