City intern researches open space, making management recommendations

On Tuesday, April 15, the Eagle Mountain City Council will review an “Open Space Management Plan,” developed by Nate Shumway, an intern from Utah State University completing his master’s degree in environmental planning.

The plan takes a close look at how Eagle Mountain’s extensive open spaces can be preserved, maintained and used to their full potential.

Shumway, who grew up in a neighborhood with ample open space, said the project was an ideal fit for both his academic goals and personal passions.

“I’ve always had a love for open space. I grew up around it, and it’s something I value highly,” he said. “Eagle Mountain still has a lot of that, and getting the opportunity to work in a city that’s actively looking to preserve and manage it was something I couldn’t pass up.”

The Open Space Management Plan recognizes that Eagle Mountain has an abundance of natural assets: undeveloped land, wildlife corridors, and green spaces that serve both ecological and community functions. But without a thoughtful management approach, these areas risk degradation.

“These spaces are important not just for the environment but for the people who live here,” said Shumway. “They support local wildlife, offer recreational opportunities, and help educate people about the natural world around them. But without proper care, they can easily become neglected or misused.”

The plan outlines a number of best management practices to help the City maintain healthy, sustainable open spaces. Shumway emphasized that the first step is for the City to commit to active, ongoing management.

“It starts with the City saying, ‘This matters, and we’re going to manage it,’” he said. “Then we look at what kind of management each area needs and apply best practices in a way that’s realistic and achievable over time.”

Among the practices recommended in the plan are limiting unauthorized recreation in ecologically sensitive areas like Tickville Gulch, removing noxious weeds to allow native plants to thrive, creating and formalizing City-sanctioned trails, and fencing critical migration corridors to ensure safe wildlife passage.

“Some areas simply aren’t ready for recreation,” Shumway explained. “Tickville Gulch, for example, doesn’t currently have safe access points. Before we invite people into that space, we need to construct appropriate entries and understand its ecological role.”

The plan also calls for revegetating areas along wildlife migration corridors and implementing data collection and monitoring programs to track the spread of invasive species.

“Data collection is really the next step in getting this plan off the ground,” Shumway said. “We need to know where the noxious weeds are and how big of an effort it’s going to take to get them under control.”

Shumway believes the City can make major progress on weed removal if it prioritizes the effort.

“I think it’s realistic to eliminate 50 to 75 percent of invasive weeds in the next five years—depending on the species and the location,” he said. “Some are easier to tackle than others.”

Shumway came to Eagle Mountain by way of Salem, Utah, and was already familiar with the area thanks to weekend mountain biking trips. When the opportunity to intern with the City came up through a partnership between Utah State University and Eagle Mountain’s Planning Division, he jumped at the chance.

“I knew where Eagle Mountain was, and I always thought it was awesome,” he said. “When I heard this internship would focus on open space and the migration corridor, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to be doing.”

Looking ahead, Shumway sees the potential for the City to establish a dedicated Open Space Management Division.

“You could really make some serious progress with just four or five staff members focused on this,” he said.

Shumway also wants residents to understand that the plan is not static, it’s a living document that will adapt over time.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “The plan will be updated as we gather more data and learn more about what works. It’s a commitment by the City to manage this incredible resource—not just for today, but for the future of Eagle Mountain.”