Sulphur Spring is a property of significant size used for sheep grazing located near the growing town of Mountain Green, Utah, within the Rich BSU. The property's large swaths of uninterrupted sagebrush combined with mesic wetlands throughout make it prime habitat for many sagebrush-obligate species including sage grouse, large ungulates, and pollinators. It is also an important open space that provides watershed protection for Cottonwood Creek, a tributary of Weber River. The property consists of valley bottom and steep rangeland, with well-drained rocky soils that primarily support sagebrush on southerly aspects and aspen/maple/oak/conifer forests on northerly aspects and higher elevation. The south facing slopes of the property are mostly sagebrush steppe while the northern facing slopes are rangeland providing habitat and food for birds, small mammals, bears, mule deer, moose, and Rocky Mountain elk. Two of the most critical species using the property are the Greater sage grouse and the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. Large stands of uninterrupted sagebrush steppe with interspersed riparian areas create an ideal habitat for these highly mobile species, providing protection from predators and easy access to forbs for food. Given the high mobility of these birds, protecting Sulphur Spring will benefit the same population that utilizes the rest of the Rich BSU. Mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, and moose use all elevations of the property throughout the year. Higher elevation areas are dominated by maple/oak forests that are heavily utilized for browsing in the spring, summer, and fall of the year, while the lower sagebrush steppes that dominate the rest of the property is critical winter range for these animals. The property also provides a safe migration corridor from the Cottonwood Creek drainage to the Ogden Valley in the north. Large predators including mountain lions and bears also use the property for hunting and foraging. The healthy, intact sagebrush also allows for an abundance of wildflowers that support pollinators. Wild pollinators are abundant throughout the growing season, and the landowners lease the land to a producer who hatches mason bees on the property that are utilized as commercial pollinators. Cottonwood Creek, a tributary of the Weber River, runs through the property. The Sulphur Spring property contains small wetlands and is covered by natural vegetation on both sides of the stream that filters runoff before it enters the streambanks. In addition to removing the possibility of residential development, the conservation easement will prohibit the conversion of this natural vegetation into cropland or grasses -- an additional layer of protection will limit soil disturbance and ensure the property's continued watershed protection services. The property is under significant threat of conversion to residential housing. It is in an area that is under increasing pressure from development as population growth that is among the fastest in the US and pushes out from the urban Wasatch Front into rural areas. The land's proximity to a rapidly growing town makes it a prime candidate for rezoning that would allow for higher building density; and proximity to two ski areas has put the area at further risk as developers seek large properties to build luxury ski homes for second-home buyers. Local landowners have received numerous requests from developers who want to buy the land. Compared to other units throughout the state, the Rich BSU is under the highest threat of conversion to residential housing given its proximity to the Wasatch Front. Habitat fragmentation and disturbance from housing construction poses the greatest risk to sage grouse populations within the unit, whereas other units are under threat primarily from resource development. seek large properties to build luxury ski homes for second-home buyers. Local landowners have received numerous requests from developers who want to buy the land. Compared to other units throughout the state, the Rich BSU is under the highest threat of conversion to residential housing given its proximity to the Wasatch Front. Habitat fragmentation and disturbance from housing construction poses the greatest risk to sage grouse populations within the unit, whereas other units are under threat primarily from resource development.

* 4,858 acres of private working rangeland containing habitat and migration corridors supporting sage grouse, big game, pollinators, and other wildlife will be permanently protected by conservation easement. * Approximately 2 miles of Cottonwood Creek will be permanently protected. * The project will protect 2 active Greater sage grouse leks, alongside a large stand of intact sagebrush steppe in an area that is under threat of development.

The project location was chosen based on our current project capacity and the landowner's willingness to proceed with a conservation easement. The sooner the project can obtain the required funding, the more obtainable that funding is. Due to rising property values, the sooner the project is completed the less it will cost.

