Students in Park City are getting behind the effort to purchase Bonanza Flats.

Members of the Treasure Mountain Junior High School National Junior Honor Society recently raised more than $1,500 that will be donated to Utah Open Lands for the effort. The nonprofit Utah Open Lands is working with Park City and other entities to secure enough money for the city to buy Bonanza Flats, a parcel of prized open space in Wasatch County that could be slated for development if the effort fails.

Megan McKenna, adviser for the National Junior Honor Society, said the students were eager to get involved. They understand the significance of preserving Bonanza Flats, which is a popular spot for recreation is vital as a watershed and habitat for wildlife.

“For a lot of them, they were surprised that it wouldn’t always be there,” she said. “For a lot of us in Park City, that’s such a special place, and this is the first time we realized it might not always be there. I think it’s an important lesson for the students, that we need to work to protect the places that we love.”

Added student Hanna Wiczek: “There are a lot of people that would like to build on that land, but it’s important the land stays recreational. That’s the purpose of this.”

McKenna said that the students chose to get involved because it was an opportunity to make a difference in their own backyard.

“This year, the kids wanted to do something that directly impacted their community,” she said. “Last year, we did the American Cancer Association, which was really great, but the kids felt strongly that they could leave their mark here and show that we helped save this important part of our community.”

The students raised most of the money through events like bake sales. One student, Eli Kimche, said participating proved rewarding. He was particularly excited to see the community rally to help.

“The experience was really cool, being able to raise your own money for a greater cause than just yourself,” he said. “People were a lot more enthusiastic about the bake sale because it wasn’t just us trying to raise money for ourselves. We’re trying to help out to save the land. You can tell there was kind of a different vibe because of that.”

The students are partnering with Andrew Muse, a local blogger and athlete, for their donation. On Monday, they presented a check to Muse, who is organizing an auction and raffle Saturday at Rock & Reilly’s pub on Main Street to fundraise for Utah Open Lands. The money from the students and Saturday’s event will be pooled into one donation to the nonprofit.

Muse, for one, said the students’ dedication has been impressive.

“It’s cool to see kids this young being aware of things that are happening and the exploitation of the place we live in,” she said. “To be able to protect that is really cool. … When I was their age, I had no clue about anything like this. Obviously the Park City community is pretty aware and conscious, and that gives me hope.”

McKenna said it’s important to get students engaged in the community when they’re young. The hope is they’ll continue to be involved as they grow older because they’ve seen how hard work and determination can change the places they live.

If the effort to purchase Bonanza Flats succeeds — the deadline for Park City and the other entities involved is June 15 — the students will always be proud of the part they played in securing the land, she said.

“I think it will be so special for the students, and it will be something they’ll never forget,” she said. “They’ll always be able to remember it. When I went to Treasure Mountain years ago, we helped protect the wetlands. It still feels like such a special place to me to feel like I was part of that with my teachers then. Our students today will have the same feeling about Bonanza Flats.”

Muse’s event to raise money for the effort to purchase Bonanza Flats was scheduled for Saturday, May 13, at 7 p.m. at Rock & Reilly’s. Attendees must RSVP at facebook.com/events/1402884763108862/.

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Leadership Park City, a city program designed to identify and train individuals for leadership roles, creates a legacy project each year that aims for an overall positive impact in Park City and Summit County.

Past projects have included civility, water conservation, local trails and a children’s book about civic responsibility.

This year’s project for Leadership Class 23 will be to support Park City Municipal and the coalition of outdoor and conservation nonprofits working to save Bonanza Flat — sometimes called Bonanza Flats — the approximately 1,350-acre parcel of land located in Wasatch County downhill from Guardsman Pass.

To date, there is $2.8 million left of a $38 million price purchase that needs to be met by June 15.

Local recreational, environmental and conservation nonprofits — including Utah Open Lands, Save Our Canyons, Mountain Trails Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Summit Land Conservancy, Sierra Club, Wasatch Backcountry Alliance, Friends of Alta and Winter Wildlands Alliance — have formed a coalition to raise funds.

One of the ways the class will help the effort is through an online auction, Class 23 member Sara Jo Dickens said to The Park Record.

“There is so much passion behind this whole effort and it didn’t take much to get everybody stoked to be a part of it,” Dickens said during a joint interview with fellow class member Colleen McGinn. “It’s hard to watch this whole thing happen and not want to participate, so this is the perfect opportunity for us to do something.”

Dickens, who works for Summit Land Conservancy, a nonprofit that preserves open space, said members of Park City Chamber of Commerce approached the nonprofit and said small businesses in Park City wanted to help with the effort to preserve Bonanza Flat.

“The problem was that they couldn’t turn their budgets around fast enough to pull money to donate,” Dickens said. “They did say they had items they could donate if there was a way to monetize them for the cause. So, this is how the idea of the online auction started. We had a lot of small businesses reach out to donate to the auction.”

