The Roosevelt City Nature Park is being developed as a 14-acre public open space, trails, and a park, suitable for the recreation and enjoyment of the surrounding community, including residents of the city, tourists, and patients and staff of Uintah Basin Medical Center(UBMC). This project plan is set to be phased out over the next couple of years. With large support from several partners, the anticipated finish date for this project is slated to be completed within the next two years. The plan for this nature park is to create a connective walking trail system through the riparian area that will provide a sanctuary for those interested in recreating in a natural setting, whether they are patients at the hospital or tourists passing through. With this, the city would also like to increase the recreational opportunities found within the park. Roosevelt city does not currently have a community fishery located within city limits. Though Cottonwood Creek currently runs through the length of this proposed nature park, the creation of this one-acre fishing pond will fill a current recreational void and fulfill the UDWR's R3 (recruitment, retention, reactivation) goals. Community fishing ponds create an opportunity for easy access, ADA access and provide an exceptional opportunity for our youth to learn to love fishing. These kinds of projects can create lifetime anglers and stewards of the lands. The project focus will also be placed on restoring the habitat located along the stream-bank and historic floodplain. Currently, the location is overrun with Russian olives, Chinese elm and greasewood. In 2021, vegetation and debris were removed to begin laying out the foundation of the walking path and pond location. In order to prevent other invasive species from returning to this site, post-disturbance, weed spraying will begin this spring, with follow-up treatments occurring throughout the growing season. During that time, the planting of pollinator plants throughout the park will be assessed for survivability and implemented if deemed acceptable. The Roosevelt Nature Park was a 2021 recipient for the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation Grant in the amount of $150,000.00 for the Cottonwood Creek Trail project that runs through the entirety of the park. The project funds must be utilized over the next 18 months and will be coupled with any other funds acquired to see this project to completion. The product of these nature park enhancements helps fulfill several needs identified in the Duchesne County Trails Master Plan 2020 by improving alternative transportation trails and routes that would improve connectivity and accessibility for varied trail uses throughout Duchesne County.

1) Work with Roosevelt City and other partners to build a 14-acre nature park complex with nature trails, fishing ponds, pavilion, educational wildlife kiosks, and more. 2) Spring 2022, obtain small dam application approval for pond project. Spray for invasive and noxious weed control. Perform habitat and stream restoration efforts alongside Cottonwood Creek. Consider planting native planter plants, shrubs and trees, where applicable. 3) Fall of 2022, utilize UDWR heavy equipment crew and Strata Networks donation of heavy equipment and operator to excavate a 1.25-acre fishing pond. Bentonite line the pond, build up the small dam, install water control structures for inlet and outlet. Spray for noxious and invasive weed control. 4) Spring 2023 provide pollinator crop seeds and established plants for planting, coordinate volunteers and dedicated hunters to do wetland plantings, pollinator plantings, and tree plantings within the park. 5) Help coordinate Phase II project objectives with Roosevelt city, UBTech, and other local partners who wish to donate/assist with the project.

1) Protect and enhance riparian/wetland areas within this 14-acre parcel for the long term. 2) Enhance pollinator plants within the area, especially for the monarch butterfly. The proposed pollinator plantings gives this project a unique opportunity to address threats to bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other sensitive species which rely on pollinator plants to survive.Major threats to pollinators currently include loss of milkweed, insecticide, herbicide and pesticide use, parasites, disease, and loss of nectaring plants. Pollinators play a crucial role in many ecosystems and they are in need of more extreme conservation efforts. 3) ADA access to the trails and pondADA will address safety risks and provide access to our elderly, disabled and family anglers.

