(Peoa, Utah) August 3, 2020 – The Summit Land Conservancy, Park City’s local accredited land trust dedicated to saving land and water, has officially entered a contract to purchase fee-title on 106 acres of heritage agricultural land in Peoa, Utah. The Conservancy plans to own the property as a public access preserve, similar to the Stevens Grove open space and current Riverbend Park project located upstream in the town of Oakley. This will be the first preserve that is both owned and managed by the land trust for the benefit of the public. Funds to purchase and protect the land will be sourced through Summit County, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service), foundation grants and a public fundraising campaign with intent to close on October 30, 2020.
Marchant Meadows, a heritage agricultural property, has been in the Marchant family for six generations. Passersby can view the scenic meadows located on the northwestern side of Wooden Shoe Lane in Peoa, a popular road biking destination in the Kamas Valley. The property is also commonly recognized as “Three Rivers Ranch” by Peoa residents and neighbors.
“The Weber River, as it runs through Peoa, is an amazing habitat for wildlife, bird species and fish population. It is hard to imagine the activity until you are actually deep into the three river corridor,” said Jack Walzer, General Manager of Jans/White Pine Touring, and Peoa resident. “To have this land available to use and wander about would be an incredible asset to the public”.
Two branches of the Weber River flow through the property, creating multiple wetlands and groves of trees. Marchant Meadows is home to a variety of wildlife including Mule deer, Marmot, Cottontail rabbit, Coyotes, Great blue herons, Sandhill cranes, Canadian geese, Killdeer, Red-winged blackbirds, Northern pintail, Northern flicker, Mallards, and other waterfowl. A large stand of Cottonwoods hosts a Great blue heron rookery, which serves as an assembly site for mating and nesting which will be used every year until the trees collapse. Fishing on the property is possible; however, water levels tend to drop after spring runoff due to the split in the river.
Marchant Meadows is an ideal setting for passive recreation in the future. The gravel road at the main gate of the property can eventually work as a potential space for a parking lot and trail head, and the dirt roads throughout the property are located in areas where natural-surface recreational trails can be routed.
“This property is so visible, so beautiful, and so ecologically critical that we’ve been trying for many years to figure out how to maintain it as undeveloped land in a way that worked for the family and for the Conservancy," said Cheryl Fox, Executive Director of the Summit Land Conservancy. "We applied for the Regional Conservation Partners Program (RCPP) because it was the only hope for saving this incredible place.”
In April of this year, the Conservancy was chosen as a recipient for the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) Regional Conservation Partnership Program to support their Utah Headwaters Initiative proposal. Funds will be used to enhance trout habitat in the Weber and Provo River watersheds, connect landowners to funding for habitat protection, and save lands like Marchant Meadows.
The Conservancy now needs to raise funds from the community in order to close on the purchase of Marchant Meadows. Even though COVID-19 has affected the local economy, the Conservancy has found that real estate prices continue to soar, and the Summit County Planning Department reports that it is as busy as ever. “This is a critical time to save these unprotected lands. If we can’t find the matching funds by our October closing date, we’ll see homes in the meadows. We’ll see our water quality damaged, and we’ll lose critical human habitat: green fields, trees, and a flowing stream,” says Fox.
The Conservancy has secured a challenge grant of $65,000 from Peoa neighbors, so donations from individuals will be doubled. To learn more about the project and make a contribution, visit wesaveland.org/savemarchantmeadows.
Conservation of the Weber River Watershed is made possible because of the generous support provided by community partners like: Vail EpicPromise, Park City Community Foundation, George S. & Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, Richard K. & Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation, David Kelby Johnson Memorial Foundation Val A. & Edith D. Green Foundation, Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, ERM Foundation, Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation, Cross Charitable Foundation, Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, the Mellen Foundation, , USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Utah, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Division of Water Quality, and Summit County/ESAP.
