Nearly a decade of work by Flagstaff officials to acquire more than 2,000 acres of state trust land for conservation purposes is finally paying off. The city paid $11.6 million.

That was the only bid submitted for the land on Observatory Mesa, west of Flagstaff and south of the San Francisco Peaks.

As the Arizona Daily Sun reports, city voters in 2004 approved a bond measure setting aside $5.5 million for purchasing the land, and the city was awarded $6 million of state money for the conservation project.

The protected area is meant to provide scientific benefit to the Lowell Observatory, the US Forest Service, the state Game and Fish Department and Northern Arizona University. And it will be open to the public. The city will host a public celebration of the sale this summer. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been modified to reflect that original reporting was done by the Arizona Daily Sun.

Updated 12/17/2013 at 8:53 a.m.