Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in the Southeastern Region provide crucial habitat for numerous game and nongame species. Many of these WMA's are in close proximity to communities throughout southeastern Utah.These areas provide recreation opportunities, including hunting, fishing, bird watching, wildlife viewing, etc.,for DWR's constituents. Associated with many of these properties are valuable water rights, which need to be used and proved up on. Water rights are exercised on many of the properties through active farming and irrigation. Farming, watering, and maintaining these fields provide critical forage for numerous species on the WMAs.

1. Mark property boundaries and where feasible build and repair wildlife friendly fence to reduce livestock trespass. 2. Implement a noxious weed control program by inventory and spraying on an annual basis. 3. Improve wildlife habitat through restoration projects, farming fields, maintaining ponds and guzzlers, and reducing erosion. 4. Maintain public access and recreational opportunities on authorized roads/trails through road maintenance activities. 5.Exercise DWR's water rights on all WMAs

Failure to maintain WMAs will result in habitat degradation and loss; conflicts with counties, local municipalities, and adjacent landowners; and failure to meet and/or comply with legal obligations.This proposal will protect and enhance the WMAs for wildlife.

All of the SER's WMAs lie within key habitats identified in Utah's Wildlife Action Plan. WMAs support many S1-S3 species listed in the WAP including bald eagle, southwestern willow flycatcher, yellow billed cuckoo,flannelmouth sucker, humpback chub, Colorado pikeminnow, fringed myotis, greater sage grouse, mule deer,raptors, and neotropical migratory birds. WMAs also support a variety of important game species including mule deer, bighorn sheep, elk, wild turkey, chukar, and waterfowl. WMAs are within conservation focus areas identified by the Southeastern Region UPCD team. The proposed projects will address the following goals and objectives of the Division of Wildlife Resources most recent strategic management plan. Resource Goal: expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat. Objective 1: protect existing wildlife habitat and improve 500,000 acres of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state by 2010. Objective 3: conserve sensitive species to prevent them from becoming listed as threatened or endangered. Constituency Goal: Achieve broad-based support for Division programs and budgets by demonstrating the value of wildlife to all citizens of Utah. Objective 2: Improve communication with wildlife organizations, public officials, private landowners, and government agencies to obtain support for Division programs. There are recently updated habitat management plans for the following WMA's: Lower Fish Creek, Cold Spring,Upper San Rafael, Lower San Rafael, and Nash Wash

Wildfire has long been an active part of healthy ecosystems in several habitat types. Fire/fuel reduction can be a tool to provide a greater diversity of wildlife when set back to an earlier seral stage. On the Gordon Creek WMA, smooth brome fields are burned on a 2-3 year rotation to remove old growth material and increase young succulent vegetation. The care takers at the Nash Wash WMA help maintain weeds (cheatgrass) by mowing or weed spraying to reduce fuels loads around the housing infrastructure. The Matheson wetland has experienced numerous human caused wildfires. Weed maintenance through herbicide and mowing, especially along travel ways, is used to reduce fire on the WMA. Pertinent DWR owned roads on WMA's are maintained and will allow easier access for fire personnel to access our properties in the event of a wildlife that is threatening habitat or infrastructure. Additional habitat projects reduce fuels on properties such as Lower Fish Creek, Cold Spring, Upper and Lower San Rafael, and the Matheson but are not typically performed as annual maintenance.

Ponds/guzzlers are annually checked to ensure they are functioning properly and maintaining water for wildlife. Without regular maintenance many water sources would become non-functioning and decrease available water. The DWR maintains healthy wetlands, floodplains, and riparian areas on WMAs as they act like sponges, absorbing and filtering out sediment to maintain and improve water quality. The DWR maintains water rights, including water rights for in-stream flow that ensure water is used for the benefit of wildlife and the stream corridor, reducing the amount that may be lost through other water uses.

UDWR archaeologist will be contacted prior to undertaking any projects that may or are likely to require clearance. Surveys will be required for project activities having the potential to affect the ground.

The habitat manager and maintenance specialist will coordinate maintenance activities in the region with other regional personnel. Habitat section personnel will coordinate with the regional Dedicated Hunter (DH) Coordinator to find projects where volunteers can be used. Weed control will be done under the supervision of the lead maintenance specialist with work completed by the assistant maintenance specialist and seasonal employees. Fencing and signing of WMA boundaries will be done by maintenance personnel with assistance from seasonals. Road maintenance will be completed by maintenance specialists where possible. The heavy equipment crew out of Ephraim will be used on larger road and pond projects. Irrigation and farming will be under the supervision of the habitat manager and lead maintenance specialist to maintain water rights and produce forage for wildlife species.

Properties that have a conservation easement will receive annual monitoring. Monitoring will be completed through annual WMA inspections and observational weed monitoring. Wildlife will be monitored through annual surveys by UDWR Biologists. Many WMA's have range trend studies established and will continue to be monitored.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a partner on the Gordon Creek WMA through a Memorandum of Understanding. The BLM has created a buffer from grazing to extend the wildlife values of the WMA. The BLM has also partnered to eliminate grazing on the Nash Wash Wildlife Management Area and surrounding BLM. Forestry Fire and State Lands is a partner on several of our properties with assistance with fuels and fire. FFSL also holds a conservation easement on our Cold Spring property. Forest Stewardship plans exist for the Cold Springs and Lower Fish Creek Wildlife Management Areas and will be updated this year. The Nature Conservancy assists the DWR with management of the Matheson Wetland Preserve. We also partner with livestock permittees on our Gordon Creek and Lower Fish Creek properties to help reach WMA objectives.

