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This year marks Summit Land Conservancy’s 20th Anniversary as Park City’s local land trust–- 20 years of saving the landscapes that are the heart of our community. The first 20 years of forever…
To honor the places we have protected, we will highlight and share some of the stories about these precious lands and how the Conservancy has grown over the years.
Osguthorpe Ranch, also known as the "Land of Oz", is a 121-acre agricultural property located adjacent to Round Valley.
“In the fall of 2009, the Summit Land Conservancy was invited into some quiet negotiations with the Osguthorpe family, and Park City Municipal. At this time, a group of real estate speculators had pushed a bill through the Utah legislature (the Military Installation Development Agreement (MIDA)) that would permit the construction of a resort/hotel to benefit the military without submitting to local zoning and planning ordinances. The Air Force, having lost its small “cabin” facility at Snowbasin to make way for the lavish lodges constructed prior to the 2002 Olympics, had been looking for a new R&R facility in the Park City area. The only way to circumvent the MIDA legislation was to purchase land outright.
Steve Osguthorpe has six sons and one daughter and all of them are committed long-term to farming and ranching. Steve noted with pride that his family, one of the largest landowners in the Park City area, had never sold any property for development, and they didn’t want to start now.
The Conservancy, with a great deal of support from neighbors, was investigating the possibility of purchasing a conservation easement on the 160 property on Old Ranch Road. After some time pouring over maps, the Conservancy staff noticed that the Osguthorpe 120 was located adjacent to the Red Maple BLM parcel and could therefore be developed with massive density and high-rise hotels. We felt that this would have a devastating impact to the open space values already associated with the Round Valley open space that the community had purchased over several years.
We pointed this out to City staff. In November 2009, the City asked the Summit Land Conservancy to consider partnering with them and the Osguthorpe family to purchase an easement on the 120 acres. The City could come up with $4.7 million in various open space funds, but we still needed an additional $1 million.
In January 2010, Park City Mayor Dana Williams came to the Conservancy’s Board meeting to discuss the possible deal with the Board. The Board voted to move forward to purchase an easement on the Osguthorpe 120. The City would make an upfront payment. The Conservancy would then make its best effort to raise the last $1 million by February 2012.
The Conservancy’s Board did not enter lightly into this agreement. On the one hand, the nation was still reeling in the depths of a terrible economy, with no upturn in sight. Also, we had never raised this much money. The Conservancy also noted that in addition to the $1 million needed to close on the purchase of the easement, we would also have to fund stewardship, legal defense, and pay for an extensive 2-year fundraising campaign. The Conservancy’s Board voted in January 2010 to make its best efforts to raise the $1,000,000 plus $50,000 for stewardship/legal defense and fundraising costs.
We made a number of grant requests to various foundations. Once again, the George S. and Delores Dore Eccles foundation made a substantial contribution. In addition to raising funds from the Eccles Foundation, Conservancy staff solicited and received funding from the LeRay McAllister Fund, thanks to a hard-won letter of support from our state representative, Mel Brown. In the fall of 2010, the residents of the Snyderville Basin approved a $20 million bond, designating $12 million for open space acquisition and $8 million for trails. We asked the Basin Open Space Committee for $600,000, but in the end received $459,000 toward the purchase. We also met Mike Phillips, through a board member, who helped get us in front of the Fairway Hills neighbors, HOA, and others, who donated (sometimes substantially) to help us reach our goal. Ultimately, Over 200 individuals came forward with gifts ranging from $100,000 to $3.
We were very proud to present a check to the City Council for the full $1,000,000. When we did so, the City granted us $50,000 for the stewardship fund, and to cover a portion of our fundraising costs.”
Learn more about the Conservancy’s work and how you can save the lands and waters you cherish at www.wesaveland.org.
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