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.

The City would purchase a conservation easement on 73 acres of the subject property at
$23,972.60 per acre for a total of $1,750,000.00
The 73 acres would include the property along the river and within the flood plain, with the
Seller retaining the upland portion of the subject property.
The Seller will agree to donate $175,000.00 of the purchase price in exchange for naming
rights of the proposed trail to be installed within the conservation easement.
The City has been awarded a State of Utah 2019 LeRay McAllister Grant in the amount of $875,000.00 and is currently pursuing 50% matching funds through Cache County RAPZ Tax award of $300,000.00 to $450,000.00.  The City is seeking additional matching funds from the State of Utah (this project), Cache County, The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other sources.  Future expected grant awards from trails organizations are expected to garner an additional $200,000.00 towards development of river access facilities and trails.

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.

Logan River Task Force Conservation Action Plan (LRCAP) includes 22 Indicators of social and ecological values of the Logan River.  Acquisition of this conservation easement will lead to improvements in 18 of these indicators, including: 
 - Improve water quality through reduction of sediments and non-point nutrients
 - Improve recreational access for fishing and other recreation
 - Improve fishing success through enhancement of instream habitat for fish and benthic macroinvertebrates
 - Significantly improve Blue Ribbon Fishery criteria of water quality, water accessibility, and Brown Trout and Whitefish habitat

The 2015 Utah Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) designates Riverine, Aquatic-Forested, and Aquatic Scrub-shrub as Key Habitats for Species of Greatest Conservation Need. All these are present on and adjacent to the project footprint. Completion of this project would prevent destruction or further degradation of these key habitats. Furthermore, completion of this project would enable enhancement or restoration of ecological function within this reach, via active and passive abatement of impinging threats.

Riverine is mapped as compromising 0.22% of Utah's surface area. Aquatic - Scrub/shrub is mapped as 0.10% of Utah, and Aquatic - Forested is mapped as 0.01% of Utah. Preventing the destruction of these very rare Key Habitats is probably the highest form of implementing the WAP.

Management recommendations in the WAP, for these particular habitats and relevant to this particular project, specifically include: 
- maintaining or restoring natural water and sediment flow regimes, 
- reducing inappropriate residential or commercial development in floodplains, and
- reducing inappropriate siting of roads in floodplains.

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.

The Logan River Conservation Action Plan has identified the following objectives for the planned "Kunzler Channel and Floodplain Improvement Project": Increase recreation access, provide recreational facilities (boat landings, parking, restrooms), improve water quality, improve instream habitat for macroinvertebrates and fish, restore floodplain function, restore native riparian vegetation, and improve fishing success.

In addition to improving instream habitat, the Task Force restoration project will enhance floodplain habitats such as wetlands, wet meadows, and riparian trees and shrubs.  This property provides nesting habitat for one of the state's largest populations of Bobolinks (a State Sensitive Species).  Future management, made possible by the easement, will involve working with the landowner to maintain wet meadow habitats within the easement and delay mowing until Bobolinks have fledged.  Maintenance of wet meadows will also provide a foraging area for a globally-significant population of White-faced Ibis (which nest on nearby Cutler Reservoir), Sandhill Cranes, Canada Geese, and several species of dabbling ducks.

Riparian habitat restoration will consist of reconnecting the river to the adjacent floodplain as well as removing nonnative invasive species and reestablishing native trees, shrubs, and ground cover.  This will benefit Bald Eagles, Osprey, Willow Flycatchers, Mourning Doves, Wild Turkeys, Swainson's Hawks, and over 65 additional nongame birds.

Future wetland restoration will also involve enhancing floodplain connectivity to the river and managing for appropriate wetland cover.  This will benefit the Northern Leopard Frog (a Wildlife Action Plan species), numerous waterfowl species, Ring-necked Pheasants, American Avocets, Snowy Egrets, Peregrine Falcons, and an additional 20 nongame bird species.

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.