August 25, 2023 – 910 Cattle Ranch Property Acquisition, Our Summit Phase 3, 2023 Municipal Primary Elections & Health Department Speaker Series

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)<br /> *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