Cache Open Space Advisory Committee Meeting – 09-22-2025

- Deborah Van Noy and Brian Nielsen presented Utah Agricultural Land Trust’s mission and track record, including its formation in 2023, current staffing/board capacity, and its role helping farmers and ranchers preserve agricultural land through conservation easements. - UALT reported a major funding success for a 20-acre West Provo project with a $5.8 million easement value, funded through NRCS with matching support from LeRay McAllister and state sources; the project is expected to close within the next year. - The committee discussed how UALT can work with Cache Open Space on future projects, especially smaller parcels that larger land trusts may not prioritize, and agreed UALT could help refer and support local landowners. - Deborah outlined several active or planned applications across Utah and Cache Valley, including projects in Hyde Park, Cove, Clarkston, and other counties, emphasizing that development pressure is increasing and landowners are becoming more open to protection. - The committee and UALT reviewed the open space application process, including a pre-application conversation, site visits, and later formal review, and agreed the county’s process is relatively straightforward compared with NRCS requirements. - Hyde Park trails coordinator Charles Wheeler described how several Hyde Park-area parcels could complement the city’s master trails plan, creating visual open space and possible trail connections between Hyde Park, Smithfield, and the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. - Committee members emphasized that projects with contiguous acreage, public benefit, trail adjacency, or gateway visibility are especially attractive, while also noting that smaller or more fragmented parcels can still be valuable depending on the funding mix and context. - The committee asked staff to compile a summary map and spreadsheet of existing conservation easements in Cache County, including acreage and landowners, to better tell the story of what has already been protected. - Staff updated the committee on the website, including moving control to Development Services, posting agendas/audio/YouTube links, and adding project information; members requested easier access to application materials, full packets, criteria, and gateway maps. - The committee continued planning a direct-mail outreach effort for gateway areas, with a draft letter and parcel lists to be brought back as a template for other areas; members also discussed future outreach via social media, newsletters, radio, partner organizations, and letters of support.