NEWS BRIEF: Little Known North Salt Lake Firm, The Ensign Group, Now Owns or Controls Nearly 2.5 Million Acres of U.S. Land

With its recent purchase of Pathfinder Ranches and its over 916,000 acres of Wyoming highlighted by "rolling grasslands, scenic river corridors, dramatic mountain ranges, and rock features," The Ensign Group has now boosted its total land holdings to close to 2.5 million acres of land owned or controlled.

And with this most recent acquisition, Ensign Group finds itself thrust into the upper echelon of the 25 largest landholders in all of the United States.

According to multiple media reports, little-known Ensign Group is a family affair headquartered in North Salt Lake, Utah that's centered around three siblings:

• Oldest brother, Chris Robinson,
• Sister Victoria, and
• Brother Alex,

with Chris serving as CEO.

Chris also serves as a member of the Summit County Council, a position he's held for more than 17 years since January 2009.

According to the news release published by Swan Land Group, the real estate broker handling the sale of Pathfinder Ranches, Chris Robinson said:

“When a company purchases a property like Pathfinder Ranches, it’s not just buying land—we are accepting responsibility and stewardship for a significant piece of the country’s natural resources and cultural and economic fabric. Great ranches are built over generations by communities and families, shaping the character of the West.

“At Ensign, we’ve spent decades proving that production agriculture and conservation aren’t competing interests. We are very humbled and excited to play this role in the Pathfinder’s future.” 

Although the original asking price for Pathfinder was $79.5 million, none of the parties in the transaction have disclosed the final purchase price for Pathfinder.

Within the 1,431-square-mile property, Pathfinder includes land crossing four counties in east-central Wyoming: Carbon, Fremont, Natrona, and Sweetwater.

Additionally, Pathfinder contains within its boundaries

• Independence Rock,
• Pathfinder Reservoir,
• Portions of
  — The Oregon Trail,
  — The Pony Express Trail,
  — The North Platte River and
  — The Sweetwater River, and
  — The country’s first and largest habitat conservation bank for sage-grouse.

In spite of its low profile, both the Swan Land news release and multiple media companies report that Ensign Group (operating under its Ensign Ranches moniker) is one of "the largest cow/calf producers in the U.S."

Additionally, with the Pathfinder purchase, Ensign now owns outright, or controls, upwards of 2.5 million acres of land, primarily in the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S.

If you really want a sense of what it is that The Ensign Group now owns, I invite you to take a few moments to watch the video above.

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