Mark and Gina Thompson recently finalized a deal to purchase 300 acres of land that could hold scores of new homes in a striking valley in Sardine Canyon — and have promised to do absolutely nothing with it.
The land, once slated for development, will now remain wide open — a sanctuary for migrating elk, deer and moose. The Thompsons’ decision is part of a broader effort with Cache County to preserve nearly 800 acres, and it has resonated with locals who once feared the green hills and wildlife corridors of Sardine Canyon might disappear beneath rooftops and fences.The couple has been flooded with calls from strangers sharing their gratitude.
“This appearance coming into Cache Valley,” Mark said, looking out over the land on either side of Highway 89, “I’ve always referred to it as the crown jewel. And the people that come from out of town and come here for the first time, that is the first comment they make to us, is how beautiful that entrance was coming into Cache Valley through the canyon. It’s a lasting impression on them.”
Securing the deal was an emotional milestone for the couple, who have spent the past few years working behind the scenes to protect this stretch of the canyon. After a developer purchased the land and floated plans to build more than 100 homes on it, Mark and Gina — who already owned acres further east — stepped in to see if they could intervene.
The couple, longtime residents of Cache Valley, wanted to preserve the natural paths created by wildlife that use the canyon’s underpasses to move east during winter months.
“The thing that gets forgotten is development shuts that navigation off,” Mark said. “People encroach, and buildings encroach, fences encroach, and pretty soon the wildlife can't transition like they normally do.”
Their newly acquired 300-acre parcel sits directly east of an additional 471 acres just purchased for $7.5 million by Cache County, which will reserve it permanently as public open space for recreation. The Thompsons say they will use their neighboring land only for cattle grazing — no buildings, no roads, just open space. They plan to add a legal restriction prohibiting development in the future.
“I mean, we are enjoying it,” Gina said. “Why not future generations?”
‘The most beautiful gateway’
The two acquisitions make up the most ambitious land preservation effort in Cache County history — a deal years in the making, according to county executive David Zook. Bridle Path Partners — the developer that had once planned to build on the site — sold the land to the county and the Thompsons. There is currently no specific plan for the county’s publicly accessible space, though ideas for various types of trails and year-round accessibility have been discussed.
Zook said he is in the process of securing funding to hire a consultant who will draft a comprehensive plan for the area.
The partnership with Bridle Path gives the county right of first refusal on a nearby 18-acre parcel. It also limits any future development to just 29 residential lots and an indoor riding arena on the remaining parcels retained by Bridle Path Partners, which cover just over 100 acres.
“We want there to be adequate housing,” Zook said. “However, we don’t want housing everywhere and there are some places that are best suited for agriculture or recreation or wildlife. That’s what many people in our community thought when they heard about the proposal to develop this valley.”
Bridle Path Partners first approached the Wellsville City Council in August 2021 with plans to build 131 homes and equestrian facilities across the original 900 acres. The project struggled to gain traction — and by late 2023, Bridle Path Partners filed for bankruptcy.
Zook said the land’s existing zoning would have allowed the developer to build up to 400 homes — a prospect that sparked widespread concern, not just because of the area’s scenic value, but also because it contains vital water resources for the city of Wellsville.
“So, there wasn’t really anything that could be done to stop it,” he said, “other than purchasing the land.”
While discussing the need to preserve open space and introducing an open space bond that would use taxpayer dollars for conservation, Zook said he often pointed to this property as a prime example of what can happen when the right protections aren’t in place.
“This is the most beautiful gateway into the valley,” Zook said. “This is an incredible scenic vista. This is a critical wildlife habitat and migratory area. This project checked the boxes for most of the criteria that we are hoping to meet for our Open Space Preservation Program.”
Originally, the county believed securing all of the acreage would cost around $10 million. The final purchase price of $7.5 million equates to roughly $15,000 per acre — which Zook said he considers exceptionally fair.
Ultimately, the county will only tap $4 million in local taxpayer funds from its 2022 voter-approved Open Space Bond. The remainder is covered by a $2 million grant from Utah’s Division of Outdoor Recreation, $1 million from Wellsville and $500,000 from a private donor.
“This is the most exciting accomplishment in Cache Valley,” Zook said, “in decades.”
'A critical juncture'
Shauna Hart, a conservation photographer and chairman of the Utah Wildlife Federation Board, said she is thrilled with the agreement. As a Cache Valley resident, she often visits the area to watch migrating elk and mule deer.
Its preservation “is a very good thing,” Hart said. “It’s very biodiverse, the whole area in there.”
She said that with up to 29 lots still eligible for development, she hopes any future builders will consult with local wildlife experts and take steps to ensure the area’s natural beauty and ecological integrity are preserved.
Northern Utah, she said, is at a critical juncture.
“The reason people are flocking here into these mountainous areas in the Intermountain West is because of the beauty of the land,” Hart said. “Inherent in that beauty and value is the wildlife and the health of the air and the water and the biodiversity in that land, which people crave and want to live on. “But if we don't keep the health of that land and care for the wildlife and try to coexist instead of work against it,” she said, “the value will plummet because the wildlife will no longer exist.”
