The Utah Prairie dog is a Federally listed Threatened species managed by the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with other federal and state partners. The Utah Prairie Dog Revised Recovery Plan sets forth recovery goals and addresses species threats while prescribing mitigation measures. The U.S. Forest service (USFS) has been a partner in UPD conservation since UPD were first listed in 1973. Conservation efforts have included habitat improvements, research, counting, plague abatement, and education and outreach efforts. The USFS has conducted aggressive conservation efforts since 2002 by managing translocation sites, aggressively conducting plague abatement (dusting), and trapping and translocating UPD. UPD are a conservation dependent species. Recently USFS has initiated a cooperative agreement with Garfield county to focus efforts on trapping and management of UPD on private lands within the county. This project proposal seeks to continue the conservation efforts already established, manage translocation sites, conduct predator monitoring at translocation sites and other colonies, and cooperatively continue to work with our state, federal and private partners. Since 2002 conservation efforts within the Paunsaugunt portion of the recovery area have been hosted primarily by the USFS. In recent years we have been able to expand these efforts with the help of many partners to BLM and Garfield County lands. USFS participates on the Utah Prairie Dog Recovery Team and the Utah Prairie Dog Oversight Group (UPDOG), and is a key member of the Conservation Strategy group where they represent USFS interests and positions. It is our goal to continue the great partnerships in conservation for the Utah Prairie Dog, as we all work towards a common goal of de-listing and supporting recovery of the species. USFS has been operating with force account funding to conduct conservation activities for multiple years. In the past an earmark has facilitated funding for plague abatement and other activities. This earmark funding has been reduced however there is still a conservation need to continue with the efforts of counting, dusting, predator management, trapping, and habitat improvement. We are proposing to increase efforts to understand predator relationships by adding a predator monitoring component to our program. Writing a predator management plan that would be implementable when needed.

The goals of the UPD project for the Powell Ranger District is to continue to provide conservation efforts such as plague abatement, habitat improvement, trapping, translocation, and partnerships that move the UPD closer to recovery and delisting. Although our individual agency objectives may vary, our common goal is recovery and delisting. Our objectives include: 1) Continue to work towards a common goal of over 1000 counted spring adult UPD on protected lands, 2) Continue to provide plague abatement (dusting) and initiate predator monitoring/predator control efforts when needed, 3) Continue to support our partners such as Garfield county and BLM in efforts of trapping and translocation sites, 4) Continue support to UDWR with spring counts, trapping, and other conservation efforts, 5) Continue education and outreach efforts including school programs, providing signs and working with public to conserve critical habitat areas.

Since 1973 USFS has been actively managing UPD in cooperation with other agencies. Since 2002 the Powell Ranger District has intensively managed UPD and its habitat on the Dixie National Forest. During this recent 20 year time frame UPD numbers have continued to increase on the Paunsaugunt and gain stability due to these conservation efforts from the USFS and partners. If it were not for these continued efforts, this conservation dependent species would be at a further risk and threat of extinction. Currently the largest portion of UPD that are within protected habitat reside on USFS lands within the Paunsaugunt. These lands are managed by the Powell Ranger District. For this reason the USFS needs to play and ACTIVE roll in managing and monitoring this species. Plague is the primary threat on the Paunsaugunt range however more recently threats from recreational uses, predators have emerged. This project proposal seeks to address many of the primary threats on the Paunsaugunt portion of the recovery unit. Because USFS earmark funding has been reduced there is a threat to the conservation program. Without other funding sources we will no longer be able to conduct the UPD work at the levels we have in past years. Last year we were only able to conduct plague abatement on less than 50% of active colonies. We expect less this year based upon projected budgets. More importantly if the program continues to be reduced we would expect to loose the relationships and support from our partners and private land-owners that we have worked hard to build. We are at a critical intersection where keeping our efforts strong supports all of the efforts put into the Utah Prairie Dog Conservation Strategy that we are all engaged in.

The Utah Prairie Dog Revised Recovery Plan (UPDRRP) sets objectives for recovery of the UPD. All of the efforts conducted by the Powell Ranger District are in support of the conservation efforts established in the UPDRRP. In addition, the Dixie National Forest Land and Resource Management plan (Forest Plan) establishes direction for recovery of Threatened and Endangered species. Our proposed conservation activities support this plan. The Garfield County General Management plan, resource section also provides guidance for wildlife conservation activities. The objectives of these plans include the conservation efforts proposed as part of this project. Habitat improvement, plague abatement, counting UPD, etc are among the range of activities proposed to manage the UPD.

Several of the most recent projects on the Powell Ranger District have attempted to address fire within UPD occupied habitat. The Blue fly rabbit brush removal project (5178) successfully removed brush from 85 acres of occupied habitat. In addition we recently proposed another brush removal project (5754) to reduce brush in occupied UPD habitat on 89 acres. Part of this proposal includes funding to utilize Tebruthiron (Spike) to conduct research to determine appropriate application rates to reduce sagebrush at active translocation sites. There are several translocation sites that have been established that show increased sagebrush cover and spike has been used as a tool on past rangeland improvement projects to thin sagebrush with minimal ground disturbance. Our goal is to find the most appropriate application rate for the soil found throughout our portion of the recovery area.

