Draper City Partners with Lehi City to Preserve More Open Space

Draper City has partnered with Lehi City to preserve 900 acres of open space in Traverse Mountain. Open space has been a long-standing priority for Draper, with 5,000 acres currently owned by Draper City under permanent conservation easements.

Lehi City owns the Traverse Mountain Property, which is adjacent to Draper City open space. Lehi City wanted to protect the scenic and natural qualities of the land by granting a conservation easement to a qualified holder. Draper City is qualified under state law and is assisting Lehi City by holding the conservation easement, as both cities have a mutual interest in preserving and protecting open space.

Draper City will not have any financial or maintenance responsibility for the property. Draper’s responsibility is enforcing the "conservation values" that are outlined in the agreement as the preservation of natural habitat for plant and wildlife species, protection of scenic views, public recreational experiences and educational values, and safeguarding the property's proximity to other open spaces including Corner Canyon Regional Park, Little Valley, Forest Service Land, the Salt Lake County Flight Park and Flight Park State Recreation Area.

Uses allowed on the open space include public access for educational purposes; recreation including hiking, mountain biking, e-biking, and equestrian use; trail management and construction of trail-related structures and signs; maintenance and restoration of the native ecosystem; agrichemicals and biological controls to contain weeds, invasive species, and mosquitoes; fire suppression and managing existing utilities.

The easement prohibits construction for human habituation or industrial activities, harassment of wildlife, alteration of watercourses and topography, introduction of nonnative species, new roads, motorized vehicles, agricultural uses, dumping of waste, and mineral activities such as exploration, mining, mass grading, or extraction of substances from the property. In this context, Draper City views the property as a buffer for gravel pit operations at Point of the Mountain.