$3 Million awarded to preserve forested land near Zion National Park

A view from Zion National Park along a popular hiking trail. Photo: Marina Knight // TownLift

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $3 million to a conservation project in Washington County aimed at preserving key forested land near Zion National Park, according to reporting from the Deseret News.

Known as the Zion Connectivity Project, the effort is part of the USDA’s Forest Legacy Program, which works to prevent forest fragmentation and development by funding conservation easements. These easements allow land to remain privately owned while protecting its ecological value.

The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands will use the funds to purchase easements on two properties totaling 766 acres. The goal is to keep the land as working forest while protecting wildlife habitat, streams, and scenic views. Landowners are compensated in exchange for maintaining the forested character of the land.

Natalie Conlin, Forest Legacy program manager for the state, said the project was prioritized nationally thanks to its location, abundance of natural springs, and critical habitat for wildlife.

“This is a key piece of land that connects other protected areas and provides a lifeline for native species,” Conlin told Deseret News.

The properties are home to the endangered California condor, which was once extinct in the wild. The area also includes four miles of streams, including a segment of La Verkin Creek—part of a National Wild and Scenic River—that supports several federally listed fish species, including the Virgin River chub and woundfin.

In addition to its ecological importance, the land serves as a migration corridor for big game like deer and elk and provides year-round habitat for species such as black bears and dusky grouse. The old-growth ponderosa pines on site also offer critical wildlife habitat and natural wildfire resistance.

Once completed, the Zion Connectivity Project will join other nearby conservation efforts—like the Zion Overlook and Viewtop Forest Legacy projects—to form a 1,752-acre stretch of protected land just north of Zion National Park.