Zion Mountain Ranch Wins Land Conservation Effort

Permanent conservation easement at the east border of Zion National Park protects critical animal migration corridor, preserves view sheds for future generations.

Zion National Park, UT (PRWEB) August 11, 2011

Zion Mountain Ranch (ZMR) announces today the successful land conservation acquisition of the 324-acre parcel known as The Buffalo Preserve Acreage just outside the eastern entrance to Zion National Park in Southern Utah. The acquisition is the culmination of a cooperative three-year effort between ZMR, The Virgin River Land Preservation Association (VRLPA) and several public and private donors to secure this critical parcel in a permanent conservation easement, effectively protecting it from commercial development in perpetuity.

The newly conserved Buffalo Preserve Acreage provides shelter and a critical migration corridor for mule deer and other wildlife and includes the archeological site known as Indian Knoll. As a significant addition to the east border of Zion Park, the preservation of this property guarantees that these invaluable view sheds will be available for the enjoyment of future generations of visitors.

The commercial sprawl typically found outside U.S. national park boundaries pose numerous environmental threats to the “gateway areas” surrounding the parks. Such threats include increased traffic, litter, noise, light pollution and the disruption of wildlife habitats and animal migration patterns - all of which impact park resources and the visitor experience. The National Park Service is charged with managing and protecting the parks themselves, but the agency's authority does not extend beyond park borders, leaving conservation efforts in these “gateway communities” to private interests.

Kevin and Stacy McLaws, sole proprietors of ZMR, are one such private interest. For more than a decade, they have been working tirelessly with land conservation groups and private concerns in Southern Utah to protect the eastern corridor of Zion National Park.

The McLaws' fight to save the eastern gateway began as an outgrowth of their management of Zion Mountain Ranch; sharing their guests' first-hand experiences amidst the quiet beauty and simplicity of the area's wide-open meadows and rangeland. When land sales in the Buffalo Meadow acreage adjacent to the Ranch began, Kevin and Stacy knew what they had to do. Working with local landowners, private investors and conservation organizations like the VRLPA, their unselfish and brilliant strategy to save the passageway from unlimited commercial zoning began to take shape.

“The relationship between land and people is one of inter-dependence, even in this age of technology,” says Kevin McLaws. We are challenged with forgetting this relationship at times. Our fast-paced urbanized lifestyles increasingly disconnect us from something that is an integral part of our core value system and health on several levels. This shows its effects on our society at an ever-accelerating pace, especially in younger generations.

“The natural spaces close to where we spend our time are rapidly disappearing, and with the disappearance of each acre we lose something essential about who we are. The protection of the east Zion passageway is an act of responsible custodianship of a priceless American treasure. You can balance both the interests of land and people with the long haul in mind. Aesthetics, open spaces, wildlife, accommodations, and people; it's a wonderful mix.''

McLaws explains that the ZMR conservation efforts in East Zion are not anti-land use, but rather, a mindful, sustainable approach to development. “We believe in responsibly balancing the people with the land. Our stewardship of the precious gifts we have been given here on Earth will be a legacy we leave to our children and our children's children. Special places do not stay that way by accident. Working together with like-minded organizations and members of the community, we are serving the needs of the precious and diminishing open land that has long inspired the vision of the American West. This effort is about ensuring that the vision is here for the enjoyment of generations to come.”

ABOUT ZION MOUNTAIN RANCH
Zion Mountain Ranch (ZMR) is Southern Utah's premier lodging destination. Adjoining the eastern entrance to Zion National Park, the Ranch offers guests AAA rated luxury cabins, fine dining supplied by Chef Shon Foster and his on-site organic garden, horseback riding, and easy accessibility to the National Park and nearby Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. In 2010 ZMR began offering its Buffalo Preserve Homesteads as part of its conservation minded community plan - balancing the need for responsible conservancy with rational land use and development. http://www.zmr.com. [http://zionparkrealestate.com/

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/8/prweb8709029.htm