Lewiston family explores easement for contiguous 153-acre irrigated pasture

Summary

Dennis Jackson presented a pre-application for approximately 153 contiguous acres near Lewiston that historically hosted Utah State University research pasture. COSAC staff said the parcel’s size and contiguity make it a strong candidate for NRCS and LeRay McAllister funding and advised coordination with land trusts and partners.

Dennis Jackson, a Lewiston resident, presented a pre-application Nov. 3 for family-owned contiguous acreage that he described as a quarter-section (approximately 153 acres). Jackson said roughly 120 of the 160 acres had been leased to Utah State University for irrigated pasture research until a year earlier and that family members plan to resume production. The family cited intergenerational interest in keeping the property in agriculture.

Staff told Jackson that the property’s size, contiguity and agricultural use could perform well in NRCS and LeRay McAllister funding competitions, which prioritize larger, agricultural projects. "If there's a great amount of funding from those other sources and it's a smaller amount of funding from us, that's more appealing," a staff member said.

Committee members offered to connect Jackson with local land trusts — including the Utah Agricultural Land Trust and Bear River Land Conservancy — and explained the multi-funder and appraisal process generally used for conservation easements. Jackson said the family’s aim is to preserve the land’s future use for agriculture and to make that intention clear for heirs. No formal vote was taken.