Not Applicable

The proposed conservation efforts are in compliance with the Dixie National Forest LRMP, the Garfield County General management plan, and the Endangered Species Act. Translocations, Plague abatement, etc fall within accepted conservation activities and have long standing precedence as conservation benefits to UPD. USFS personnel are permitted by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permits and an annual COR issued from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Methods include combining earmark force account funding with funds from Garfield county and ESMF to continue to manage and provide for UPD conservation within the Paunsaugunt portion of the recovery area. Specifically: 1) Conduct spring counts on all USFS lands within the Paunsaugunt, 2) Conduct dusting on all active colonies on the Powell Ranger District, Roller Mill Hill translocation site, BLM translocation site, TNC colony near Coyote hollow, 3) Conduct research to determine appropriate Spike application rates on various translocation sites to reduce sagebrush to appropriate levels to facilitate UPD conservation, 4) Maintain over 7 translocation sites established within the Paunsaugunt, 5) Establish a predator monitoring program at translocation sites and key colonies, 6) Continue to trap and translocate UPD from private lands within Garfield county and translocate to approved protected sites, 7) Continue to develop conservation education throughout the recovery unit by maintaining signs, constructing new signs, and working with partners to conduct environmental education throughout the communities.

The USFS Powell monitoring program consist of conducting annual counts on USFS administered lands, monitoring and maintaining translocation sites, monitoring habitat shifts including expansion and reduction of active colonies. This proposal would facilitate adding predator monitoring at key sites (which we have observed is necessary), and conducting background research with herbicide brush treatments to plan for future habitat maintenance.

USFS has enjoyed our partnerships and relationships with multiple entities. Partners include: USFWS, UDWR, DNR/ESMF, BLM, Garfield County, Ruby's Inn Bryce Canyon city, Hatch City, Panguitch City, TNC, and multiple private landowners. A large part of the success of our conservation efforts can be attributed the the many private landowners who have helped by allowing for trapping to occur on agricultural lands instead of choosing lethal take. We have worked tirelessly to help landowners work through UPD issues on their private lands and the payment has been in the form of trapping and translocation, along with the more important relationship that it builds of trust in conservation.

This project is part of a multi-year effort that would support conservation efforts for UPD within the Paunsaugunt. The ultimate goal is continuing to facilitate cooperative relationships between conservation partners/agencies to recover the species. Funding would need to be distributed to facilitate multi-year efforts as our seasonal workforce begins in early spring and continues through until late fall. This work period splits the State of Utah fiscal calendar year and accommodations would need to be made to facilitate this funding over several state fiscal years. This is a critical part of the success as the work does not stop on July 1st. We look forward to working with our partners in the upcoming (above ground) work seasons.

Most of the protected occupied UPD habitat within the Paunsaugunt recovery unit is grazed by livestock. In addition there are multiple large colonies found on private lands where large agricultural practices such as raising alfalfa, and other pasture management activities support UPD. Managing livestock grazing on public lands has become a well established symbiotic relationship that can benefit UPD when conducted within the guidelines of Allotment Management plans on public land. Our efforts to maintain relationships with private land-owners by providing a method for trapping and removal has continued to provide for sustainability on private lands as well. The support from Garfield county and surrounding communities has shifted towards the positive by working with private landowners. The conservation of UPD ultimately depends upon these relationships that have been built. What we are doing now is working. UPD numbers have remained stable. Plague outbreaks continue to occur and move from colony to colony on private lands. The plague abatement efforts (dusting) on protected public lands have increased stability within those colonies. USFS has treated over 15,000 acres of occupied and unoccupied UPD habitat within the last 20 years by removing PJ from sage-steppe areas, conducting brush removal projects, etc. We plan to continue these efforts on the Dixie National Forest, Powell Ranger District.

06/06/2022

07/30/2024

2025

Powell Ranger district has partnered with USFWS, UDWR, BLM, and Garfield County to conduct Utah Prairie dog conservation activities on the Paunsaugunt portion of the recovery unit. Powell Ranger District has worked to conduct spring counts, continue plague abatement on National Forest system land as well as Garfield county, and BLM lands. These efforts have expanded the recovery program to work in the Panguitch valley and help better distribute UPD (across) the entire recovery unit. We have constructed translocation sites on both county and BLM lands, as well as maintained and monitored these sites. We have then worked to trap and translocate UPD into these locations. In addition we have monitored these sites for predators and have gained valuable knowledge on predations. Badgers are the primary predator.

During the summers of 2022, 2023, and 2024 we conducted work for spring adult counts, plague abatement including the use of deltamethrin, as well as Fipronil grain. The Fipronil grain has been recently approved by the EPA and we have conducted trial applications for 2 years at the BB ranch site on Garfield county land. Our monitoring indicates that this is working well. UPD are expanding their territories at this location and spring adult counts are up. In addition we have utilized camera traps to monitor predation and poaching activities. The primary predator is badger. We recently worked through Garfield County and our conservation agreement to contract a retired U.S. Animal Damage Control (ADC) trapper to help alleviate predation at several translocation sites. We also received a letter from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources that authorized trapping and lethal take of predators at these conservation/translocation sites.

Forest service will continue to move forward with the program. A third translocation site has been installed in Johns Valley on USFS lands. This site will be ready for 2024. We finalized this install in the spring of 2024. Predation is a problem that will continue and will need consistent management. Consistent lethal predator control at translocation sites for a minimum of 2 years prior to implementation is crucial. USFS will seek addition funding for predator control at translocation sites as well as additional areas with conservation purposes.