CACHE COUNTY – At their regular meeting on June 9, the members of the Cache County Council voted to green-light two proposed round one open space applications.
Those preliminary applications were presented by Chris Sands, the chair of the Cache Open Space Advisory Committee (COSAC). Both were unanimously approved by council members, providing an opportunity for the two proposed property acquisitions to move on to round two consideration.
Those COSAC applications covered the Birch Canyon Weed & Seed Cooperative proposal, a 5.5-acre parcel of land with strategic wildlife habitat, and the Willow Ranch proposal, a 100-acre parcel west of Logan.
COSAC was established in 2022 by a voter-approved General Obligation Bond authorizing a principle amount not to exceed $20 million to protect scenic vistas, preserve open lands near valley gateways, add trails/trail connectivity and maintain agriculture, waterways and wildlife habitat within Cache County.
Sands explained that the members of the volunteer COSAC board reviewed the two applications and scored them according to approved first round criteria at their meeting on June 1.
During the upcoming second round of COSAC review, the applicants must provide concrete details on the property’s long-term use, a formal appraisal, a specific funding request, matching grant possibilities, proof of ownership and stewardship plans.
While the proposed Birch Canyon property is relatively small, Sands emphasized its significance by mentioning that it borders open space property already secured by the county, with Birch Canyon Road and Birch Creek both running through the property.
Although the Birch Creek application scored relatively low on several of the COSAC criteria, it scored high in terms of maintaining waterways and protecting wildlife habitat.
Discussing the second application, Sands said the Willow Ranch proposal was being forwarded as a partnership between the Poulsen family and Utah Agricultural Land Trust.
The property is significant for its wildlife habitat, farm land and connection to adjacent Forest Service public land.
Sands added that the property owners are willing to consider public access to the ranch area in the future.
The Cache Open Space Advisory Committee (COSAC) invites all property owners who wish to preserve their open space or organizations interested in adding to Cache County’s trail network to apply for the grant program.
The application process is open-ended with no specific deadline, according to Sands. Each application will be reviewed in the order of submission, ensuring a fair and transparent process.
Participation in the program is voluntary and all properties proposed by willing land-owners will be considered.