Davis County farmer wins protection for one of several plots of land

DAVIS COUNTY — Alan Bangerter’s family has been working plots of land in Davis County for the last four generations. When he learned that land would be eaten up by at least two different public projects he decided to fight.

“He followed every step perfectly,” said Davis County Commission Chair, Jim Smith.

Smith said neighbors and friends showed up en-masse to support Bangerter’s application to preserve a plot of 44 acres and a plot of 7.6 acres, both in unincorporated Davis County.

Bangerter spoke first, “I’m a fourth generation farmer on this land, and I have two more generations helping me farm it. This farm puts $400,000 a year in wages back into this community and donates 45,000 pounds of produce each year to local food banks.”

For the next forty minutes Bangerter’s attorney and several community members joined Bangerter in asking the commission to protect his land.

“We did not have one single person speak out against the request,” Smith said.

Ultimately the commission decided to protect all but 5.5 of the acres. The rest of them will be used for a highway running through the western section of the county, called the West Davis Corridor.

“We expected it all along. Everyone has been super supportive of the Bangerters, their farms, what they want to do. The agriculture protection act is there for a reason,” said Jeanne Marshall, an attorney for the Bangerters.

Bangerter continues his battle in a Farmington City Council meeting at seven PM tonight. He’s hoping to convince the city that they don’t need to use 22.37 acres of his farm to expand the city park and add soccer fields. 10 of those acres are also on the table to be used for another section of the corridor project.

Bangerter has a final section of his farm, 7.6 acres, that has been requested for public use in Bountiful City, but Marshall said they have already indicated they will approve the application to protect those acres. That hearing is on May 22nd.