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.

The current Strawberry Management plan (UDWR Publication) calls for the support of a minimum of 1 million angler hours of pressure on the reservoir.  Angler perception of crowding has been shown to often limit the desire to fish body of water.  By dispersing pressure to a new parking area and small water craft launch site, we can effectively reduce this potential crowding. Restroom facilities must be a part of this expansion.

The current management plan also calls specifically for improvement and development of areas for small water craft launching.  The impetus for this comes from the conflicts that often occur between people launching small craft (such as personal inflatable craft, and other small vessels) that require more time to set up and launch than larger boats.

The Strawberry Fisheries Management plan also calls for a minimum of 150,000 ice fishing hours annually.  Providing access and facilities is key to this objective.

The Forest Plan calls for protection of areas for sage grouse, and allows for closure of non-motorized areas to vehicle traffic.  Uinta Forest Plan - 2003 Land and Resource Management Plan, Uinta National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/uwcnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5076960&width=full

Strawberry reservoir TMDL study 2005. Utah Division of Water Quality publication.

-Greater Sage-grouse ROD- Attachment C: Utah Plan Amendment
GRSG-GEN-DC001-Desired Condition: The landscape for the greater sage-grouse encompasses large contiguous areas of native vegetation, approximately 6-to-62 square miles in an area, to provide for multiple aspects of species life requirements.  Within these landscapes, a variety of sagebrush-community compositions exist without invasive species, which have variations in subspecies composition, co-dominant vegetation, shrub cover, herbaceous cover, and stand structure to meet seasonal requirements for food, cover, and nesting for the greater sage-grouse.

GRSG-R-GL-064-Guideline: In priority habitat management areas, sagebrush focal areas, and Anthro mtn., new recreational facilities or expansion of existing recreational facilities, including special-use authorizations for facilities and activities, should not be approved unless the development results in a net conservation gain to the greater sage-grouse or its habitat or the development is required for visitor safety.

Wasatch County Resource Management Plan encourages land managers to "Maintain, enhance, and expand sport fishing opportunities...".  This proposal for the new Chicken Creek East parking area and boat ramp was put before the Wasatch County Council and Public Lands Committee, and they were fully supportive of this effort.

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.