Our former Editor, Bobbie Corey, thought this information might be of interest to Rich County planners and residents

 

OGDEN, Utah, May 13, 2024—The USDA Forest Service announced that a large landscape project in Summit County, Utah is awarded $40,000,000 in Inflation Reduction Act funding through the Forest Legacy Program. 

The Wasatch Back Forest Conservation Project, funded under this program, encompasses 8,588 acres in Summit County. This project will safeguard the largest remaining privately-owned forest in the Wasatch Mountains, connecting it to a 52,000-acre corridor of protected land. Additionally, it will restore five miles of creek habitat, aiding the recovery of the once-thought extinct Bonneville Cutthroat Trout.

“Public and private forests give us clean water and air, places to connect with the outdoors, good paying jobs, physical and spiritual renewal, habitat for threatened species, and so much more,” said Deputy Secretary Torres Small. “Joining with state partners to invest in conservation, we are making a real difference in the communities that depend on these forests.”

“Through this investment, we have an opportunity to protect a well-loved and privately-owned forest in the heart of the Wasatch,” said Intermountain Regional Forester Mary Farnsworth. “As populations grow in the Intermountain West, opportunities to protect private forests and reduce fragmentation will become increasingly important for management of forest health, conservation of wildlife, and the enjoyment of current and future generations.”

The USDA Forest Service is providing more than $150 million in grants for 26 projects to conserve working forests that support rural economies in 17 states. The conservation of these critical forestlands is made possible through nearly $69 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and more than $84 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The Forest Legacy Program partners with states, Tribes, and local communities to pinpoint and propose the conservation of crucial private forestlands. For a complete list of projects, or to learn how states can apply for fiscal year 2025 funding, visit How the Forest Legacy Program Works or contact Forest Legacy and Community Forest Program Manager patrick.a.bridegam@usda.gov.