Locals often call the North Fields the “crown jewel” of the Heber Valley, and since 2019, Wasatch County and Heber City have had an agreement to keep the beloved farmland undeveloped. Now that the Utah Department of Transportation plans to build a highway through portions of the North Fields, the two governments are working to strengthen that agreement to protect the rest of the land. “The entities mutually agree that the North Fields will not be included in Heber City’s annexation boundary, and that Wasatch County will only zone this area to promote rural, agricultural residences,” he said. “Moreover, Heber City commits to allocating its unit-based preservation fees collected from the North Village in Heber toward land acquisition and conservation easements.” The Heber City Council is requiring developers to pay $2,500 for conservation for every unit they build near the intersection of U.S. 40 and River Road.