Wildlife Management Areas will be managed according to the Habitat Management plans that are completed. The Gordon Creek and Nash Wash WMA will continue to have crops planted annually and irrigated.

Grazing is a tool used by the Division to reach habitat management goals/objectives. Grazing will be used on an as needed basis on WMAs following the grazing plans contained in the HMPs for each WMA. Grazing will be permitted under the Divisions Land Use Rule.

07/01/2019

06/30/2020

2020

In order to maintain WMA's, herbicides and mechanical treatments (i.e mowing) were used to control noxious weeds, fences were maintained, and crops were planted and irrigated at Gordon Creek and Nash Wash. Repairs were performed on the Matheson water meter. Trespass livestock issues on the WMA were addressed. Seasonal winter gate closures were performed.

Seasonal habitat employees (three 2019, two 2020) were hired to assist with WMA management in the region. These seasonals are primarily responsible for weed control, maintaining fences and signs, maintaining irrigation, and other miscellaneous work on the WMA's. The seasonals are all licensed through the Department of Agricultural as pesticide applicator's. WMA maintenance funds were used to cover seasonal salaries ($21,683.07), mileage and fuel ($5,226.33) on two seasonal vehicles, a seasonal cell phone (~$150), associated costs with uniform and training (~$1100), and some travel (~$350). Both fall grains and spring crops were planted on both the Gordon Creek and Nash Wash Wildlife Management areas. Approximately $1,600 was spent on seed. In order to get fields planted, a John Deere tractor is rented. This costs $4,775 for a 6 month period. A disc was purchased this year for $3,690 after the old one broke while preparing fields at Nash Wash. Other maintenance on farm equipment was $335. Herbicide to control weeds cost ~$2,500. New irrigation supplies for Gordon Creek and Nash Wash were purchased. Much of the pipe, particularly at Nash Wash had broken. Replacement pipe was ~$3,600. New fencing materials for the WMA were acquired for ~$2,300. Work was required on the Matheson well which cost $500. The Summerhouse lease payment for the Gordon Creek WMA was $4,000. Other expenses from the project were used for small tools, protective equipment, equipment and supplies needed for ATVs/UTVs and heavy equipment and other supplies. A majority of seasonal time is spent on the Gordon Creek wildlife management area where active farming and disturbance creates a niche for invasive species to establish. Primary weed species encountered include musk thistle, houndstongue, burdock, cocklebur, and whitetop. The knapweed patch near the irrigation pond at Gordon Creek will continue to monitored but is under control at this point. Crops include triticale,sorghum, fall forage blend (tritiucale, wheat, and barley), three-way grain (barley, wheat, and oats), prosper four-way (barley, wheat, oats, peas) corn, turnips, radishes and beets, alfalfa, sunflower, and oats. Corn at Gordon Creek was planted later than hoped and it was drilled without any tillage. Irrigating the fields at Gordon Creek and Bob Wright proves on the Division water rights on the property. The fence along the Forest Service boundary continues to need annual maintenance. There were several trespass cattle issues in summer 2020. The livestock permittee on the property grazed cattle in the South Pastures this year. At Nash Wash, crops were planted and irrigated with available water. Natural gas to the property continues to be unreliable. The property is checked weekly and gas is only available part of the time. The Division did not have caretakers on the property this year. There has been an increase in rodents without regular presence. GBRC is continuing to collect data on their cheatgrass herbicide study on the Property. GBRC worked with a researcher on a pot-hole trial on the Property in 2019. The Hatt's Ranch on the Lower San Rafael continues to be leased as a commercial hunting operation. A new cooperative agreement was signed for another 5 years. On Fuller Bottom, two USU researchers hold SUPs on the property; one is studying beaver, and the other is studying native fish. Trespass livestock continue to be an issue with the checkerboard nature of the Lower San Rafael properties. On the Upper San Rafael recreation is increasing as people are drawn to the San Rafael Swell. Road maintenance and clarification is a current priority on the property. The property should be continually monitored for recreational impacts such as off-road travel and camping. Follow-up treatments on tamarisk may be needed in the future. Cottonwoods on the property are doing well. On the Matheson Wetland, weed maintenance continues to occur. The water meter was maintained on the property. Primary work on this property is occurring as part of a separate WRI proposal to improve the central pond for native fish production. Migratory bird day was cancelled this year due to Covid-19. At Lower Fish Creek, a weed reduction project was done in the spring on areas previously thinned to reduce fuels. Additional phases of this will continue in the future and are currently planned for Fall 2020. Overnight camping on the upper section of WMA seems to be increasing. One incident with extended camping occurred during the spring bear hunt. Signage needs to be improved in this area. Access on the Colton Mountain section of the property remains in question. The property is accessible by foot. The Habitat and Law Enforcement sections are working together to make sure roads are marked as closed prior to fall hunts in 2020.. Aspen stands are still planned to be treated in the future. Signs installed on the property to help hunters understand the difference in the three grouse species were removed and need to be replaced. On the Cold Spring WMA, aspen work was completed as part of a separate WRI proposal. Horses have been gathered in the vicinity of the property on two occasions in the last year. The local MDF chapter has interest in protecting water sources on the property and completed a project in early FY 21.

The following management may occur in the near future- not all will be performed by DWR or WMA maintenance. -Completion of Nash retaining wall -Access clarification at Colton Mountain -Prescribed burn on the Matheson Wetland -Fuels reduction at Lower Fish Creek -Bob Wright diversion sediment clean up -Razorback sucker pond at the Matheson -Spring protection at Cold Springs. -Pond fencing at Fuller Bottom