Project Details

The Habitat Section Assistant Chief is responsible for soliciting proposals, reviewing, contracting, tracking, and reporting on SPA accomplishments.  This position serves on several multi-partner groups as a representative for the DWR.  Currently, this position also serves as the coordinator for the Utah Wildlife Action Plan, participates in AFWA and WAFWA, and represents DWR on multiple ESA related groups.  This proposal is to cover the costs associated with the Habitat Section Assistant Chief.

The Species Protection Account (SPA) was created during the general session of the 1997 State Legislature (Utah Code 63-34-14) and is administered by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.  The purpose of the SPA is to serve as a species protection account "to protect any plant or animal species identified as sensitive by the state or as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 [ESA]" by providing funding to facilitate the conservation of sensitive species and their habitats in need of protection.  The primary objective of SPA is to direct funds towards the protection of federally listed and state sensitive species, to promote their recovery and conservation thereby making progress toward down-listing or de-listing federally listed species and precluding the need for listing additional species under the ESA.  SPA is funded through a portion of a 1/16th percent sales tax on water and by a tax provided for in the Brine Shrimp Royalty Act (Title 59, Chapter 23).  A total of more than $3 million ($2.45 million plus approximately $1,000,000 from water tax and brine shrimp tax, respectively) is available on an annual basis.  To be eligible for SPA funding, proposed projects must meet the intent of the legislation.

The SPA program will continue to address species in need of conservation attention and conflicts, and work to develop cost effective measures to minimize conflict and ensure the long term species protection.

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.

The purpose of this position is to provide oversight of SPA spending, to insure that all projects are conducted in a biologically sound manner and to monitor projects from grant award through final reporting or deliverable.  This position coordinates with project leaders to ensure that funding is available, projects are initiated and deliverables are completed in a timely manner.

The tasks completed by the Habitat Section Assistant Chief include:

1) Participate in the prioritization and selection of projects working on T&E and species in need of conservation attention;

2) Prepare and manage contracts for successful grant applications;

3) Assist project leaders in resolving funding, performance and reporting Issues;

4) Track project accomplishments by working with project leaders to ensure timely completion of project deliverables and reports;

5) Attend species workshops, conservation and recovery teams, symposia, researchers' meetings, etc. to understand issues facing species in need of conservation attention and associated state-wide priorities;

6) Coordinate compilations of successful grant applications and project reports respectively into annual work plans and accomplishment reports;

7) Represent the Division of Wildlife Resources on issues affecting the conservation and recovery of Utah's species in need of conservation attention; and

8) Coordinate the Utah Wildlife Action Plan

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.