The auction will run May 12-26 and the public can bid on items by visiting http://www.biddingforgood.com/savebonanzaflat.

Some items include a private chef dinner for eight at Gallery MAR with Savory Kitchen, a two-night stay at The Homestead and a spa day at the Waldorf Astoria.

Other items include a membership to the new Summit/Park City bike share program, an Orange Theory Fitness Package, a Salt Pilates class package worth $100, dinner for two at Tupelo, ski and summer mountain bike passes at Deer Valley, 10-punch yoga pass for Tadasana Yoga Studio, a Zodi portable shower and Renegade hiking boots from LOWA Boots LLC.

Kodiak Cakes will match the 5K race registrations for the Park City Trail Series up to $10,000 for all registrations that come in by June 10. And Flying Aces All Stars, which puts on freestyle jumping shows at Utah Olympic Park during the summer, has donated tickets and a private training session by Ashley Caldwell.

Friends of Alta will donate auction items that include a Nau International gift certificate, two one-day travel certificates to any city on JetBlue and tickets to the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, as well as a 2017 limited edition Sundance Film Festival poster.

“There are other items including camping and climbing gear from Liberty Mountain and Mountainsmith and ski equipment from Scott Sports,” Dickens said.

“Hopefully, since this is an online auction, we can reach people from around the world who have visited Park City or who know about Bonanza Flat through friends,” McGinn said.

“We will even accept donations after the auction starts, because we can post them as New Items,” Dickens said.

While the online auction is a major part of Class 23’s project, there’s more.

“We have Save Bonanza Flat T-shirts that were made by Jameson Harper that are on sale,” McGinn said. “We teamed up with Motherlode Park City, a t-shirt company to do this, and the shirts are available for $25 and half of the proceeds goes to Bonanza Flat.”

Also, Uinta Brewing Company has created a Bonanza Beer.

“One of the guys in our group used to work for the Uinta Brewing Company and he asked them to make a beer,” McGinn said. “The beer will be on tap at Flanagan’s, Boneyard and No Name and some other local taverns.”

Like the T-shirts, most of the proceeds from the beer sales will benefit Bonanza Flat.

If, by chance, the $2.8 million isn’t raised by June 15, donors will have a choice to get refunds or give their money to another open-land project, Dickens said.

“We know our auction alone isn’t going to raise $2.8 million, but it will raise some money and also raise awareness for the overall thing,” Dickens said. “Every piece of the nonprofit coalition is working with other donors. This is a way for Leadership to do something. If we can do anything to raise awareness, we will. To have new energy come in is a great way to add to the efforts.”

Leadership Park City Class 23 will host an online auction at http://www.biddingforgood.com/savebonanzaflat from May 12-26 to help raise money to preserve Bonanza Flat. For information or to donate items, contact Sara Jo Dickens at sarajo@wesaveland.org or Colleen McCinn at mcginn.colleen@gmail.com.

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Erika Keffer loves to visit Bonanza Flats in the fall when the area’s aspens change color.

The Park City native said the viewing experience is stunning, since every aspen shares a root system with other trees of its kind.

“When you look at the different aspens changing colors in the fall, you can see which ones share which root system,” Keffer said. “There will be a little nugget of red from one isolated root system and massive fields of golden or yellow from other colonies.”

Like the aspens that grow on the plot of land she visits high in the Wasatch County mountains, Keffer wants to become one member who is part of a bigger system. She wants to be one more person raising money to help Park City purchase and preserve Bonanza Flats.

Keffer is hosting a Bonanza Flats silent auction and opportunity drive at the Notch Pub in Samak, which will start at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8. The cover charge is $10, which includes one raffle ticket. Additional raffle tickets are $5 each.

“I have never been much of an activist,” Keffer said. “I’ve been supportive of a lot of things, but never a primary supporter.

“With this, it just hit close to home. Not only is this place geographically close to my home, but I have spent a lot of time up there. I didn’t feel like I could sit and do nothing.”

Bonanza Flats — owned by Redus, LLC — is a 1,400-acre piece of land located downhill from Guardsman Pass that could potentially be sold for development. In November, Park City residents voted in favor of a $25 million bond to help pay for and conserve the area.

In January, City Hall reached a deal with the landowner to purchase Bonanza Flats for $38 million.

Since then, many efforts have been launched to make up for the $13 million gap: A nonprofit coalition, headed by Utah Open Lands, was created in order to obtain private funding. It has raised $1.4 million. Summit County also pledged to chip in, agreeing to put $5.75 million in the pile.

Wendy Fisher, executive director of Utah Open Lands, said that while past fundraisers have been successful, the coalition still needs to close the rest of the $13 million gap before March 15, which is when the city is required to make a $1.5 million payment toward the purchase.

