Summit Land Conservancy backs Farm Bill in Washington, D.C., with support from Utah lawmakers

WASHINGTON D.C. — Park City’s Cheryl Fox, the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Summit Land Conservancy (SLC) is no stranger to the trails of Summit County, nor the halls of the Utah Capitol Building, but she’s now taken her message and mission of “We save land” to the halls of the nations Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

She spent two days visiting elected officials on Capitol Hill in to discuss private land conservation during the Land Trust Alliance’s Advocacy Days Conference.

Senator John Curtis, and Representatives Celeste Maloy and Burgess Owens met with Fox along with senior staff in the offices of Senator Mike Lee and Representatives Blake Moore and Mike Kennedy. All of Utah’s congressional representatives expressed support for reauthorizing the Farm Bill that allows land trusts, like SLC, to serve farmers and ranchers by striving to help them keep their lands in agriculture.

“This national legislation saves land right here on the Wasatch Back,” Fox said in a statement. “All of our elected officials understand that saving farm and ranchland on the Wasatch Back helps to save the Great Salt Lake. Farmers and ranchers currently own the water rights that we’ll need to save the lake,” Fox explained.  “Our efforts to save these landscapes will be essential.”

Since 2011, SLC has accessed Farm Bill funding 15 times to save land in Northern Utah. Because of this track record, the federal government granted SLC “Certified Entity” status, meaning the Conservancy can do its own due diligence when participating in Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE), attempting to save taxpayer money and expediting the process. Eligible entities have an established agricultural land protection program that purchases easements and have demonstrated a commitment to the long-term conservation of agricultural lands through their ability to acquire, manage, and enforce easements and their ability to adequately steward conserved lands.

“Certified Entity status costs us money,” Fox explains, “But it allows us to serve our landowners better by getting projects finished more quickly.  We heard from our partners at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that they’ll likely rely even more on Certified Entities in the future.”

Fox is also on the Board of the Land Trust Alliance, a national organization that connects land trusts across the country, provides information on best practices, and helps defend conservation easements.  “The Alliance’s Advocacy Days is a golden opportunity for us to speak with our elected officials and also the heads of the governmental agencies that we work with.” Fox noted. “This year I was able to speak with both the Director of the NRCS, and its Deputy Chief. It’s so important to have these face-to-face conversations as we work together to navigate the complex federal funding systems.”

SLC currently has over 20 million federal dollars obligated to save over six thousand acres in Summit County in 2025 alone. This funding has been reviewed and released. The Conservancy is moving forward to complete four federally-funded projects in the next few months. “Our work protects private property rights, conserves natural resources and animal habitat, and ensures that future generations will enjoy the powerful landscapes that nurture us today. In this divisive world, it’s nice to find something we can all agree on.” Fox concluded.