Tyler Sheffield says it has taken him less than two weeks to double the number of petition signatures - from 500 to 1,000 - on a plea to stop Cedar Hills from razing the stand of trees.

Cedar Hills' City Council is proposing to clear part of the grove to build a new 15th hole for its golf course and as many as 11 new hillside homes. That plan, which also includes building additional homes along the old 15th hole fairway, would relieve a $6.25 million golf-course debt.

"It feels as though the residents' efforts, of Cedar Hills and Highland, may be paying off," a hopeful Sheffield said Monday.

"There doesn't seem to be as strong of a resolve to develop the cedar and juniper grove as there was previously.

"But nothing has been finalized."

The problem: helping Cedar Hills find another way to deal with its golf-course debt. No one has yet suggested a way to do that and save the trees.

Highland, which is tied to Cedar Hills by hiking trails through the historic cedar/juniper forest, has a proposal it says will solve the save-the-trees issue.

The Highland council last week approved the land-deal concept that would hand Cedar Hills 4 1/2 acres to use as its relocated 15th hole.

Then, Cedar Hills could go ahead with its plans to build homes along the old hole and fairway.

In exchange, the juniper/cedar-covered hillside could then be protected as an irrevocable wilderness conservation easement.

But some council members from both cities don't like parts of the proposal.

Highland's issue: The Cedar Hills trees are already protected by an old verbal agreement, dating back to 2000.

But that deal was never recorded in either city; it exists only in the memory of some residents.

Cedar Hills' concern: The segment of land Highland might offer lies in a flood plain, and it would require federal approval to alter the property and make it part of the golf course.

That, said Cedar Hills Councilman Jim Perry, would be an expensive move, deterring from the overall goal to decrease golf-course debt.

"We can put the hole in the grove at a very low cost, or alternatively on the Highland land at a very significant cost," Perry said. "The low cost makes more sense as far as the overall strategy."

Perry said he understands concern with building homes in place of open space, but he said the golf hole would change little on the hillside, while the alternative hole site would do little to solve the bigger issue of repaying golf-course debt.

Meanwhile, Highland Councilman Glen Vawdrey is calling on Cedar Hills to honor the verbal agreement and recognize the juniper/cedar-covered hillside as a conservation easement.

"Yes, it was a different mayor and probably a different council, but it was still agreed upon," he said.

But he conceded that if Cedar Hills will not recognize that agreement, then giving up Highland land - where Cedar Hills could build the hole without tearing up trees - would be the next-best option.

Whatever the outcome, Highland Councilwoman Kathryn Schramm hopes the trees will stay.

"Beautiful, natural habitats need to be preserved," she said. "People are getting farther away from their roots.

"There needs to be places for people to go to have serenity and peace."

sgehrke@sltrib.com