Utah Open Lands announced Thursday that it has received funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). “This funding represents an historic moment for land protection in Wasatch County and will support UOL’s Northfields Protection Initiative, a significant effort to safeguard critical agricultural lands, water resources and habitat, values that sustain a high quality of life in the Heber Valley,” said a press release from Utah Open Lands.The land protection efforts of this Utah Open Lands initiative will aid in the protection of water resources for the Wasatch Front, according to the group. The headwaters that flow from the Wasatch Back into Deer Creek Reservior provide 30 percent of the Wasatch Front’s drinking water within the Salt Lake City Public Utilities’ service area, the group said. The focus on permanent land protection has a rippling effect in safeguarding water resources, the group said. Maryssa Fenwick, Land Protection Program Manager for Utah Open Lands and the Initiative said that the goal is to ensure that the land remains dedicated to agriculture and conservation in perpetuity, preserving the ecological and cultural integrity of the area while prioritizing ongoing community partnerships. “As development in the region accelerates, the importance of protecting the North Fields and surrounding environs will be more essential,” said Fenwick. “This funding allows us to work collaboratively with landowners, farmers and ranchers, and the local community to ensure this land remains a resource for generations to come,” said Fenwick. Emily Fife, NRCS Utah State Conservationist echoed the value of the project. “The RCPP program represents grassroots conservation at its best,” said Fife, “It connects funding to community led solutions so we can protect and enhance our natural resources for future generations.” For Wasatch County Council member Steve Farrell, this funding makes a tremendous difference in what has been a goal of his since the beginning of his tenure on the Wasatch County Council, according to Utah Open Lands. “I applaud the hard work and diligence of Utah Open Lands. This funding, now makes possible a priority that this county has had and that has been a personal goal of mine since the beginning which is the preservation of the agricultural heritage of the Northfields,” said Farrell. An open space bond passed in 2018 by Wasatch County residents indicated strong support for the protection of the Northfields, the group said, but even with the passage of the bond Wasatch County recognized that additional funding would be necessary to make a measurable difference in protecting the Northfields Landscape. Some were skeptical, the group said. “If you had asked me five years ago if it was possible to save the Northfields, I would have likely said no,” said County Council member Luke Searle. “Utah Open Lands’ determination to leverage county open space dollars and their work to get this grant, means that meaningful preservation of the Northfields is possible,” said Searle. Utah Open Lands said it expanded the boundary of the initiative beyond what is typically considered the Northfields to encompass lands that have similar heirloom, water resource and habitat qualities. The expanded boundary includes some landscapes in the Midway area and therefore could leverage funds from the upcoming open space bond on the ballot should that measure pass, according to the group. “There has been a lot of discussion about the Northfields recently,” said Wendy Fisher executive director of Utah Open Lands. “This funding will both protect landscapes that are beloved and are generational legacies as well as provide meaningful collaboration as we move forward.”Fisher also said there will be continued due diligence exercised in this process, which can take years, and that the County and Midway City open space advisory councils will continue to be heavily relied upon as projects are prioritized into the future. “I would caution anyone from thinking that this will somehow circumvent any necessary protocol,” Fisher said, “just the opposite, this will be a meaningful way to bring stakeholders together to ensure that the next generations of County residents continue to be endowed by the bounty that the Northfields has provided in the past.”The post Utah Open Lands receives over $16 million in federal funding to protect Wasatch County farms and ranches appeared first on Park Record.