The small, rural community of Castle Valley is located in the beautiful red rock desert of southeastern Utah surrounded by 4,500 acres of trust lands. Many of the town’s 350 residents describe themselves as “urban runaways” or “renegades” escaping the city for the harsh beauty of Utah’s southeastern desert landscape.

In 1998, Utah’s School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) decided to auction land at the base of Parriott Mesa, one of the prominent red rock geological features in Castle Valley. Previously unaware of the differences between trust lands and other types of state or federal land in the Valley, many community members realized that the loss of this natural open space was a possibility.

A group of concerned residents formed the Castle Rock Collaboration (CRC) to represent the conservation interests of the town. SITLA, CRC and the town government engaged in a multi-year process to plan for appropriate development and potentially allow for conservation options on the trust lands. The collaborative group experienced some challenges including achieving mixed success with community outreach, misunderstanding the role of the town in the collaborative process and perceiving mutually exclusive objectives—SITLA’s goal was to generate revenue through development and the community’s goal was to maintain open space and prevent development.

However, there were a number of elements that facilitated successful interactionsincluding creating partnerships, establishing shared goals and experiences and engaging in joint fact-finding. Group activities—hikes and celebrations of successes—kept many motivated. As participant Wendy Fisher explained, “You’ve got to focus on the quality of the experiences that everybody has … celebrate little milestones, little successes.”

Because of the planning process, SITLA sold more than 700 acres of trust land for conservation purposes, achieving both revenue generation and protection of land valued for its natural resources, scenic beauty and wildlife habitat. A land exchange is currently pending with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the remainder of the lands owned by SITLA in the Valley. If the land exchange is approved, the BLM will manage the land in Castle Valley for its conservation value.