The product of these nature park enhancements helps fulfill needs identified in the Duchesne County Trails Master Plan 2020 by improving alternative transportation trails and routes that would improve connectivity and accessibility for varied trail uses throughout Duchesne County. Noxious weed control and removal fall under the Duchesne County General Plan & Resource Management plan 2017. https://www.duchesne.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/General-Plan-June-2017-Draft.pdf The Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan 2019-2069, published by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, encourages the following applicable actions: --Work with land management partners to integrate monarch/pollinator conservation in all-new land management plans, as appropriate. -- Identify target areas for monarch habitat restoration, enhancement, and creation at a scale appropriate for each partner. -- Encourage ... pollinator-friendly landscapes. -- Encourage landowners to voluntarily maintain diversified agricultural landscapes to benefit monarchs. -- Create and utilize demonstration sites in agricultural areas to encourage on- or near-farm/ranch habitat installation or enhancement. The USDA's Conservation and Management of Monarch Butterflies - A Strategic Framework identifies the following needs for monarch butterflies, which are addressed by this project: -- Manage the landscape to provide host and nectar sources from spring to fall. -- Accelerate efforts to control nonnative invasive plant species to increase the abundance and diversity of butterflies and native bees. -- Reduce the amount of grass mowed by establishing pollinator gardens at administrative and recreation sites. Ensure that interpretation signs are provided at these pollinator gardens for better public understanding. The North American Monarch Conservation Plan contains the following relevant objectives and actions: -- Address the threats of the loss, fragmentation, and modification of breeding habitat -- Strengthen monarch butterfly habitat protection on public and private land. DOI Pollinator Protection Strategic Plan: 1. Increase the number of native milkweed species in Seeds of Success collections. Increase the number of collections of species already included. 2. Determine a list of the best nectar forbs and shrubs and trees for pollinators that would provide nectar throughout the year and variety in flower color and shape for native pollinators. 3. In existing native plant landscaping increase public awareness through plant identification labels and interpretive signing 4. Increase and Broaden Collaboration and Communication with Governmental and Non-governmental Organizations and the Public in Addressing Pollinator Issues The USDA's Conservation and Management of North American Bumble Bees states that "on more natural lands, management should focus on maintaining diverse assemblages of primarily native flora, such that flowers would be constantly available throughout the nesting season." TECHNICAL NOTE USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Boise, Idaho: TN PLANT MATERIALS NO. 73 March 2019 CREATION AND MANAGEMENT OF UTAH BUTTERFLY HABITAT

This project will help with the reduction of invasive plant species and the overgrowth of vegetation debris, reducing the fire risk where most of the user activity takes place. The overall fuels reduction will also protect the Moon Lake Electric power station, located adjacent to the park and ensure power is maintained for city residents.

Planting for native pollinators can have a very positive impact on the water quality in this watershed. Native plants, like milkweed, wildflowers, and bunch grasses, often have deep root systems that penetrate several feet into the ground. These roots not only provide soil stability and prevent erosion, but they also form channels in the soil that help rainfall soak in and replenish our groundwater supply. Some plants act as sponges by soaking heavy metals up into their tissues with water and removing them and other pollutants from the soil. In addition, they can prevent them from getting into the nearby streams, rivers, and lakes. These plants provide food and shelter for many wildlife species, including monarch butteflies, while also helping to slow the flow of runoff and prevent contaminants from reaching our waterways. Creation of this fishing pond will provide a long term use for water shares which Roosevelt city holds. This will ultimately provide a designated use for these water shares for fish into the future.

Small Dam application (State of Utah-sect 73-5A-202 and 7305A-204) in process. An archaeological review/survey is not needed for this location.

1)Utilize staff from Habitat, Aquatics and Outreach and Roosevelt city to create a multi-phase project to benefit multiple user groups at the Roosevelt Nature Park. 2)Create a unique pollinator plot to benefit species that are currently under threat from habitat loss, pesticide use and other factors. We will use volunteers and partnership staff to complete the plantings and properly irrigate. 3)Create and establish a community fishing pond for Roosevelt city. 4)Utilize Moon Lake Electric heavy equipment operators or the DWR HE crew to excavate the pond and assist with debris removal along the project trail.

Spot treatments of noxious and annual non-native weeds would occur annually. The pollinator crop will be monitored for planting success, as well as weed concerns. The UDWR will help evaluate if additional pollinator plantings are needed in the future. Informal monitoring will occur to determine the presence and abundance of flowering plants for pollinators. This monitoring will inform decisions on future management actions, which could include additional plantings, weed spraying, and mowing/burning to maintain desirable vegetation. It is anticipated that this area will be used as a location to tag monarch butterflies in a broader effort to monitor their population as a whole. Pollinator shrubs and trees will be monitored for survival. If survival fails, plants will be replaced in year two.

