Cottonwood Heights and Holladay council members are backing a federal bill that would permanently protect roughly 80,000 acres of Wasatch canyon land, including the watershed that supplies the Salt Lake Valley's drinking water.

The Central Wasatch Commission published a detailed explainer on Thursday, Sept. 3, outlining what the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act (CWNCRA) would do. The commission is actively redrafting the legislation for introduction into Congress by 2027.

Cottonwood Heights Council Member Ellen Birrell and Holladay Council Member Emily Gray both serve on the CWC board. In January 2026, they signed a comment letter to UDOT arguing that Big Cottonwood Canyon transportation solutions should be tied to the bill's passage.

"If the CWNCRA was passed, it would afford real protection for Little Cottonwood Canyon," Birrell said at an April 7 Cottonwood Heights Council work session. She added that the designation could allow timed entry and help alleviate canyon traffic for city residents.

What the bill would do

The CWNCRA would create Utah's first National Conservation and Recreation Area on existing federal land. It would also expand existing Wilderness Areas, add about 8,000 acres of new Wilderness including a Mount Aire/Grandeur Peak Wilderness Area, and establish an 1,800-acre White Pine Watershed Protection Area.

Three key prohibitions would apply: no new road construction, no motorized or mechanized transport except on designated roads and trails, and no ski resort expansion beyond existing permit boundaries. The four Cottonwood Canyons ski resorts would continue operating under their current Special Use Permits. New lifts within those existing footprints would still be allowed.

The bill would not alter state highway corridors SR 190 or SR 210, limit UDOT's avalanche control or safety work, or change UDOT's permitting process. Transit stops, trailheads, bike lanes and other public transportation infrastructure are expressly allowed.

Private property and water rights

Private landowners within the boundaries would see no change to their property rights or access. The bill explicitly prohibits condemnation and forced sale of private land. Government acquisition would be limited to voluntary exchanges, donations or purchases from willing sellers.

Existing water rights would not be affected. The bill applies only to federally owned land.

Why the CWC says it's urgent

The commission's report points to two active threats: congressional proposals to force the sale of 2–3 million acres of public lands, potentially including about 29,000 acres of Forest Service land in the Central Wasatch, and the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Rule.

Millcreek Mayor and CWC Board Chair Jeff Silvestrini said in October 2025 that the Roadless Rule rollback would strip protections from 28,500 acres in the Central Wasatch. He called the CWNCRA the commission's "best way forward" in a resolution opposing the rescission.

The CWNCRA's designations would make the affected lands ineligible for sale and provide protections that only an act of Congress could undo.

Local investment

Cottonwood Heights has been a CWC member since 2017 and pays $59,000 annually under the commission's 2026 funding analysis, up from a historic $50,000. Holladay joined in July 2025 with a $25,000 membership fee.

CWC Executive Director Lindsey Nielsen described the CWNCRA as the commission's "cornerstone project" at the April 7 Cottonwood Heights Council session, noting the watershed provides drinking water for 90% of Utahns.

The bill's funding would come through annual federal appropriations via the U.S. Forest Service. No specific hearing date or public comment period has been announced beyond the 2027 target for introduction.