Project Details

Project funds would be used to modify 4 miles of fences in the Woodruff Cooperative Wildlife Management Area to allow passage by big game. The project area is within crucial winter range for mule deer and pronghorn and the fences do not permit safe movement of these big game species. The fences to be replaced have 5-6 barbed wires and dead big game animals have been observed tangled in the fences. Fences may be totally replaced or simply modified, whatever method is most cost efficient, to achieve the standards for fences in big game habitat as described in the BLM fencing handbook H-1741-1.
Fences to be treated will be interior fences within the Woodruff Coop WMA or those along the eastern boundary where there are BLM-managed lands on both sides of the fence. Fences along Highway 16 will not be treated.

Secretarial Order (S.O.) 3362 (Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors) emphasizes the importance of conserving and improving mule deer and pronghorn habitats. In particular, S.O. 3362 directs that the BLM "appropriately apply site-specific management activities, as identified in State land use plans, site-specific plans, or the Action Plan that conserve or restore habitat necessary to sustain local and regional big-game populations...". One management activity that the S.O. specifically mentions is the modification of existing fences that impede big game movements. Implementation of the proposed project will contribute to the conservation of big game species as directed in S.O. 3362.

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.

1. Utah Pronghorn Statewide Management Plan
Habitat Management Goal B. Objective 1. Strategy f.: Work with public land management agencies to ensure that any new fence construction within pronghorn habitat follows specifications published in the 2006 Pronghorn Management Guides (Autenrieth et al. 2006) or BLM Fencing Manual (1741). Remove or modify any fences that no longer meet installation objectives.
  The project would modify existing fences that are not meeting BLM Fencing Manual (1741) standards in an area that has been identified as crucial pronghorn habitat.

2. Utah Greater Sage-grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment (ARMPA)
MA-LG-16: To reduce outright GRSG strikes and mortality, remove, modify or mark fences in high risk areas (Stevens et al. 2012) based on proximity to lek (e.g., within 1.2 miles of a lek), lek size, and topography, or as latest science indicates. Prioritize actions in SFA first, then PHMA. Employ NRCS fence collision risk tool (NRCS/CEAP Conservation Insight Publication "Applying the Sage Grouse Fence Collision Risk Tool to Reduce Bird Strikes").
  The fences being treated would have fence markers added if not already marked and within the high risk area. If a treated fence already has markers, they will be maintained or replaced as necessary.

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.