Project Details

Beavers have been removed from many drainages and watersheds where they have historically occurred. They contribute important benefits to watersheds such as recharging and raising ground water tables, developing riparian vegetation, expanding wetlands, slowing flood waters, reducing erosion, improving water quality, providing habitat for aquatic species and other wildlife, and increasing biodiversity to the landscape. Landowners, USFS employees, BLM employees, and local communities have expressed interest and support in relocating nuisance beavers and restoring beaver populations in historic, suitable habitat (as explicated in the Statewide Management Plan). The UDWR has partnered with the USFS and other partners to put together a list of priority areas where beaver introduction would be beneficial and in line with concurrent or recently completed management actions such as cutthroat trout and sport fish management projects, boreal toad conservation actions, and wildlife habitat improvement projects. Re-establishing beavers into approved and suitable watersheds will restore these lost benefits and values, as well as provide an opportunity to diminish or eliminate nuisance issues resulting from beaver damage on private property, without resorting to lethal methods. Some issues associated with nuisance beavers include: impeding flow of irrigation water (blocking pipelines or culverts), flooding property, cutting cottonwoods/aspen/willow. In these circumstances, nuisance beavers would be an excellent source for live trapping and relocating to desirable and suitable locations. If a nuisance area's ecosystem is critically dependent on beaver activity, or provides a thriving environment for beavers, flow-control devices may be implemented to sustain beaver activity while resolving the associated nuisance issues. Summary of benefits to beaver dams: *Keystone species (or foundation species) - restoring degraded riparian communities which foments the recruitment of other wildlife including boreal toad and cutthroat trout *Helps to reverse the effects of erosion, road construction, etc. *Raises the water table, creating meadows and riparian vegetation *Decelerates snow melt and runoff, extending the season of water flow and curtailing erosion *Filtering out sediment, leaving cleaner watersheds downstream *Store and cool water underground *Releasing water during drought conditions helps to sustain healthy and productive aquatic and riparian communities *May provide overwintering habitat for fish in shallow, ice-covered streams

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.

Beaver may transport Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS). To eliminate this issue, a 72-hour quarantine period will be required for any beavers from waterways that remain "unknown" in regards to AIS. Beavers from watersheds contaminated with AIS will be held in quarantine for 120 hours. Furthermore, beavers will not be relocated within a four mile radius of a fish hatchery, and those from sources of AIS will not be released in areas designated "critical habitat" for native cutthroat trout. Due to the delicate nature of live trapping, the UDWR has previously attended a workshop with Sherri Tippy to ensure the most meticulous and expedited process is implemented. Additionally, streams on the eastern side of Mount Dutton are slowly recovering from the Sanford Fire, so the reintroduction of beaver offers a low cost, low risk method of stabilizing those streams and reconnecting their floodplains. Without beaver it could take decades to centuries to regain floodplain connection and habitat complexity unless significantly more costly active stream restoration methods were employed. The presence of beaver in the upper reaches of Deep, Deer, and Cottonwood creek will have a net benefit for sage grouse in John's Valley. Beaver dams can increase water quantity and riparian quality; these benefits cascade upstream and downstream. Dams slow spring runoff and make more water available in the dry summer months. In turn, the availability of herbaceous riparian vegetation is increased in the system which provides important forage in itself and attracts insects; both key sage grouse diet components during the brood rearing season. The Monroe Mountain sites were chosen for the purpose of benefiting the adorable boreal toad. Boreal toad monitoring has depicted a dramatic decline in density, distribution and breeding activity over the past 20 years; at least some of which has been attributed to the loss of active and maintained beaver ponds. Furthermore, conservation agreements exist for both Colorado River Cutthroat Trout and Bonneville Cutthroat Trout, which directly benefit from the presence of beaver dams. The number one listed "problem facing the species" in the CRCT and BCT Conservation Agreement and Strategies is "The present or potential destruction, modification, or curtailment of habitat or range (HABITAT DEGREDATION)." The anthropogenic risks include the possibility of translocated beavers traveling far distances to create a new nuisance issue. One of the criterion of how the sites are selected is that they pose little or no opportunity for human conflict. The statewide plan states that we don't want to simply move a nuisance issue, so we want to avoid placing beavers where they will later become a nuisance on private property. I have only had reports of one translocation site resulting in a nuisance issue since 2012, and we are working to ameliorate that situation this spring (though trappers may already have the nuisance beavers killed by April). Should these issues arise from any translocation, we will use every facet provided in the statewide plan to assuage the problem. The positive anthropogenic impact is that we utilize nuisance beavers as our source for relocations, so we are addressing the current nuisance issues as well as attempting riparian restoration via translocations. We need to continue our translocation efforts at this time - not only to appease landowners throughout the region, but because of the critically low boreal toad population on the Monroe sites (due to chytrid fungus), and to exploit the large amount of riparian browse regeneration available on the Dutton, subsequent to the Sanford Fire.

