Project Details

The Roosevelt City Nature Park is being developed as a 14-acre public open space, trails, and a park, suitable for the recreation and enjoyment of the surrounding community, including residents of the city, tourists, and patients and staff of Uintah Basin Medical Center(UBMC). This project plan is set to be phased out and finalized within the next couple of years. With large support from several partners, the anticipated finish date for this project is slated to be completed within the next two years.

The plan for this nature park is to create a connective walking trail system through the riparian area that will provide a sanctuary for those interested in recreating in a natural setting; whether they are patients at the hospital, local residents, or tourists passing through. With this, the city would also like to increase the recreational opportunities found within the park. Roosevelt city does not currently have a community fishery located within city limits.  Though Cottonwood Creek currently runs through the length of this proposed nature park, the creation of this one-acre fishing pond, known as the Healing Pond, will fill a current recreational void and fulfill the UDWR's R3 (recruitment, retention, reactivation) goals. Community fishing ponds create an opportunity for easy access, ADA access and provide an exceptional opportunity for our youth to learn to love fishing.  These kinds of projects can create lifetime anglers and stewards of the lands.

The project focus will also be placed on restoring the habitat located along the stream-bank and historic floodplain. Currently, the location is overrun with Russian olives, Chinese elm and greasewood. In 2021 and 2022, vegetation and debris were removed to begin laying out the foundation of the walking path and pond location. In order to prevent other invasive species from returning to this site, post-disturbance, weed spraying will begin this spring, with follow-up treatments occurring throughout the growing season. During that time, the planting of pollinator plants throughout the park will be assessed for survivability and implemented if deemed acceptable.

The Roosevelt Nature Park was a 2021 recipient of the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation   Grant in the amount of $150,000.00 for the Cottonwood Creek Trail project that runs through the entirety of the park. The project funds must be utilized over the next 18 months and will be coupled with any other funds acquired to see this project to completion.

The product of these nature park enhancements helps fulfill several needs identified in the Duchesne County Trails Master Plan 2020 by improving alternative transportation trails and routes that would improve connectivity and accessibility for varied trail uses throughout Duchesne County.

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.

The product of these nature park enhancements helps fulfill needs identified in the Duchesne County Trails Master Plan 2020 by improving alternative transportation trails and routes that would improve connectivity and accessibility for varied trail uses throughout Duchesne County.

Noxious weed control and removal fall under the Duchesne County General Plan & Resource Management plan 2017. https://www.duchesne.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/General-Plan-June-2017-Draft.pdf
The Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan 2019-2069, published by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, encourages the following applicable actions:
--Work with land management partners to integrate monarch/pollinator conservation in all-new land management plans, as appropriate.
-- Identify target areas for monarch habitat restoration, enhancement, and creation at a scale appropriate for each partner.
-- Encourage ... pollinator-friendly landscapes.
-- Encourage landowners to voluntarily maintain diversified agricultural landscapes to benefit monarchs.
-- Create and utilize demonstration sites in agricultural areas to encourage on- or near-farm/ranch habitat installation or enhancement.

The USDA's Conservation and Management of Monarch Butterflies - A Strategic Framework identifies the following needs for monarch butterflies, which are addressed by this project:
-- Manage the landscape to provide host and nectar sources from spring to fall.
-- Accelerate efforts to control nonnative invasive plant species to increase the abundance and diversity of butterflies and native bees.
-- Reduce the amount of grass mowed by establishing pollinator gardens at administrative and recreation sites. Ensure that interpretation signs are provided at these pollinator gardens for better public understanding.

The North American Monarch Conservation Plan contains the following relevant objectives and actions:
-- Address the threats of the loss, fragmentation, and modification of breeding habitat
-- Strengthen monarch butterfly habitat protection on public and private land.

DOI Pollinator Protection Strategic Plan:
1. Increase the number of native milkweed species in Seeds of Success collections. Increase the number of collections of species already included.
2. Determine a list of the best nectar forbs and shrubs and trees for pollinators that would provide nectar throughout the year and variety in flower color and shape for native pollinators.
3. In existing native plant landscaping increase public awareness through plant identification labels and interpretive signing
4. Increase and Broaden Collaboration and Communication with Governmental and Non-governmental Organizations and the Public in Addressing Pollinator Issues

The USDA's Conservation and Management of North American Bumble Bees states that "on more natural lands, management should focus on maintaining diverse assemblages of primarily native flora, such that flowers would be constantly available throughout the nesting season."

