Editor’s note: This Wild Seeing is a reprint of a commentary by Leslie Miller that was first published on Sept. 2, 2023. The rugged, mostly undisturbed landscape of the 910 Cattle Ranch sings, bugles, hoots and howls with songs of the natural world. When you experience, as I have, the rare pristine beauty of this large-scale landscape recently purchased by Summit County, you will understand the essential need to conserve its wilderness qualities and make protecting its wild inhabitants a top priority. The former owner, David Bernolfo, insisted upon a non-negotiable “No Hunting” contract as a condition of sale. All wild animals, birds and water fowl will continue to be safe from legal hunting, thanks to his commitment to protecting and respecting wildlife. Whether it is a fully racked, sentient bull elk, snout to the autumn sky bugling his heart out, or the flash of a mountain bluebird’s “blue” in a springtime sky, or catching a glimpse of a fierce white ermine tunneling a snowbank while waving her fragile black-tipped tail in winter’s air, this and more is worth saving in Summit County’s newly acquired “Serengeti.” If the community and county leadership make conservation their mantra rather than looking at the open space through a recreational lens by comparisons to Round Valley or its significance in proximity to the Flying Dog Trail, then and only then will they preserve the legacy landscape they are celebrating. This remarkable property is a retreat from the noise of urbanization and overcrowding. Let’s keep it that way now and forever. At the county’s public hearing and vote on the open space purchase, I heard many local constituents plead for restraint. Most voiced “leave it alone” or “keep it mostly as is” directives. In this watershed moment the public has a choice: Sacrifice the lust for unyielding access and mechanization on public lands or make sustaining vital wildlife and wildlands our top priority. Going forward, a clear vision and management plan is critical. Of course, it must include expert environmental analysis, public input, robust supervision and on-going enforcement. Applying a qualified conservation easement on the property while protecting wildlife depends on an engaged community holding their elected officials accountable to the promises and pitfalls of large-scale landscape conservation and management. Unfortunately, hazards do exist on an immense property like the 910. Along with the rich array of conservation, educational, research, cultural, historical and public interest opportunities, ever-present threats pose risks to the land’s integrity and beauty. Wildlife poaching, trespassing, wildfires and accidents are a reality. I appreciate the enthusiasm of county administrative staff’s “we will make it better” intention. However, attempts to change the land instead of adjusting our interaction with the land are misguided. Open Space Advisory Committee member Dick Stoner urged the county to tread lightly: “This is art.” Rather, can’t we make better our fundamental understanding of the natural world? Learning to respect the migratory pathways, reproductive cycles and seasonal pauses of wildlife is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To be in synch with the rhythms inherent to the natural world is a gift. There will come a time to breathe in the sweet-sour smell of bunch grass and listen for the voices of coyotes, meadowlarks and great horned owls on our special public open space. Hopefully, there will be a time to walk on a guided tour, volunteer, build bluebird nest boxes or keep a watchful eye out for poachers. We will be patient but ready for the inspired conservation plan honoring the legacy of the 910 Cattle Ranch, on behalf of one resident blue heron, a bushy tailed fox and stealthy raccoons, spry sandhill cranes, new ducklings, native cutthroat trout, grazing white tails, energized barn swallows, vibrant Western tanagers, screeching red-tailed hawks, soaring golden eagles, shy yellow-bellied marmots, crazy ground squirrels, slow-moving porcupines, tiny frogs, night-time skunks, a lazing cougar, moose families and a reclusive bear, native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees and always the big-hearted refuge. Leslie Miller is the co-editor of “Reimagining A Place for the Wild” and a former, long-time resident of Park City who now lives in Midway.  The post Wild Seeing: The 910 legacy to honor wildlife appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less