Today, we cover…

• The 910 Cattle Ranch Property Acquisition
  
• Phase Three of Our Summit
  
• 2023 Municipal Primary Elections
  
• The Health Department’s Climate Change and Public Health Speaker Series
  

910 Cattle Ranch

On August 24, 2023, the Summit County Council held a special meeting to consider the Summit County Manager’s recommendation to approve an option agreement to purchase the 910 Cattle Ranch, an 8,587.7 acre property north of Jeremy Ranch, for $55 million. After hearing from a number of residents during public comment, the Council unanimously approved the option agreement. 

The 910 Ranch is one of the last contiguous mountain ranches privately held by a single landowner in western Summit County and the Snyderville Basin area. The ranch is home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife including birds, large mammals, and fish. The size and connectivity of the 910 Ranch to surrounding protected lands makes it clear that this property is a natural resource haven for ecological systems, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunity, and local mountain ranching heritage preservation.

While Summit County will have immediate control of the property, the area will remain private property until further notice to allow for comprehensive land use and management planning. This is why the County is requesting that the public remain on the dirt East Canyon Road while enjoying the area. Stay tuned for public guided tour opportunities and keep in mind that hunting will remain unlawful at all times.

We also wanted to take some time to make sure we answer some recurring questions asked about the property acquisition:

First, how is the county paying for this property?

• One funding source for the acquisition is the Open Space Bond (which was previously approved by Summit County voters in 2021)
  *As a refresher: The use of GO Bond funds is exclusively for purchasing passive and active open space, conservation easements, and construction of recreational amenities. The bond also pays for environmental and wildlife mitigation measures and related improvements.
  
• The county will also explore use of funds from local, state, and federal grants, private fundraising, and other non-property tax sources of public monies.\
  

It is really important we note that *No property taxes are increasing as a result of the 910 Cattle Ranch acquisition.

A second hot-topic question is: “how will the county work to preserve the land?”

• The property will be preserved for: Recreational open space, wildlife habitat, and climate research.
  
• Another reminder to everyone: While Summit County works through land use management and planning, please respect this property as PRIVATE PROPERTY until further notice
  
• The current land use rules are as follows:
  
  • Public Access is Limited to East Canyon Dirt Road
    
  • NO hunting is allowed on the property
    
  • NO unauthorized public use or off-road travel
    
  • Dogs must be leashed or under control by e-collar in compliance with Summit County Code 5-1-9
    
  
  

For more information about the project and details about the property’s history, please visit summitcounty.org/910ranch. 

Our Summit Phase #3 

Don’t miss your chance to participate in Phase 3 of Our Summit, the county’s year-long community visioning process! Your responses will directly impact and guide the future of our county. 

Throughout the visioning process so far, we have heard from community members across the County.  There are strong themes that unite Summit County and there is also a desire to enhance particular community areas. Through community feedback and trends that have emerged thus far, the Our Summit team identified Henefer/Echo, Greater Coalville, Hoytsville, Greater Wanship, Snyderville Basin/Kimball Junction, and the Kamas Valley as the community areas they’d like to solicit specific feedback for.  It is clear that Summit County’s growth should not be isolated to one area but rather the County should grow together at different scales and with different priorities for each community area.  

Questionnaire #3  seeks to identify these priorities and how they should be addressed. By taking the questionnaire, you’ll help us understand how YOU prioritize certain features of your local community, what enhancements you would like to see and how you think growth should be handled.

Take Questionnaire 3 TODAY at oursummitcounty.com. 

2023 Municipal Primary Elections 

The 2023 Municipal Primary Elections are RIGHT around the corner on September 5, 2023. 

There will be a primary election held for Coalville City, Park City, and South Summit Fire District. 

To view dropbox locations, early voting locations, election day voting locations, and more information on what you need to know for the primary elections, please visit summitcounty.info/2023elections. 

Climate Change and Public Health Speaker Series 

The Summit County Health Department is hosting their second event in the Climate Change and Public Health Speaker Series on September 19 at National Ability Center’s “The Hub” @ 1000 Ability Way in Park City.

This session of the speaker series will highlight how local risks to the natural environment influence the public’s physical and mental health.