Protecting valuable habitat that surrounds U.S. military installations is vital to both our national security and the species that need these buffer lands to survive. In the case of Camp Williams — a National Guard training site located approximately 25 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah — a growing coalition called the West Traverse Community Partnership (WTCP) is working with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses and landowners to preserve open spaces, increase wildlife habitat and foster compatible land use surrounding the military installation.

Our Role

The Conservation Fund and the National Guard Bureau have entered into a cooperative agreement to help preserve key parcels of land that are in the vicinity of, or ecologically related to, Camp Williams. These efforts are being conducted under the U.S. Army’s Compatible Use Buffer and the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration programs. The partnership will keep significant working landscapes and wildlife habitat adjacent to Camp Williams intact, minimizing incompatible development that threatens the installation’s training mission. The protection of the 662-acre “GSF Farms” is the initial conservation easement acquisition associated with the effort, which will serve as the first step in preserving military readiness and protecting important landscapes.

Why This Project Matters

Urban sprawl and habitat loss are happening at an accelerated rate near Camp Williams. By preserving and protecting this unique habitat in the western Traverse Mountains, WTCP is engaging in efforts that will benefit wildlife and plant species in the area, while limiting encroachment that constrains Camp Williams’ training activities. For instance, mule deer rely on this mountain landscape for critical migration corridors, breeding grounds and a winter range that sustains them from year to year. WTCP is seeking designation as a sentinel landscape through the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, a federal, local and private collaboration dedicated to promoting natural resource sustainability and the preservation of agricultural and conservation land uses in areas surrounding military installations.