There are several projects underway in the Northern Region that utilize beaver as a restoration agent (these include Trail Hollow, Three Mile Creek, Richards Hollow in Cache County and Sugar Pine, Peggy Hollow in Rich County and the Raft River and Tribs in Box Elder County). Under the previous version of the UDWR Beaver Management Plan, freedom to translocate beavers was greatly restricted. With the new version of the plan, many of the previous impediments have been removed. We now, however find ourselves in a 'backlog' situation with many more projects needing animals than can be provided with internal (agency) personnel. This proposal would provide a pool of money to pay trappers providing nuisance beaver removal for removing them alive versus the previously mandated lethal removal. Those beavers could then be quarantined and relocated to project areas. With USU now having a secure quarantine facility capable of holding numerous beavers we would not be limited to only taking opportunistic single animals, but capturing significant numbers and holding until whole colonies can be moved.

Due to a vast underestimate of costs per beaver experienced in FY19, we grew this project monetarily in FY20; it appears that we were able to meet the regional needs for animals at that size of expenditure. We will continue the practice of removing beavers from nuisance areas and relocate them to projects in the Northern Region. We have Beaver Dam Analogues in many locations, but without maintenance, they will quickly deteriorate and become non-functional; they will be evaluated for suitability for beaver reintroduction. We are currently utilizing BDAs in project areas and the need for beavers in some of those areas is increasing concurrently.

The primary threat is the loss of the project labor and planning involved in the projects already underway and/or completed. They were generally all designed to have beavers introduced at some point and now with the more favorable Beaver Management Plan, that is possible.

UDWR Beaver Management Plan WAP Ch. 7-1; Mountain Riparian Habitat, criteria and score totals (ch. 7-8) 3rd highest priority statewide. Ch. 6-53; Yellowstone Cutthroat trout; general conservation actions - restore degraded habitats, priority high. Ch. 6-15; Western Toad; threat - OHV and improper grazing; provide habitat protection where needed, priority high. Ch. 6-27; Greater Sage Grouse; Threats - habitat loss; identify and enhance degraded habitats, priority high. Establish local working groups (BARM). BARM (Box Elder Adaptive Resource Management Working Group) pg. 43 - control noxious weed populations, replace with beneficial vegetation pg. 58 (3.3) identify and implement riparian habitat projects Within 2011 Sage Grouse Initiative Priority map as a high value lek area. UDWR Beaver Management Plan - Pg.25 - Basin Creek drainage - Transplant site. Yellowstone cutthroat rangewide agreement - maintain and/or re-establish populations of Yellowstone Cutthroat trout within historic range. UDWR Hydrologic Unit mgt. plan - pg. 13; maintain or enhance the six populations of Yellowstone Cutthroat in the Raft River Drainage - Pg. 13, maintain population of Western Toad in the Raft River Drainage

Healthy riparian zones and associated healthy wet meadow complexes created by beaver activity are quite effective fire breaks.

It is hoped that with the re-introduction of beavers into the systems needing them, perennial flows will again be established much further downstream in the drainages and the flows of ephemeral streams will be temporally extended longer into the growing season. Capture of sediment in the dams themselves will reduce suspended solids transported downstream.

n/a

Continue to train a pool of interested trappers to live capture beavers where they would normally lethally remove them. Pay the trappers a fee to cover costs and for live capture and delivery to a holding facility at USU. The interest is growing, but at a rate that has been a bit slower than anticipated.

Periodic survey to monitor status of yellowstone cutthroat trout (Raft River Site); observations by district biologist to document sage grouse use. Observe area for active beaver activity. Monitor riparian vegetation for shift away from weed communities to riparian vegetative communities Basically, all of these monitoring efforts are being undertaken within their own project headings, but having beavers actually on site will allow documentation of enhanced recovery tempo. Often site visits documenting presence/absence of new beaver activity in areas of transplant is sufficient to document use.

USFS, USU, BLM

We will determine if the interest is present and viable for any future efforts of duplication of this project. It is hoped that this project will ultimately become more efficient and less costly; the trapping cost should one day be incurred by the landowner/land manager where the beavers are being removed from and the cost will be limited to quarantine care and transport.

Increased riparian zone forage for re-establishment of wet meadows. Improved water quality and quantity.

08/03/2020

05/20/2021

2021

Provide a funding source for costs associated with the trapping, transporting, holding and release of wild beavers from conflict areas to areas needing stream rehabilitation. Cooperation with USU, USFS, BLM, and private landowners was crucial to the success of this project. Due to the problems encountered staying within purchasing guidelines, a decision was made to set up a contract with USU as a partner to allow them to handle the payments.

A total of 40 beavers were trapped, 38 were transported live to the holding facility and 34 were ultimately transplanted back into the wild. Mortalities (2) and escapes from the holding facility (4) occur infrequently, but are still a factor.

Continue to pursue funding via Habitat Council for this activity until such time that funding can be secured form other sources. Possibly cost sharing with recipients of the transplanted beavers.