Project Details

Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.

Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.

LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.

TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.

All of the SER's WMAs lie within key habitats identified in Utah's Wildlife Action Plan. WMAs support many S1-S3
species listed in the WAP including bald eagle, southwestern willow flycatcher, yellow billed cuckoo,flannelmouth sucker, humpback chub, Colorado pikeminnow, fringed myotis, greater sage grouse, mule deer,raptors, and neotropical migratory birds.

WMAs also support a variety of important game species including mule deer, bighorn sheep, elk, wild turkey, chukar, and waterfowl.

WMAs are within conservation focus areas identified by the Southeastern Region UPCD team.

The proposed projects will address the following goals and objectives of the Division of Wildlife Resources most recent strategic management plan.
Resource Goal: expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat.
Objective
1: protect existing wildlife habitat and improve 500,000 acres of critical habitats and watersheds throughout
the state by 2010.
Objective 3: conserve sensitive species to prevent them from becoming listed as threatened or endangered.
Constituency Goal: Achieve broad-based support for Division programs and budgets by demonstrating the
value of wildlife to all citizens of Utah.
Objective 2: Improve communication with wildlife organizations, public officials, private landowners, and
government agencies to obtain support for Division programs.

There are recently updated habitat management plans for the following WMA's: Lower Fish Creek, Cold Spring,Upper San Rafael, Lower San Rafael, and Nash Wash

List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.

Wildfire has long been an active part of healthy ecosystems in several habitat types. Fire/fuel reduction can be a tool to provide a greater diversity of wildlife when set back to an earlier seral stage.

On the Gordon Creek WMA, smooth brome fields are burned on a 2-3 year rotation to remove old growth material and increase young succulent vegetation.

The care takers at the Nash Wash WMA help maintain weeds (cheatgrass) by mowing or weed spraying to reduce fuels loads around the housing infrastructure.

The Matheson wetland has experienced numerous human caused wildfires. Weed maintenance through herbicide and mowing, especially along travel ways, is used to reduce fire on the WMA.

Pertinent DWR owned roads on WMA's are maintained and will allow easier access for fire personnel to access our properties in the event of a wildlife that is threatening habitat or infrastructure.

Additional habitat projects reduce fuels on properties such as Lower Fish Creek, Cold Spring, Upper and Lower San Rafael, and the Matheson but are not typically performed as annual maintenance.

If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.

Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.

Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.

Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.

Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.

List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.

Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.

Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.