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.

From GSENM Management Plan
- "Emphasize GSENM as a living, outdoor laboratory." - Conducting biological surveys at GSENM achieves this purpose. GSENM was establish, in part, for this purpose.
- "Protect and/or restore GSENM's biological resources." - These surveys will help to protect the Federally petitioned Pinyon Jay and its nesting colonies at GSENM. This will help to ensure that the Pinyon Jay population at GSENM is healthy during a time of large population decline nationally for this species.

From the Utah Wildlife Action Plan
- The goal of the Wildlife Action Plan is: "To manage native wildlife species and their habitats, sufficient to prevent the need for additional listings under the Endangered Species Act." - Conducting surveys for the Federally petitioned Pinyon Jay will provide data that will help to guide land management decisions in a way that can benefit and protect this species at GSENM. Through better management and protection of the Pinyon Jay, Federal listing can be avoided.

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.

Surveys will be conducted according to Version 1 of the Pinyon Jay Road-based Protocol, which is attached in the images/documents section. I helped to develop the field survey portion of this protocol and have used it for the past three field seasons in the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. This survey effort will focus on collecting Pinyon Jay presence/absence data, which will help guide the surveyor (myself) to nesting colony locations. Zuzax Field Biology LLC does not intend to do any data analysis or occupancy modeling with this data. This analysis would increase the budget significantly. With the raw data, GSENM can conduct their own occupancy modeling, if they so desire.

Due to the large size of GSENM, this survey effort will only encompass a portion of the monument. Priority survey areas, if any, will be determined by GSENM staff. Habitat suitability and previous Pinyon Jay sightings will help to guide the survey effort. Surveys will be conducted during peak breeding and nesting activity, when the birds are most detectable, which generally occurs over a 4-6 week period from late March to mid-May. Colony delineation may occur after the breeding season is complete, to minimize disturbance at the colony site.

I have been conducting Pinyon Jay surveys for the past 13 years. Very few researchers, if any, have as much experience with this species in a field setting. I have located more than 60 Pinyon Jay nesting colonies and hundreds of nests.

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.