Fisher said the fast-approaching timeline is why it’s important for events such as Keffer’s and others’ to do well.

A fundraiser at the Notch

Keffer said she had no clue how to plan a fundraiser when she decided to help save Bonanza Flats. But after contacting local businesses and reaching out to the Notch, she now has a place for the event and several items — donated by places such as Skullcandy and Black Diamond — for the drawing and auction.

“I started pretty much from zero and now it’s a full-fledged event,” Keffer said.

The fundraiser’s bigger items, from skis to ski passes, will be part of the silent auction. Smaller items, from t-shirts to headphones, will be in the drawing.

Keffer said she’s happy the event will be at the Notch.

“It’s definitely out of the way of Park City,” she said. “But it’s a great venue with parking and drinks and fun bartenders. The Notch was also willing to pay for the band and contribute 20 percent of its profits from that night toward the fundraiser.”

Keffer said the event will have music provided by local band Telluride Meltdown. And while she doesn’t plan on raising a large amount of money, she hopes the little bit she brings in will help.

“My dad always said — when I was growing up — the crumbs add up to a slice,” she said. “I guess I’m collecting crumbs.”

Taking the bus can also help

Since the coalition’s campaign to save Bonanza Flats is in crunch time, other nonprofits and individuals are also hoping to bring in money within the next week.

For instance, Fisher mentioned a Wasatch Backcountry Alliance pledge that impressed her.

“They will be giving all of the donations from the ski shuttles going up Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons this Saturday to the effort,” Fisher said. “You’ll get a great ride. You’ll cut down on traffic congestion, and you’ll get to help save Bonanza Flats.”

Artists want to do their part, too

Like Keffer and those at Wasatch Backcountry Alliance, many local artists feel Bonanza Flats inspires them, which is why the Park City Professional Artists’ Association and Summit Land Conservancy partnered with Whole Foods in Park City for an art show that is currently on display at the grocery store.

Jane Riley, along with nine other artists, contributed pieces to the exhibit, which is also a silent auction. The group will donate proceeds to the conservancy for the cause. Those who would like to bid on the pieces can visit wesaveland.org/auctions.

Future plans

Fisher said Utah Open Lands is also planning on launching one more initiative before the March 15 deadline. She said it most likely will be some sort of challenge grant, but is still not sure.

She added that information about the campaign and its future plans can be found at http://www.savebonanzaflats.org. People can also visit the website to make individual donations, she said.

Editor’s note: This story has been changed to reflect the new price for raffle tickets for Keffer’s fundraiser. Tickets are now $5 each.

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A delegation from Park City spoke to the Wasatch County Council on Wednesday about City Hall’s anticipated acquisition of Bonanza Flats acreage for conservation purposes, a cordial meeting that was the first in what will likely be a series of gatherings between the two jurisdictions centered on the land.

Three Park City officials – Mayor Jack Thomas, Tom Daley, who is a City Hall attorney, and Heinrich Deters, the trails and open space manager – appeared before Wasatch County’s elected leadership with a map of the high-altitude Bonanza Flats on display in the background. Wendy Fisher, the executive director of Utah Open Lands, accompanied the Park City officials to Heber City.

Bonanza Flats is a long-prized tract of land covering 1,350 acres in Wasatch County downhill from Guardsman Pass just south of the Park City limits. Developers and conservationists have coveted the land for years. City Hall in January reached a $38 million agreement with the landowner, a firm called Redus, LLC, to acquire Bonanza Flats. Park City voters authorized $25 million for the acquisition and supporters of the deal are attempting to raise the rest of the money. Summit County leaders recently pledged $5.75 million.

The Park City delegation used the meeting on Wednesday to introduce the planned acquisition of Bonanza Flats to the Wasatch County leadership. The Wasatch County officials hold an important role in oversight of the land in zoning and other matters that will be of importance to City Hall as the eventual landowner.

“We want to be good neighbors,” the mayor told the County Council, describing City Hall as “charging forward” with the acquisition and that the fundraising efforts are going well.

Thomas also described that a conservation acquisition of Bonanza Flats would be environmentally significant in Wasatch County since it would provide protection for the watershed. City Hall will be expected to craft a set of restrictions on the land meant to ensure that it remains undeveloped. The document, known as a conservation easement, has not been finalized, Thomas said.

In her comments to the County Council, Fisher noted there have been numerous residents of Wasatch County contributing to the fundraising efforts.

The Wasatch County officials asked a series of what appeared to be preliminary questions after the Park City-side presentations. The leaders in Wasatch County – elected officials and staffers – will likely make more detailed inquiries later, as Park City completes the conservation easement.

One of the County Councilors, Mike Petersen, asked the Park City officials about the possibilities of City Hall restricting access as well as whether vehicles will be able to use the roads in Bonanza Flats. The mayor said Park City will defer to Wasatch County.