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's Wildlife Action Plan: The goal/purpose of Utah's Wildlife Action Plan is "To manage native wildlife species and their habitats, sufficient to prevent the need for additional listings under the Endangered Species Act." Bonneville cutthroat trout have been petitioned for listing threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act multiple times and translocating beaver to streams on the east side of Mount Dutton would improve their habitat. The WAP has an objective to reduce the scope and severity of channel downcutting for aquatic forested and riverine habitat. It also identifies the following conservation actions to achieve these objectives: 1) Restore aquatic habitat complexity. 2) Restore floodplain connectivity. 3) Increase cover and extent of native riparian vegetation by restoring beaver on the landscape where social and environmental factors permit (per Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool). This project will help achieve goals outlined in the Dixie and Fishlake Land and Resource Management Plans by increasing diversity of plant and animal communities (Diversity IV-3), protecting and improving aquatic habitats (Wildlife and Fish, IV-3), improving habitat for sensitive, threatened and endangered species (Wildlife and Fish, IV-4), and maintaining or improving water quality and the productivity of streams and riparian areas (Soil and Water, IV-4). Other multi-agency plans this project will directly benefit include: State of Utah Beaver Management Plan, Range-wide Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Bonneville Cutthroat Trout, Range-wide Conservation Agreement for Southern leatherside chub and the Boreal Toad Conservation Plan in the State of Utah. Examples of specific plan objectives include: UTAH STATEWIDE BEAVER MANAGEMENT PLAN The overall goal of the plan is to "Maintain healthy, functional beaver populations in ecological balance with available habitat, human needs, and associated species." Population Management explains that we should "obtain/maintain a basic picture of distribution/density of beaver in Utah, understand we will be working in human-altered habitat which requires management, and consider beaver colony distribution and abundance. The Watershed Restoration section notes that beaver are a good tool that could be used to restore degraded riparian communities. Watershed Restoration Strategy Number 4 states that UDWR regional personnel will coordinate with local governments, land management agencies, private landowners, and any other affected parties that have an interest (positive or negative) in the establishment of beaver populations within the translocation watershed. In addition, the management plan states in Objective 1 of Damage Management: Increase consistency in the response options (lethal and non-lethal) currently in use and increase the frequency of use of non-traditional options (e.g. beaver deceivers, livetrapping) used by UDWR, governmental and non-governmental agencies and landowners for managing beaver causing property damage." BOREAL TOAD CONSERVATION PLAN FOR THE STATE OF UTAH: The goal of the Boreal toad Conservation Plan is to "maintain or restore multiple, viable breeding populations in nine of the 14 mountain ranges or geologic areas in Utah where boreal toad historically occurred ." The Plan identifies seven key Conservation Strategies including: "Identify and reduce threats from habitat loss and degradation (Habitat Management). RANGE-WIDE CONSERVATION AGREEMENT AND STRATEGY FOR BONNEVILLE CUTTHROAT TROUT (Lentsch et al. 2000): Strategy Objective II A) 1) Maintain or restore water quality to a degree that provides for stable and productive riparian and aquatic ecosystems; 2) Maintain or restore stream channel integrity, channel processes, and the sediment regime (including the elements of timing, volume, and character of sediment input and transport) under which the riparian and aquatic ecosystems developed; 5) Maintain or restore the diversity and productivity of desired plant communities in riparian zones; 6) Maintain or restore riparian vegetation to: c) help achieve rates of surface erosion, bank erosion, and channel migration characteristic of those under which the communities developed. CONSERVATION AGREEMENT AND STRATEGY FOR SOUTHERN LEATHERSIDE (Lepidomeda aliciae) IN THE STATE OF UTAH (UDWR 2010): Objective 3 - Identify, prioritize, and implement actions to reduce threats to southern leatherside populations and habitat and evaluate the effectiveness of these actions. Conservation Element B) 2) - Restore habitat where possible, creating habitat complexity and connectivity for southern leatherside. Conservation Element B) 3) - Implement habitat enhancements that may include some or all of the following: removal of diversion structures, modification of barriers to allow fish passage, bank stabilization, enhancement of native vegetation, riparian fencing, nonnative removal and implementation of compatible grazing practices. Conservation Element D) 4) -- Maintain natural hydrologic conditions. This project will also help Forestry Fire and State Lands accomplish objectives, according to the Utah Statewide Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy Guide 2010.

