Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
John Hollenhorst ReportingGovernor Huntsman today gave a big boost to what's being called the biggest land conservation effort in Utah history. He endorsed The Nature Conservancy's "Living Lands and Waters Campaign."
They're trying to raise 43 million dollars to protect the state's natural resources; half the money is already committed by contributors. Much of the money would be spent to purchase property or conservation easements. That would protect watersheds, wildlife habitat and open space.
Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr.: "They are the bedrock of our identity as Utahns. They are key to Utah's economic development. They are vital state interests we can't afford to ignore."
Dave Livermore, The Nature Conservancy: "So we are trying to put together creative partnerships, not to preserve land from people, but for people."
One of those partnerships looks like a win-win for wildlife, and for a ranching family in Northern Utah. The Selman ranch is a centerpiece of the conservation campaign and it looks as though the Selman's will get to have their cake and eat it too.
The Selman family has been running cows here for half a century. Fred Selman helped his dad bring in yearling steers when he was 11; he's loved being in the saddle here ever since.
Fred Selman, Rancher: "We love the wildlife, we love the solitude, we love being away from stress."
Now his son Bret is riding herd on a family tradition.
Bret Selman, Rancher: "I want to see my grandkids enjoy this way of life, the same as the way I saw my grandpa enjoy this way of life."
But city life is headed their way. Logan and its suburbs get a little closer each year.
Bret Selman: "I've had several people come up here and say, �what a potential for development here.'"
That issue brought The Nature Conservancy into the picture. What caught their eye is a threatened bird species, the Sharp-Tail Grouse.
Joan Degiorgio, The Nature Conservancy: "The Sharp-Tail have lost 96 percent of their habitat in Utah, so they're really squeezed to this end of northern Utah."
So they worked a deal with the Selman family. The Nature Conservancy will pay 3.7 million dollars for a conservation easement.
Fred Selman: "Money isn't the driving force behind this. It's preserving the land."
Under the terms of the deal, the family gets to keep on ranching forever, but they're legally prohibited from ever selling the land for development.
Joan Degiorgio: "And as Cache Valley develops, in 100 years, this is going to be a jewel, even more than it is now."
The money puts the family on a firm financial footing to follow their instincts, by NOT selling to developers.
Bret Selman: "Oh, I don't know, it would be like selling your soul to the devil. It is just something that goes deep with us."
Future generations of Selmans will have the ranch. Future generations of Utahns will have protection of watersheds and wildlife.
The governor today promised to seek an increase in state funding for similar conservation programs.
