Utah Open Lands is not a typical environmental organization because it does not play a role of advocacy, but rather, plays a role of implementation. We are apolitical in nature, unlike most environmental advocacy groups, and are capable of applying a variety of solutions to any situation. Land trusts experiment, take risks, and view each land protection project as a new puzzle to be solved and a new opportunity to apply something innovative. Land trusts do what it takes to achieve a goal, whether that takes endless hours in negotiations with a landowner or bringing together a number of partners to accomplish the desired results. Most importantly, land trusts provide tangible, enduring results.

One of the primary reasons for the effectiveness of the land trust movement, and one of its fundamental strengths, is that it is the embodiment of local activism; through land trusts, local people take local action to protect the environmental quality of the area in which they live and care about. Since every individual piece of property is situated in a particular locale, ultimately all land protection is local. Yet, land trusts are not activists by the traditional definition. Through their work, land trusts are bringing new information, new ideas, and new supporters to the practice of balanced and sustainable land use planning and conservation. By using the constructive, problem-solving approaches that protect land, land trusts are indirectly bringing about better land use planning in their communities by providing leadership, vision, advice, and implementation to the process. In many communities, land trusts are providing the leadership for development or revisions of local comprehensive plans and land use laws.

Organization Mission

Utah Open Lands (UOL) is a non-profit , tax-exempt organization charged with the mission to assist landowners in protecting the scenic, wildlife, historic, agricultural, and recreational values of open land in the state of Utah for the enjoyment of present and future generations. UOL is a non-governmental, non-political community based organization which utilizes educational outreach, donations of land and conservation easements, acquisitions of land and easements, and conservation buyers and investors to accomplish its goals of tangible land protection. By preserving open spaces, Utah Open Lands aids communities, investors, and government leaders interested in protecting Utah’s quality lifestyle.

History

UOL first began as the Summit Land Conservation Association, incorporated in 1990, in response to the overwhelming pressures of growth and development in Summit County. As these pressures increased and the importance of open space protection became even more apparent and urgent, in 1995 the organization became a regional land trust with the mission of serving as a statewide resource for land protection.

Conservation Methods

The hallmark of UOL’s innovative tools is the conservation easement. A conservation easement is a binding, legal agreement entered into mutually by a landowner and Utah Open Lands for the purpose of protecting the special features of a property by restricting development. The land remains in private ownership while Utah Open Lands assures that the terms of the agreement are followed in perpetuity. The landowner can continue to live on and use the property, sell it, or pass it on to the next generation. Because the easement restricts the development rights of the property, the fair market value is reduced, which consequently lowers the estate taxes. Additionally, donors of conservation easements may receive a charitable deduction for their contribution and, therefore, income tax benefits.