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.

Healthy and robust riparian areas can provide a significant buffer against catastrophic effects of fires. Healthy riparian corridors mitigate against post-fire mudflows and restoration costs.The benefits of increased riparian vegetation communities may make an area more resilient to wildlife or at the least act as an efficient fire break. Examples of elements that could be protected by this kind of fire break include: permanent infrastructure, critical wildlife habitat, and private or government property via abating risk that fires will spread into urbanized areas. An additional fire-related component to the project is that beavers are taken to areas that have experienced fire damage for landscape rehabilitation.

Peterson, D.L., and J.S. Littell. 2012. Effects of Climatic Variability and Change on Forest Ecosystems: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis for the U.S. Forest Sector. GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-870. 249-252.

Halofsky, J.E., and D. E. Hibbs. 2009. Controls on early post-fire woody plant colonization in riparian areas. Forest Ecology and Management. 258: 1350-1358.

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.

Four temporary/seasonal technicians will be hired to live-trap, monitor, and possibly relocate beavers. The live-trapping and relocating will occur late spring (when vegetation is grown enough to provide a substantial food source) through September 1st, unless otherwise approved through the UDWR Salt Lake Office (through proper procedure and written justification). Beavers will be taken to priority areas and translocation efforts will be coordinated by UDWR biologists, federal partners, local governments, and local water users. Utah State University's "Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool (BRAT) will be used in assessing the identified priority beaver areas using a new web application developed by the statewide UDWR GIS team. Cross referencing the agency identified translocation priority areas with the BRAT tool will be useful in detecting potential conflicts and in identifying areas that can support beaver.
Monitoring will carry on through the end of September (or later if snowfall allows). Three technicians will work 40 hours per week, for the entire season; the fourth technician will work 20-40 hours per week, and other section seasonals may contribute when emergency situations arise. Some beavers will be sedated for the application of a VHF transmitter, at which time blood samples, gender identification, and other biological data will be gathered. Antibiotics, vaccines, and/or vitamin injections may also be administered.

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.

The UDWR employees will be assessing the impacts of the project through visiting all sites where beaver are transplanted and communicating with other agencies (USFS, BLM, FFSL, etc.), local residents and trappers, as well as other volunteer agencies to ensure beneficial results. The UDWR will monitor the relocation sites that are utilized and address any conflicts that may have occurred due to the translocation. Repeat photography will be used to illustrate changes to the landscape due to beaver activity, once the resident sites are observed. The utilization of VHF transmitters will assist in the monitoring process. Though three receivers have been secured so seasonal technicians will have full access to receivers to monitor when possible, other sections of the DWR and other agencies may also have receivers to be utilized at times. In addition, DWR performs classification flights for big game, and we could capitalize on that opportunity to have biologists on the flights perform some telemetry as well. Furthermore, the Dixie has Riparian Level II inventory sites along many of the potential translocation sites and can assess changes in greenline vegetation related to reintroductions. UDWR and Forest Service annually monitor boreal toad breeding activity and distribution on the Paunsaugunt. UDWR and Forest Service just completed BCT sampling in the East Fork Sevier River drainage in 2015 and will reassess BCT populations in the drainage by 2022. As there are already active monitoring efforts for boreal toad and cutthroat trout species between the DWR and USFS, we can compile additional data about the benefits of beaver dams for these species. The DWR is also currently executing annual surveys to evaluate the success of overwintering trout in Deer Creek and Moosman relocation sites. Other issues already evaluated by USFS are incision and floodplain components; DWR will work with USFS biologists to identify where improvements have been made to these components via beaver dams. DWR will also continue to communicate with USFS regarding the results from the current forest monitoring for riparian health. For any locations that are not currently undergoing surveys, outside agencies could be contacted to request monitoring on one or more relocation sites.

As of Winter 2020, Wild Utah Project has committed to monitoring one of the priority streams using their Rapid Riparian-Stream Assessment protocol. Effectiveness of stream restoration with beavers before and after translocation will be monitored with the RSRA survey (see Image/Documents for RSRA protocol overview). The RSRA generates a score for water quality, hydrogeomorphology, fish and aquatic habitat, riparian vegetation, and terrestrial wildlife habitat. RSRA is a time and cost efficient means to monitor stream restoration projects. RSRA can easily be applied to other priority streams for this project if determined necessary. RSRA surveys can be performed by agency personnel or others that have RSRA monitoring training.

