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North Hills BLM #1 Big Game Guzzler
Region: Southern
ID: 6709
Project Status: Current
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Project Details
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Need for Project
Water availability is a limiting factor for big game and game bird species in the southern end of the state and specifically in the Pine Valley area where this guzzler is located, water is in high demand. Increased water availability increases availability of suitable habitat and better spreads use across the area. This new site is well placed in an area of known deer use with limited water availability, and would serve to help keep the deer on the rangelands and out of the agricultural fields.
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.
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Objectives
Install a new big game 10,200 gallon guzzler at a site well situated to meet the needs of the wintering population deer herds in the North Hills on the Pine Valley Deer Herd Unit.
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.
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Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?)
Without the guzzler habitat will continue to under serve the area due to the lack of water and the ability for the water to allow for proper distribution on the landscape. Availability of water limits wildlife utilization of the area. Without establishing a functioning adequate water source the habitat would become less available for wildlife. As with any type of ground disturbance there is some risk of invasion of non-native undesirable plant species. With the relatively small footprint of the disturbance, it's unlikely that this would be a risk associated with this project. There is also a potential threat / risk of temporary displacement of wildlife species while the project is being implemented. Normal and increased wildlife use is likely to occur after implementation.
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.
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Relation to Management Plans
Water availability increases available habitat for deer, and chukar. This guzzler will allow for use of this range for the deer populations of this area in both the summer, and the winter. Summer range is identified as a limiting factor for deer in the Pine Valley unit management plans. Water is listed as a limiting resource in the Pine Valley Mule Deer Management Plan; this guzzler project will increase available water for mule deer on this unit. The Utah Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan states, "The mule deer population in Utah has been in a state of decline for over thirty years. There are many factors contributing to this decline, but the loss and degradation of habitat have likely had the most significant impact on mule deer numbers." Habitat in this area is potentially underutilized because of a lack of water. This guzzler project could potentially improve habitat across the unit by dispersing use more evenly across it. The Utah Strategic Chukar Partridge Plan states, "Although the Chukar Partridge is a bird of arid climates, it's speculated that free water plays a role in their ability to survive. " This project will increase available water for Chukar.
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.
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Fire/Fuels
Wildlife have been affected by wildfires in the Pine Valley Unit. Most recently directly adjacent to this guzzler site was a large fire called the North Hills Fire. The rehabilitation efforts of the North Hills fire have created some habitat that was not there prior to the fire and adding water to the landscape in this area would allow for utilization of this habitat. Having more available habitat helps alleviate the stress that can be caused if habitat is lost to fire, and this is potentially a situation that could happen in the future to the west of this site due to the tree densities and fuels overloading. We would like to do what we can to alleviate this problem with adding water to the landscape.
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.
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Water Quality/Quantity
This project directly addresses the need for additional water sources to help make habitat available for wildlife species on the Pine Valley.
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.
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Compliance
Guzzler site has been covered under BLM NEPA and arch surveys are planned to be completed prior to implementation of the project.
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.
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Methods
UDWR will construct new 10,200 gallon big game guzzler. This guzzler is the Southern Region design that is built to withstand wildfire and other major events and with minimal effort be back up and running again and it is designed to last 20-30 years. UDWR will purchase the materials and contract with an excavator to assist in the excavation portion of the installation. UDWR biologists would be the labor to construct the remaining portions of the guzzler build.
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.
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Monitoring
This guzzler will be added to UDWR inventory list and monitored at least every other year. District biologist may monitor for wildlife usage during annual deer classification. If repairs are needed UDWR will make not and secure funds to fix or replace until guzzler is back in working condition.
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.
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Partners
Guzzler is part of a list of guzzlers slotted for construction or replacement that was generated by a team of wildlife professionals from both the UDWR and BLM.
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.
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Future Management
Grazing is not impacted by this action. This guzzler will be fenced to provide access for Wildlife while excluding livestock. Guzzler will be added to UDWR inventory list and visited regularly to monitor use and repair needs.
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.
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Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources
Added water distribution provides for better distribution of use by ungulates across the landscape. Guzzlers also add recreational value by assisting in the sustenance of wildlife populations for which hunting and viewing are popular in the area.
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.
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