USDA-NRCS Sage Grouse Initiative 2.0 (SGI) - The SGI recognizes the protection of large ranching operations as essential to reaching its goals to protect Greater sage grouse habitat. Development of Summit County's large sagebrush landscapes poses a significant threat to the area's Sage Grouse populations. Greater sage grouse uses the Sulphur Spring property, and sage grouse populations and multiple known breeding and brooding grounds have been observed on the property. Utah Wildlife Action Plan - The Utah Wildlife Action Plan is a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources-led plan that aims to manage native wildlife species and their habitats to prevent the need for listings under the Endangered Species Act. In addition to the Greater sage grouse, whose protection is ranked as a high priority by the plan, two avian species identified by the plan as priorities for conservation funding and action in Utah -- the Golden Eagle and the Bald Eagle -- use the property. The plan also aims to increase cooperative partnerships between multiple stakeholders and specifically identifies agricultural producers as important stakeholders to collaborate with in the development of conservation actions that are flexible enough to allow for "management innovations" while respecting agricultural landowners' livelihoods. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources -- Conservation Plan for Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse - The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is one of seven subspecies of the sharp-tailed grouse. Its population is declining, and they only inhabit 4% of their historic range in Utah, so the Utah DWR created this conservation plan to increase their numbers. Specifically, for Morgan County, it calls out development near the Snow Basin ski resort as a threat, especially in the Cottonwood Creek drainage where the Sulphur Spring property is. The plan lists conservation easements as a strategy to preserve large-scale sagebrush steppe habitat that is critical for their survival, as well as reseeding areas that have been converted to annual grasses for cattle browsing. Placing an easement on Sulphur Spring where the sage brush is still healthy compared to neighbors would meet the goals of this conservation plan. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources - Wildlife Action Plan - The Utah Wildlife Action Plan is a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) lead plan that aims "to manage native wildlife species and their habitats, sufficient to prevent the need for additional listings under the Endangered Species Act." In order to develop a strategy, a ranking system was created and applied to the species and habitats of Utah to identify priorities for conservation funding and actions. One of the highly ranked species is the Greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), which is ranked as "vulnerable" on the state-level. Sizeable federal and state efforts have been put forth to prevent the listing of the sage grouse and as habitat loss is one of the greatest threats to their population, preservation of lands such as the Sulphur Spring property is essential to preventing the species from becoming listed. The same can be said about the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus), which is dependent on similar habitats and is listed as "imperiled" for Utah. The Plan aims to increase cooperative partnerships between multiple stakeholders to meet their needs while protecting important wildlife habitat and waters. It specifically identifies agricultural producers as important stakeholders to collaborate with in the development of conservation actions that are flexible enough to allow for "management innovations" while respecting the livelihood of agricultural landowners. ALE-supported conservation easements work with the private landowner to preserve the agricultural heritage and capacity of the land while creating effective conservation plans that support sustainable land use practices and enhance wildlife habitat.

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The project will be conducted according to NRCS ACEP-ALE-GSS requirements and management plans.

The grant in its entirety will be applied to purchasing the conservation easement. The creation of baseline and management plans, and the establishment of a stewardship fund will be performed by the Summit Land Conservancy in partnership with the NRCS.

When the easement closes, a fund for perpetual stewardship of the property will be established. Stewardship will be performed annually and will include monitoring for compliance with management plans, comparing the land's conservation values against baseline, and interviewing landowners to identify issues and need for additional improvements or changes in plan. Land health monitoring can include surveys of wildlife diversity and water quality collected by partners such as Utah DWR, Utah DWQ, a consortium of government and nonprofit organizations dedicated to the long-term health of the Wasatch Back. The recent implementation of LOCATE software, a Salesforce-based platform designed for land conservancies, will enhance the Conservancy's ability to track these metrics.

NRCS, NFWF

Future management will be conducted by the current landowners according to NRCS-GSS specifications.

Natural resource uses will be managed by the current landowners according to NRCS-GSS specifications.