“We have no intention of jumping into the role you all have with regard to that,” Thomas said, adding, “It is indeed a county road, and we respect that.”

Deters told the County Council Park City’s goal is to keep Bonanza Flats as it is now. He said an environmental study will be conducted after the acquisition is finalized, though.

Kendall Crittenden, another County Councilor, also pressed the Park City officials about ensuring Bonanza Flats is public acreage.

“Access needs to be open to everybody,” he said.

Mike Davis, who is the Wasatch County manager, also mentioned the presence of roads in Bonanza Flats and said parking will be of interest. He noted Wasatch County agencies are responsible for providing emergency services in Bonanza Flats and said that county will seek assistance from Park City. He explained that tax revenues will not be raised to fund emergency services as a result of City Hall acquiring the land for conservation purposes instead the acreage being developed.

Davis said there is sensitivity in Wasatch County about City Hall acquiring Bonanza Flats since 70 percent of the land in the county is already under public ownership. Land that is owned by a government does not generate tax revenues.

There was also a brief discussion about the prospects of Wasatch County assisting financially with the acquisition. It was in response to a question by Petersen. Fisher told him there are a number of jurisdictions that use Bonanza Flats and there is an effort to raise funds in those places. She said the fundraising does not anticipate requesting monies from Wasatch County.

City Hall has long coveted Bonanza Flats for conservation purposes. The acquisition will be one of the crowning achievements of the municipal government’s open space program. But developers have also prized the acreage for years, seeing the possibility of a golf-and-ski project on the land. Park City officials see the acquisition as something that will advance the conservation efforts in addition to checking a major development at the municipal borders.

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Last week, Summit County Council members agreed to contribute $5.75 million toward the purchase of the Bonanza Flats acreage.

During a closed session meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21, County Council members approved the decision to help finance the purchase of the long-sought acreage, which is seen as a crucial piece of open space land located in Wasatch County, downhill from Guardsman Pass.

“We can talk about this for a long time or we can say there is a need that we can fill right now,” said Chris Robinson, County Council member. “This is a good project and it will promote open space and accomplish other goals at the same time.

“What we are agreeing to is not all the way or even halfway there, but it is a good dent in bridging the $13 million gap,” he added.

In January, City Hall reached a $38 million deal with the property’s landowner to acquire the land as part of the city’s open space program. Park City voters had previously approved a $25 million bond prior to the deal. An additional $13 million is needed and the city is required to make a $1.5 million payment toward the purchase option on March 15.

Utah Open Lands is currently leading the nonprofit coalition in private fundraising, along with the Summit Land Conservancy and Mountain Trails Foundation, among others.

“As of last night the private fundraising total has reached $1.35 million. This effort to preserve Bonanza Flats will not happen without public support,” said Wendy Fisher, executive director of Utah Open Lands. “The strong show of support from Summit County is a huge milestone in the campaign.

“Certainly we are over halfway to our goal and, in my perspective, it is a strong show of support that I think speaks volumes to the Park City Council,” Fisher said.

While Fisher commended the efforts of Park City and Summit County, she said there are other jurisdictions along the Wasatch Front and Back that need to become involved.

“This is not just recreational land for Wasatch Front and Wasatch Back residents. This is also watershed for Salt City and Sandy,” Fisher said. “We still have some time left before the March 15 deadline so if people continue to raise awareness and contribute it adds more voices to the collective call for conservation of this land and that is important.”

The Summit County Council has established a “very general framework” regarding the contribution. Robinson said the funds will likely come from the county’s open space budget, as well as others.

“We have a way that we believe will work,” Robinson said, adding that the donation will not affect the county’s services or programs.

Robinson said the details about the funds and any required agreements with Park City will be decided within the next two weeks.

“We are still working on all of that, we just don’t have everything fleshed out,” Robinson said. “It will probably be a combination of some grants and some land exchanges, among others.

“Utah Open Lands and Park City Municipal are making good progress with fundraising and we wanted to get out and say, ‘We are in,’” he said.

Cheryl Fox, executive director of Summit Land Conservancy, called the contribution “heroic and essential.” Fox said it shows other potential partners that Summit County and Park City are united in the effort.

“It’s bold because it’s never easy and no one ever spends taxpayer money without a lot of consideration. I think that the County Council is really showing a lot of leadership,” Fox said. “In order for the city to feel comfortable putting more money into Bonanza Flats they really need considerable support to bridge the $13 million gap.”

Fox said while they are hoping about $3 million will come from private fundraising, “there is a big portion that will have to come from government.”

“It is not saved yet,” Fox said. “We are reaching out to the people who have supported our conservation projects in Summit County, as well as others that we know who might be inversely impacted should development happen there.

“The support from the community has been overwhelming with businesses and individuals who want to support this, but it will definitely be a team effort,” she said. “When you have 10 nonprofits working together for one cause shows how valuable that cause is.”

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