Utah DWR wins Cinnamon Creek property auction

Nov 16, 2021, 6:26 PM

Cinnamon Creek property, Cache and Weber Counties. Photo credit: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

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SALT LAKE CITY — More than 8,000 acres of property formerly held by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) was auctioned off on Tuesday, with the winning bid coming from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

The property, Cinnamon Creek, is west of Ant Flat Road and north of the Cache/Weber County boundary line.

The property is named after Cinnamon Creek, which runs through its more than 8,100 acres.

“The Cinnamon Creek property provides important public access for hunting, angling, and other wildlife-related recreation in northern Utah in an area that is mostly private land,” DWR Assistant Director Mike Canning said.

Partners provided significant funding to help DWR acquire Cinnamon Creek property

In a statement to the media, the Utah DWR said they were able to win with the help of partners that committed “significant funding.” Those partners include the Mule Deer Foundation, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, the State of Utah, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

“We are extremely grateful to all the conservation groups who also realized the significance of this property for wildlife and the public, and contributed funds to allow us to purchase it,” Canning said.

Canning also noted the agency’s appreciation for the Utah Legislature and in particular Rep. Casey Snider whose district includes the area of the Cinnamon Creek property.

The DWR said that Cinnamon Creek will become the 193rd wildlife management area in Utah. Opportunities to hunt and fish are among the benefits of DWR ownership, the agency said. But wildlife management, they said, is also important.

The DWR will help minimize the impact of wildlife on private property in the area. At the same time, it will provide winter feeding ranges for wildlife, including big game.

“It also contains important habitat for elk, mule deer, moose, greater sage-grouse and sharp tailed-grouse,” Canning said. “In addition, Cinnamon Creek contains a genetically pure Bonneville cutthroat trout population.

“We will manage the area as a wildlife management area to continue providing crucial habitat for wildlife and will also continue to allow access for hunting and fishing.”