Rose Canyon Sale Halted

Mayor Corroon Halts
Rose Canyon Sale,
Cites Environmental Issues





No deal yet. That’s what Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon told Kennecott Exploration Company (KEX) on the planned $5.3 million sale of more than 832 acres of open space land in Rose Canyon to KEX. The Mayor acted after Kennecott declined to be contractually obligated to monitor air and water quality in and around mining operations planned for the property.

Should these issues be addressed at a future time, the Mayor remains committed to pursuing discussions regarding the property.

Following a public hearing on the tentative sale of surface rights to Kennecott, Mayor Corroon and the County Council agreed to more study of a final contract. Residents of Herriman and High Country Estates asked for assurances that their water supply will not be negatively affected since their aquifers are in the vicinity of the area targeted for mine exploration and drilling activites. “I will not sign a contract without agreement for air and water monitoring,” says Mayor Corroon.

Rose Canyon is an extraordinary piece of open space and is one of few publicly accessible lands on the eastern side of the Oquirrh Mountain range. The 1,700 acre Rose Canyon Ranch was originally purchased by Salt Lake County in the fall of 2007 for $8.7 million.

The County was informed around the time of the purchase that Kennecott might consider mining the property. The County and Kennecott later created a framework agreement that outlined how those subsurface rights would be explored.

Legal advisors have told the Mayor and Council that the County cannot prevent the company from mining, regardless of who owns the surface rights.

But Mayor Corroon maintains that owning the surface rights ensure the County has a greater say in the land’s future and the Bureau of Land Management requires a comprehensive plan of operations that includes environmental considerations and reclamation. If minerals deposits are located, the County, as the surface owner, has rights that protect its interests.

Mayor Corroon says the County will fully exercise its rights and protect the public’s investment in high quality open space lands.


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