Bonanza Inholding is now forever protected

Park City, UT—On Thursday, November 7th, Utah Open Lands and Park City finalized the purchase and forever protection of an inholding on Bonanza Flat. This nearly 10-acre property could have impacted the larger 1,340-acre preservation effort of Bonanza Flat had it been sold to a private party for development. Together, Utah Open Lands and Park City were able to secure needed funding to safeguard the inholding known as Daderko. Utah Open Lands negotiated with the landowning family, who at one time had considered resort development as part of the broader Bonanza Flat Mountain Resort Development. With the protection of Bonanza Flat in 2017, an effort spearheaded by Park City and Utah Open Lands, the landowning family started considering their options for the inholding. “We were gratified that the landowning family was willing to turn down other offers in order to pursue a conservation solution with Utah Open Lands,” says Wendy Fisher, Executive Director of Utah Open Lands.   “In addition a contribution from a donor who had given to the initial conservation of Bonanza Flat in 2017 came forward to help us protect this inholding.” Said Fisher

On Thursday, Utah Open Lands transferred ownership of the land to Park City.  Because of the nonprofits’ efforts, the City only had to pay half of the negotiated purchase price for the preservation. “Utah Open Lands has been a constant partner in the protection of Bonanza Flat and the city applauds their negotiation of this inholding and the critical funding which made the protection of the Daderko inholding possible,” says Andy Beerman, Mayor of Park City. Utah Open Lands relies on the support of its members to protect amazing landscapes like Bonanza Flat and it is only because of member support that the organization is able to step forward when the need arises.

Now the Daderko inholding will be placed under the conservation easement that encompasses the entirety of the Bonanza Flat landscape. Park City anticipates granting the conservation easement by the end of the year. Utah Open Lands has utilized the past two years, since the purchase of Bonanza Flat, to study and inventory the land, its natural resources, conservation values, and to determine management strategies that are incorporated into the Bonanza Flat Adaptive Management and Stewardship Plan. The Management Plan, conservation easement, Natural Lands Inventory and Baseline Documentation drafted by Utah Open Lands will be an integral part of the overall protection of the Bonanza Flat Conservation Area under Utah Open Lands’ conservation easement and Park City’s ownership.