Summit group buys land for open space in Summit County

The nonprofit trust Summit Land Conservancy has secured an agreement that will keep 132 acres in Summit County forever undeveloped.

The trust signed an easement with Talisker Co., a Canadian developer that owns the Canyons Ski Resort and the United Park City Mines Company.

Talisker will retain the land, but the deed on the property will show that it must remain undeveloped, said Conservancy Chairwoman Cheryl Fox. Talisker also donated $20,00 to the land trust to fund "ongoing monitoring and stewardship of this land."

The 132-acre tract has been dubbed the Silver King Easement. It sits adjacent to 950 additional acres of open space held under an easement with Deer Valley resort, on the northern edge of Daly Canyon.

To date, the land conservancy has acquired more than 2,000 acres of open space in Summit County. The trust acts as a nongovernmental, nonprofit agency and works with the county and land owners in the interest of preserving space.

"Local government in this area has recognized that you want to protect your open space, and you need to have a third party holding those land trusts because elected officials change," Fox said.

Summit Land Conservancy is working to acquire several additional pieces of property. To learn more, visit summitlandconservancy.org.