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 activities in this proposal are done in support of the Utah Prairie Dog Revised Recovery Plan. The objectives of that plan are as follows:

1) To protect suitable habitat that is of sufficient size to support a viable Utah prairie dog population and is spatially distributed to provide connectivity within each Recovery Unit (RU).

2) To establish and maintain viable Utah prairie dog populations in each RU. To achieve these objectives, the following criteria have been established:

Criteria:

1) At least 5,000 ac (2,023 ha) of occupied habitat are protected in perpetuity in each RU (West Desert, Paunsaugunt, and Awapa Plateau). These occupied habitat criteria will be spatially distributed to provide sufficient connectivity and gene flow within each RU. The Division routinely collaborates with other agencies and entities to increase Utah prairie dog habitat (easements), and protect and conserve existing habitat whenever possible.

2) At least 2,000 adult animals (at least 1,000 counted adults in the spring counts) are present in each RU (West Desert, Paunsaugunt, and Awapa Plateau) within protected habitat for five consecutive years. The Division oversees and coordinates all trapping and translocation efforts with the goal of sustaining, increasing, and creating new viable colonies on public and protected lands.

3) Management strategies are in place to prevent and respond to threats from disease. The Division coordinates plague abatement activities with other public land entities (BLM, USFS), as well as participates in ongoing research into plague dynamics.

4) Education, outreach, and public relations programs and State and/or local regulations are in place and are sufficient to minimize illegal take, manage legal lethal control post-delisting, and foster habitat management practices. The Division routinely participates in educational programs at schools and local interest events. The Division also performs training sessions for section 7 consultation on a yearly basis. The Division meets with local permitting offices, builder association and realty groups, appears on local radio etc. to ensure information is widely distributed regarding Utah prairie dog regulations.

5) Utah prairie dog-specific adaptive management strategies are in place on protected lands to improve suitable habitat in a manner that also will facilitate management responses to changing climatic conditions and other threat factors that are difficult to predict. The Division is an active member of the Utah Prairie Dog Recovery Implementation Team. While the Division does not have sole authority on public lands, input is given and recommendations are made regarding adaptive management strategies. On privately owned yet protected parcels, the Division works with the landowner and managing agency on adaptive management strategies. In addition to the Recovery Plan, the Division is the leading agency in the development of a Conservation Strategy. Upon completion, the Conservation Strategy is expected to be the driving force behind delisting the species.

Additionally, Utah prairie dog is a SGCN in the Utah Wildlife Action Plan (WAP).  This plan is used by the Division and federal management agencies to prioritize wildlife population and habitat management programs across the state.  Each of the threats to Utah prairie dogs listed in the Recovery Plan are aso addressed in the WAP.

Federal amanagement of Utah prairie dog is also directed by the resource management plans of Dixie National Forest and BLM Field Offices (Cedar City, Kanab, Richfield, Hanksville).  Translocations and habitat manipulations are conducted in coordination with those agencies as provided for in those plans.

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.