Project Details

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a habitat specialist that generally requires high elevation talus habitat and associated grassy feeding areas.  In Utah, the pika is found in the high mountains from Bear Lake and Uinta mountains in northern Utah to the Dixie National Forest and the La Sal mountain range in the southern part of the state.  Due to the natural isolation of mountain ranges, inter-population dispersal is likely minimal and 4 of 5 subspecies of pikas occur in Utah , including the endemic O. p. unita (Hafner and Smith 2010).

Work by UDWR and other states and researchers has found widespread, resilient populations, yet other work has reported declines attributed to climate change including a highly publicized publication claiming extinctions at Zion and Cedar Breaks National Parks (Beever et al. 2016). Although the species was found not-warranted for ESA listing in 2010, additional petitions have been submitted and the species is a frequent target of species advocacy groups.

We completed monitoring surveys employing multiple visits at randomly selected sites in predicted pika habitat during 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2017.  The estimated probability of occupancy of sites was high (see attachment) and we were able to document pikas in all historically recorded mountain ranges in the state.  We also expanded the known distribution to some lower-elevation sites in atypical habitat. Because of the high and stable occupancy, we have increased the interval between survey periods from three to six years- thus survey should be completed during the summer of 2023. UDWR data has also been incorporated into other research demonstrating resilience of pika populations in the Great Basin. Although the results from the research is encouraging, given the current interest, it is essential to continue our commitment to pika monitoring to ensure populations in Utah are not experiencing the purported extinctions.  Just as importantly, if we were to detect declining populations, we would have the information required to take actions to help protect the species. For example, determining where and when reintroductions to unoccupied patches may be a viable management option.

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.

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.