Project Details

Human development in Salt Lake and Utah counties now spans the entire valley bottoms between the Wasatch front and the Oquirrh Mountains/Lake Mountains. The impacts that this has had on wildlife is shown through multiple forms of evidence including; loss of native biodiversity, increased human-wildlife conflicts, and direct wildlife mortality on roads. The city of Eagle Mountain has begun expanding the development into the valley between the Lake Mountains and the southern end of the Oquirrh Mountains. Eagle Mountain is currently the largest city in Utah in terms of area but is only ~20% developed as of 2019. The low proportion of developed space in the city and the desire of city leadership to preserve open space provides the opportunity to proactively plan to avoid impacts on wildlife in Eagle Mountain that have already occurred in the cities of Salt Lake and Utah Counties. If no space is preserved for a corridor in Eagle Mountain there will be a loss of genetic connectivity and the risk of increased human/wildlife conflicts in the area.  Currently there is a snow fence on the north side of the SR 73 with a large opening that funnels wildlife to cross mostly  along a narrow stretch of the road. The current situation has led to a "hotspot" of wildlife vehicle collisions if nothing is done, the risk to human well-being and the negative impacts to wildlife populations will continue.

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.

Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan- "To address deer/vehicle collisions, DWR and our partners have worked to identify deer
migration routes and locations where deer are commonly hit on roadways. This information has
allowed us to know where to place underpasses and fences to increase deer survival. These
studies have also provided data on the types of underpass structures these animals will use
(Cramer 2014). Although costly, these efforts are helping to prevent future collisions, increase
public safety, and minimize deer mortalities."
"Conserve, improve, and restore mule deer habitat throughout the state with
emphasis on crucial ranges."
"Work with county, state, and federal agencies to limit the negative effects of roads by
reclaiming unused roads, properly planning new roads, and installing fencing and
highway passage structures where roads disrupt normal mule deer migration patterns."
Utah's Wildlife Migration Inititiative- "...identify and preserve wildlife migration corridors"
Eagle Mountain city plan- The city of Eagle mountain and it's leadership has express geat interest in preserveing the natural setting of the area whenever possible. This project has been explicitly endorsed by the Mayor and City Planner of Eagle Mountain City.

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.

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.