A 320-acre piece of private property in Bears Ears National Monument will now be protected forever.
The Wildlands Conservancy, a California-based nonprofit, recently purchased the land that’s surrounded by the landforms. Over the last 16 months, the nonprofit has been raising money to acquire the "Cottonwood Wash" area, one of the most important drainages in Bears Ears and a critical wildlife corridor.
The Wildlands Conservancy was concerned the private property could’ve been sold and developed, potentially resulting in luxury homes being built there, said Dave Herrero, the regional director of the Four Corners Region. The land will now be accessible for native tribes to have gatherings in, as well as to visitors, easing the burden off of the Bureau of Land Management, he said.
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“Within the canyon there are structures that are hundreds of years old," said Herrero. "There's rock art that's hundreds of years old. There are hanging gardens that have endemic plant species that are native to the four corners region and it's a water blessed canyon.”
Herrero says the conservancy is partnering with the local tribes in a cultural conservation easement, the first of its kind in Utah and one of the first of these partnerships in the nation, bringing together a private nonprofit and tribal nations, each interested in protecting the land.
The Conservancy will now focus on securing the property, providing pedestrian access and exploring restoration projects.