TECHNICAL NOTE
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
Boise, Idaho: TN PLANT MATERIALS NO. 73 March 2019
CREATION AND MANAGEMENT OF UTAH BUTTERFLY
HABITAT

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.

Planting for native pollinators can have a very positive impact on the water quality in this watershed. Native plants, like milkweed, wildflowers, and bunch grasses, often have deep root systems that penetrate several feet into the ground. These roots not only provide soil stability and prevent erosion, but they also form channels in the soil that help rainfall soak in and replenish our groundwater supply. Some plants act as sponges by soaking heavy metals up into their tissues with water and removing them and other pollutants from the soil. In addition, they can prevent them from getting into the nearby streams, rivers, and lakes. These plants provide food and shelter for many wildlife species, including monarch butteflies, while also helping to slow the flow of runoff and prevent contaminants from reaching our waterways.

Creation of this fishing pond will provide a long term use for water shares which Roosevelt city holds.  This will ultimately provide a designated use for these water shares for fish into the future.

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.

The pond water quality will be closely monitored by Roosevelt city staff, with assistance from the UDWR aquatics staff, as needed for invasive species vegetation control and water quality testing.

Spot treatments of noxious and annual non-native weeds would occur annually.  The pollinator crop will be monitored for planting success, as well as weed concerns. The UDWR will help evaluate if additional pollinator plantings are needed in the future. Informal monitoring will occur to determine the presence and abundance of flowering plants for pollinators. This monitoring will inform decisions on future management actions, which could include additional plantings, weed spraying, and mowing/burning to maintain desirable vegetation. It is anticipated that this area will be used as a location to tag monarch butterflies in a broader effort to monitor their population as a whole.

Pollinator shrubs and trees will be monitored for survival. If survival fails, plants will be replaced in year two or three.

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.

UBMC bought and provided the acreage and continues to facilitate meetings and provide support for the planning process of the nature park. NRCS has provided technical assistance in regard to surveying the plot to restore habitat and also has had input on the seed mix. The city of Roosevelt is the host of the project and will be managing the nature park. Sunrise Engineering has provided the designs and construction templates for the nature trail, community fishing pond, and will continue to assist with the park's overall design. For plantings, we will contact a local nursery that will help in growing milkweed seedlings to plant in the pollinator-designated section of the park. The Outreach and Aquatics section of the UDWR will provide their guidance and expertise with the construction of the community fishery and the education wildlife and nature kiosks that will be located along the nature trail.

Major Project Partners:
Roosevelt City
Uintah Basin Medical Center
Utah Division of Natural Resources - Division of Wildlife Resources
Moon Lake Electric Association
Strata Networks
NRCS
Trout Unlimited
Duchesne County Travel & Tourism
XCL Resources

Major Funding Partners:
UBMC
Roosevelt City
Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation
Utah Recreation Trails
Land Water and Conservation Assistance Program

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.

This project will provide and enhance habitat for insects and birds in the area, especially the monarch butterfly and other pollinator species during migration season. Increased habitat loss, use of pesticides/insecticides, disease, and other environmental factors have led to the decline of monarch butterflies, so much so that they are being considered to be listed as a threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Utah's data gathered  from monarch butterfly research is currently suggesting that Utah's Uintah Basin plays a crucial role in the fall migration of the species. Increased flowering pollinator plants are being discovered as necessary during all three of the major migrational seasons (spring, summer, fall).

The investment in proper engineering and design work for ADA access to the fishing pond, pier, and trails system down will provide safe access into the future for many user groups.  This area will function as a community-style fishery for Roosevelt and other Uintah Basin anglers and their families. This pond will also satisfy the UDWR's R3 program initiative of recruiting, retaining, and reactiviting anglers within the community and throughout the state.

Habitat restoration and enhancement along Cottonwood Creek will help with bank stabilization, erosion control, and may also be of benefit to native fish species found within the stream.

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.