The historic Dugout Ranch bordering Canyonlands
National Park in southeast Utah will be purchased by The Nature
Conservancy to prevent its possible development into recreational
properties. The Conservancy has a one-year option on the ranch and
will need to raise $4.62 million in the next year to complete the
transaction.
The ranch, northwest of Monticello,
Utah, in San Juan County, is at the gateway of the park’s Needles
District. It has been owned and operated for the last 31 years by
Robert and Heidi Redd, descendants of the pioneering Charlie Redd
family. Like many rural families with large landholdings, the Redds
needed to divide the family assets. The couple was divorced and
their children grown and sale of the spectacular property appeared
likely.
“Once a ranch like this is divided
there’s a greater risk of its being sold off in smaller pieces and
that would be tragic,” said Robert Redd at Salt Lake City
ceremonies announcing the sale. “We don’t feel we’re really losing
a ranch, rather the whole state and country is gaining one.”
The Dugout controls 5,167 deeded acres and has
leases on 250,000 acres of BLM and Forest Service lands, mostly on
the west slope of the Abajo Mountains. The Conservancy says it
plans to continue operating the property as a working ranch and
preserve under the management of Heidi Redd for at least 10 years.
*Larry Warren
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Utah ranch to remain whole.
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