Furthermore, the Fishlake National Forest will be conducting customary toad surveys, and are willing to utilize the telemetry equipment previously purchased to check on frequencies of translocated beavers in the area.

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.

Forest Service, BLM, NGO's and Division of Wildlife Resources have worked together to develop the Beaver Management Plan and to formulate a list of translocation sites, translocations, monitoring, and other trapping/translocation needs as necessary. In the development of the Beaver Management Plan, advisory committee members included: Utah Trappers Association, Forest Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Utah Cattlemen's Association, Utah Farm Bureau, Grand Canyon Trust, BLM, Wildlife Services, DWR. This committee developed this plan including the relocation processes and suitable translocation sites. It was then taken to the RAC and Wildlife Board for approval. Before determining a relocation site, DWR contacts the pertinent public lands agency, county commissioners irrigation owners, and any other private property owners that might be affected. After discussing the project with Habitat Council committee members and learning that other regions would like to acquire beavers from our region, we have agreed to share beavers across regions, if requested. This project applies to multiple aspects listed in the State of Utah RPM. Some examples include: - Cooperate in the protection, restoration, enhancement and management of water resources in the State of Utah to the extent of each agency's authority, expertise, and resources. - Expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat - Work with stakeholders and partners to continue to implement recommendations from the Utah Wildlife Action Plan 2015--2025 to conserve sensitive species and their habitat. - Prioritize and manage riparian areas to attain desired future conditions for riparian-related resources (e.g. fishery habitat, water quality, wildlife and livestock forage, and soil stability).

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.

As the Statewide Beaver Management Plan is instated until the need for revision presents itself (changed from the 2020 end date), the UDWR will continue to apply for funding to transplant beavers every year. Future management in terms of monitoring is explained in the Monitoring section, and any other future management regarding population, AIS, nuisance issues, harvest management, watershed restoration, and/or research is illuminated in the plan. Additionally, the Paunsaugunt is closed to trapping until future recommendations are made, which increases possibility of survival for beavers released at those sites. UDWR and the Dixie National Forest are in the process of developing a Conservation Action Plan for the Paunsaugunt Plateau population of boreal toad, which will have a large focus on increasing and maintaining beaver populations on the Plateau. Additionally UDWR and the Forest Service are signatories to the BCT and Southern leatherside chub Conservation Agreements and Strategies. As such both agencies are committed to healthy watersheds, riparian areas and stream habitats where these species occur and encouraging and maintaining beaver support those commitments. The Forest Service is currently in the process of implementing additional vegetation management to increase woody browse for long-term maintenance and the expansion of beaver populations, subsequent to the short-term habitat priorities in the CAP for Paunsaugunt Boreal Toads. The short-term habitat projects were achieved via WRI Project 3631 and Forest Service funding, so the continuation of these strategies will bolster beaver habitat. In return, beaver translocations reinforce the CAP goals, creating a symbiotic situation between an action plan and WRI project. Fishlake National Forest translocation sites are highlighted in this proposal with the anticipation of replicating the outcome of the Dixie Forest sites where Boreal Toads are thriving as a result of beaver ponds (i.e. Sevier River; Podunk Guard Station - see images). Finally, the Boreal Toad Conservation Plan lists beaver ponds are one of the breeding habitats utilized by boreal toads in Utah. In addition, the Habitat Management portion of the Monitoring section explicates that minimizing habitat loss and degradation associated with water management and creating, restoring and maintaining new habitats through water management are key factors to the success of the plan. Translocated beavers have produced dams which have led to the breeding and egg laying habitat that boreal toads are currently utilizing on the Paunsaugunt, therefore bolstering the toad's conservation plan and increasing overall population health. This plan will continue to influence future management of this project.

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.

Beaver, as ecosystem engineers, can increase the amount of forage for wild and domestic ungulates. This project is not designed specifically to benefit livestock but may provide secondary benefits by improving the diversity and availability of riparian vegetation. Range conservationists from the USFS adjust stocking rates based on conditions. If conditions of the stream improve, there is no justification for lowering AUMs as the area will have become more resilient and productive. Other sustainable uses of the resource would include providing an opportunity for anglers to fish in the beaver ponds (trout). Additionally, more water in the system will be available for irrigation, and the wet meadows produced by beaver dams will enhance habitat for big game, thus hunting opportunity. This would occur due to the dams' abilities to store and cool water underground, releasing water in drier conditions to help sustain a consistency to the water flow, and slowing snow melt and run off, which also extends the season of water flow

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.