More than 6,200 acres of agricultural land in Utah was added into conservation easements in 2025 with assistance from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Funding from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) contributed approximately 24 million to protect working agricultural lands while preserving Utah’s natural resources. 

“NRCS is committed to working with partners and landowners to strengthen our agricultural communities and safeguard the natural resources that make Utah such a remarkable place to live,” said Catherine Magee, Acting State Conservationist for Utah. 

Conservation easements help protect the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting non-agricultural uses. Eligible land includes private or Tribal land that is agricultural land, cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland, and nonindustrial private forest land. 

Landmark Farm Bill Easement Closes in Summit County

Of the four easements completed during the year, Marchant Meadows was among the first U.S. held RCPP easements to close under the 2018 Farm Bill. The distinction refers to the purchase of the easement on eligible lands by NRCS directly from the landowners, with the easement being held by the federal government, and the lands continuing to be owned and managed by Summit Land Conservancy. Acquisition of the easement was led by the NRCS’ Easement Acquisition Branch, which manages all U.S. held RCPP easement purchases for the agency.  

Located in the Weber River floodplain in Summit County, the 85.74-acres of land includes wet meadows, riparian corridors, pastures, upland rangeland, and a few undeveloped trails. A spring-fed wet meadow in the northern pasture and an existing network of irrigation ditches support grazing and hay production while also providing valuable habitat for local fish and wildlife. “The conservation of Marchant Meadows’s riparian areas and flood plain was made possible by the dedication of so many NRCS employees at many levels,” said Cheryl Fox, CEO of Summit Land Conservancy, “Together we worked through the unique structure of a US-held easement to preserve a critical landscape that is home to trout, elk, eagles, and highly valued by people too.”

 Summit’s goals for the easement include restoring and enhancing the wetland and riparian ecosystems, protecting native vegetation, and developing public trails and greenspace for recreation and education purposes. The land represents the first for Summit to be both acquired and managed for public benefit.

Two other easement projects by the land trust received funding assistance from ACEP in 2025: the 183.5-acre Ure North Meadows west of Kamas in Summit County, and the 2,772-acre Bally Watts easement in Weber County. Both Bally Watts and the Marchant easement are part of Summit’s Utah Headwaters Initiative, aimed at protecting the agricultural and environmental resources within the Weber, Provo, and Bear River Watersheds that ultimately contribute to and feed the Great Salt Lake. 

Safeguarding Critical Habitat and Watershed Health 

For more than a century, the historic 2,772 acres of the Bally Watts easement has supported generations of agricultural use. The land, primarily used for sheep herding, is part of the Weber River Watershed, which spans from the western slopes of the Uinta Mountains all the way to the shores of the Great Salt Lake. Two creeks, the Bally Watts Creek and Sheep Herd Creek flow through the property, merging into a southern gully and moving toward Pineview Reservoir. Sagebrush dominates most of the property, providing habitat and food for wildlife including mule deer, moose, Rocky Mountain elks, black bears, Greater Sage Grouse, and Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse. Despite increasing development pressure from a nearby ski resort and the growing Wasatch Front, the land will now remain a stronghold for wildlife and watershed health in Weber County.

The 185-acre Ure North Meadows easement resides in the Kamas Meadows, an area designated as a grassland of special environmental significance by NRCS in 2023. The property acts as a winter range for mule deer herds and a partial land buffer to the rural towns of Kamas and Oakley. Wet meadows and streams at the north end of the valley connect to the Weber River, providing wetland habitat for migratory waterbirds like the Sandhill crane.  By remaining in agricultural production, the easement will conserve and protect valuable scenic and environmentally sensitive areas.

Wildlife and Water Quality Protected in Southern Cache Valley

The South Wellsville Ranch easement is a 2,768-acre stretch of open agricultural land in the southern end of Cache Valley. Held by the Bear River Land Conservancy (BRLC), the easement forms a defining part of the scenic views between Paradise and Avon, Utah. Its expansive undeveloped hillsides and ridgelines of the Wellsville Mountains contain important cropland, pastureland, and rangeland protected through ACEP, with additional funding from the LeRay McAllister Working Farm and Ranch Fund, a competitive program administered by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

“It is amazing to think that in 100 years this open space will still be here, open, undeveloped, protecting our heritage and the values that make this place unique,” said Gabriel Murray, Executive Director for BRLC. Beyond its agricultural importance, the property protects primary and secondary recharge zones for the local aquifer and groundwater system.  By preventing development and limiting disturbance, the easement will help reduce stormwater runoff and protect water quality in the West Fork of the Little Bear River and its tributaries. The land also plays a crucial role in preserving diverse natural habitats that support a wide range of wildlife. 

More information about ACEP and RCPP

Easement programs through NRCS are voluntary and provide technical and financial assistance to help private and tribal landowners, land trusts, state and local municipalities and other eligible entities protect working agricultural lands.

ACEP easements protect the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting non-agricultural uses. Easements through the ACEP-ALE (Agricultural Land Easement) program focus on protecting croplands and grasslands on working farms and ranches. 

RCPP is a partner-driven approach intended to complement other NRCS easement programs. The program can be used to protect working agricultural lands as well as other eligible land, including forest land, wetlands, and riparian areas.

By Sarah Welliver, State Public Affairs Specialist, NRCS Utah