Bonanza Flat Conservation Area

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History

In 2017, development threatened Bonanza Flat. Park City Municipal and Utah Open Lands banded together to preserve this beautiful area 'in the heart of the Wasatch.'

With a purchase price of $38M, it seemed impossible, but after Park City residents voted to pass a $25M bond, the race was on to fill in the funding gap. In the end it took:

Three Cities | Three Counties | Three Public Agencies | 11 Non-Profits | Thousands of Donations

$13M later, the funding gap was met. Bonanza Flat Conservation Area was protected forever.

The Place

The Bonanza Flat Conservation area is 1534 acres of undeveloped backcountry majesty nestled in the upper elevations of the Wasatch Mountains among alpine meadows and lakes.

Once the washboard, narrow dirt road that summited Guardsman Pass was paved in 2014, the four alpine lakes, wide open meadows and stunning views became invitingly accessible and Bonanza Flat seemed only moments away from development.

The effort to purchase the property was a testament to how loved it had become. As a very popular recreation destination parking has always been limited and though formal parking areas now exist, parking is not allowed on the road adjacent to the trailheads and cars may be ticketed or towed.

Planning and Preservation

Park City Municipal Corporation and Utah Open Lands embarked on a three year planning process, where local stakeholders, advisors and community members provided input forming the backbone of the Bonanza Flat Conservation Easement and Management Plan. On January 9, 2020 the Park City Council approved the Bonanza Flat Conservation Easement and Bonanza Flat Adaptive Management Plan. Both documents can be found here:

Recorded Conservation Ease m ent
Bonanza Flat Adaptive Management (BFAM) Plan
- *Material and Exhibits are subject to change.

General Property Information

Bonanza Flat is split into three management zones based on their environmental attributes; namely: Headwaters (page 80 of BFAM), Backcountry (page 79 of BFAM), and Frontcountry (page 77 of BFAM) zones. These zones provide the pillars associated with applicable management decisions. In turn, the Bonanza Flat Adaptive Management Plan identifies decision making processes and parameters, as well as, a minimum 5 year review, which provides the ability to make informed decisions through monitoring and collecting data and comparing it to baseline information. As natural and human caused processes influence the area the BFAM plan and the Conservation Easement provide the necessary direction to ensure that the land remains protected and that the conservation values (see page 15 of BFAM Plan) remain in balance.