UBMC bought and provided the acreage and continues to facilitate meetings and provide support for the planning process of the nature park. NRCS has provided technical assistance in regard to surveying the plot to restore habitat and also has had input on the seed mix. The city of Roosevelt is the host of the project and will be managing the nature park. Sunrise Engineering has provided the designs and construction templates for the nature trail, community fishing pond, and will continue to assist with the park's overall design. For plantings, we will contact a local nursery that will help in growing milkweed seedlings to plant in the pollinator-designated section of the park. The Outreach and Aquatics section of the UDWR will provide their guidance and expertise with the construction of the community fishery and the education wildlife kiosks that will be located along the nature trail. Major Project Partners: Roosevelt City Uintah Basin Medical Center Utah Division of Natural Resources - Division of Wildlife Resources Moon Lake Electric Association Strata Networks NRCS Trout Unlimited Duchesne County Travel & Tourism Major Funding Partners: UBMC Roosevelt City Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation Utah Recreation Trails Land Water and Conservation Assistance Program

Utah DWR Aquatics section will plan to manage the fishing pond stockings and assist with overall water quality/quantity management. We are in the process of creating a water ID and stocking quotas for this pond. Roosevelt City will be the managing entity for the park, nature trail, and pond maintenance.

This project will provide and enhance habitat for insects and birds in the area, especially the monarch butterfly and other pollinator species during migration season. Increased habitat loss, use of pesticides/insecticides, disease, and other environmental factors have led to the decline of monarch butterflies, so much so that they are being considered to be listed as a threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Utah's data gathered from monarch butterfly research is currently suggesting that Utah's Uintah Basin plays a crucial role in the fall migration of the species. Increased flowering pollinator plants are being discovered as necessary during all three of the major migrational seasons (spring, summer, fall). The investment in proper engineering and design work for ADA access to the fishing pond, pier, and trails system down will provide safe access into the future for many user groups. This area will function as a community-style fishery for Roosevelt and other Uintah Basin anglers and their families. This pond will also satisfy the UDWR's R3 program initiative of recruiting, retaining, and reactiviting anglers within the community and throughout the state.

01/16/2023

06/30/2023

2023

The fishing pond portion of this project was constructed between January 2023 and June 30, 2023. We worked with a state-contracted excavation company (Landmark Companies LLC) to complete the excavation, install a small dam, install water control structures and apply a layer of bentonite clay to the entire inside of the pond. Several key donations helped us keep costs within our budget (thanks to XCL Resources for the bentonite donation and for trucking it to the pond site). Additional construction, habitat improvements, and park maintenance were provided through in-kind time provided by UDWR staff, UDWR dedicated hunters, Uintah Basin Medical Center staff, and Roosevelt city staff and volunteers. Concrete structures were put in place for the bridges and paid for by the city of Roosevelt in June 2023. The bridges were originally set to be installed in April and were backordered and not able to be delivered by the end of the fiscal year.

The Roosevelt Nature Park has been in the planning process for several years. It is a 14-acre parcel of land purchased by UB Medical Center and donated to Roosevelt City for the creation of this park. Included in the plans for the park is a small fishing pond. The pond is located in the northwest corner of the property. Construction was started in January 2023 and finished in June of 2023. The pond is approximately 1/2 acre in size and 15 feet in depth. Roosevelt City did significant work to install water lines to the pond and hold all of the water rights to manage this pond. It will be stocked as a "put and take" fishery by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The park also exhibits a natural connective trail system that is highlighted in the Duchesne County Master Trails plan. It winds around the pond and through varying habitats like a wetland, riparian stream, and woodlot, to provide hospital patients and local residents an opportunity to digress in a natural setting within the city limits.

Management of the fishing pond itself will be done by UDWR aquatics staff in conjunction with Roosevelt City managers. The park habitat will be maintained by Roosevelt city staff, with input and advice from NRCS and UDWR staff. We asked to fast-track money from the phase 2 portion of this project. There was a carryover request for the educational kiosks that was approved by Eric Edgely for $4,355.56 on June 23, 2023. The kiosks could not be delivered until August 8, 2023. We also had to wait on the seed mix for FY24, and had it mixed for phase 2.