Fences are major barriers to wildlife movement and disconnect habitats. Retrofitting or removing these fences, especially within known wildlife migration corridors and high-use areas, will ensure wildlife can complete daily and seasonal movements. By preserving the ability to move across the landscapes, we can improve the survival of migratory wildlife like pronghorn, elk, mule deer, and greater sage-grouse. In addition, well-functioning, wildlife-friendly fences are economically beneficial for livestock producers and private landowners, as they cut down on maintenance and repair costs substantially. This proposal is part of the Fence Restoration Program, a collaboration with Sageland Collaborative, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), the Utah Migration Initiative (UMI), and multiple other agencies and organizations. We will leverage the power of a recently developed FieldMaps data entry application, community science, education, engagement, and the Wildlife Tracker migration data to identify areas where fence restoration can improve wildlife movement and survival.

The goal of the Fence Restoration Program is to reconnect migratory landscapes for wildlife, while ensuring that fences remain functional and sustainable for agricultural producers. The larger program includes objectives such as: 1) using wildlife migration data and fencing layers to identify areas that can be improved for wildlife movement and survival; 2) deploying community scientists, partner staff, and university students to collect information on fences; and 3) using volunteers (e.g., students, Dedicated Hunters) and contractors to retrofit or remove fences. For this specific funding request, our objectives are to: 1) work with up to three landowners or land managers to fund fence retrofits or fence removal in areas known to be barriers to wildlife movement; 2) develop a list of contractors and suppliers to sustain this type of work into the future; and 3) collect data to track outcomes in wildlife movement.

Wildlife that move across the landscape of the West are increasingly threatened by development, degraded habitats, drought, and disturbance. For thousands of years, deer, elk, and pronghorn have traveled over large swaths of the land to raise their young and survive winter. But, fences and other barriers fragment this landscape and create problems for wildlife movement, even causing death. Facilitating wildlife movement across the West is vital to maintaining healthy wildlife populations. Fortunately, even small-scale fence retrofits can make a big difference. For example, research finds that pronghorn populations are facing an ecological threshold (Hoffman et al., 2010; Zeller et al., 2021). Excessive heat events and loss of forage, all worsened by the effects of climate change, are stressing populations. Pronghorn also avoid crossing areas with wildlife-unfriendly fencing, which restricts access to vital resources. Species like pronghorn will continue to struggle to access suitable habitat and populations will continue to decline. Updating the landscape with wildlife-friendly fencing can help populations like pronghorn and other big game. This project is part of a large program that is leveraging existing WildlifeTracker datasets and the power of the community at-large to help wildlife. We understand that the success of a project like this is connected to not only agency and partner involvement, but also to the investment into community members that live and work on these landscapes.

Currently, the condition and location of fences are generally unknown on many public and private lands across Utah. Targeted mapping efforts will benefit state and federal wildlife biologists managing big game species and support federal agencies conducting grazing permit renewals and managing rangelands under the Taylor Grazing Act, Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978, and the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act of 1976. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Interior issued Secretarial Order 3362 (SO 3362) to direct collaboration between federal and state agencies to improve migration corridors and winter ranges for mule deer, pronghorn, and elk in the West. This project is highly aligned with SO 3362 and Utah's 2024 Action Plan for implementing SO 3362 in our state (see this Action Plan under the Documents section). This proposal also supports the goals of the BLM's IM 2023-005, "Habitat Connectivity on Public Lands." Additionally, this project supports direction outlined in the Approved Utah Greater Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment (March 2019) to identify fences that are of high risk to collision for the greater sage-grouse. Fences are identified as potential barriers to movement in the Utah Pronghorn Statewide Management Plan (UDWR 2017). Identification and removal of barriers such as fences are identified as a Habitat Management Goal (page 11-12). The Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan (UDWR 2019) identified fences as a source of mortality in 2% of GPS collared mule deer from 2014-2019. Additionally, the state's fences should be constructed to prevent vehicle collisions and used to direct mule deer towards wildlife crossing structures on highways and areas with high collisions. This project will assist the UDWR if further identification of such areas and target fence removal or modification of fences that are a source of mortality.

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No permitting or approvals through the National Environmental Policy Act are anticipated for this proposal. This project is not expected to include lands that may impact species listed by the Endangered Species Act. Fence retrofits will not require ground disturbance, but removal of fences may require heavy machinery or ground disturbance. As such, cultural resource clearances from the Utah State Historic Preservation Office may be needed and will be obtained prior to any implementation. Ground disturbing activities will avoid sensitive breeding seasons for migratory birds (late April - August).

This project is part of an extensive outreach campaign with conservation districts, NRCS offices, and stakeholders. We will empower landowners to participate in this project through these avenues. Once areas for project implementation are confirmed with partnering landowners or land managers, tasks supported by Sageland Collaborative include: 1) coordination with volunteers to collect information; 2) manage volunteers or contractors to retrofit or remove fences from key wildlife movement areas; and 3) use UDWR's Wildlife Tracker data to report outcomes.

Data on retrofitted or removed fences will be collected via the FieldMaps app. Data will be easily accessible and visit data may be updated as improvements have been made. A map layer showing fences will be uploaded to the UDWR's Wildlife Tracker database. Photos will be collected as part of the mapping effort and stored in the FieldMaps app for download from any partner. Modifications to fences can be recorded within the application, and additional monitoring or analysis may result in future years in the form of scientific research, technical notes, or white papers.

Landowners, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Migration Initiative, Bureau of Land Management, Sageland Collaborative, Back Country Hunters and Anglers, University of Utah -- Science Research Initiative, Wildlands Network, United States Forest Service, Mule Deer Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation, Utah Association of Conservation Districts, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food USDA -- NRCS

Agencies and other stakeholders will utilize the FieldMaps app for multiple purposes and aid in future management actions. As we identify priority areas of movement for wildlife, this information can prioritize vegetation treatments, wildfire risk mitigation areas, strategic land easement purchases, and the avoidance and minimization of development projects. This proposal will provide the partners with an understanding of what the current and future restoration economy is for wildlife-friendly fencing. As we seek out qualified contractors to support this work, we will learn from each other how to accomplish this work into the future. We also desire additional phases to result in scientific research, technical notes, or white papers. As we continue to understand priority areas for wildlife movement, we will fund and implement additional projects throughout the state. Lastly, we are coordinating with similar fence initiatives in neighboring states and in the future we anticipate being able to improve wildlife movement across the entire landscape, not just in Utah.

Implementation of this project will improve wildlife habitat and movement through fence removal or modification. This will improve recreation and hunting opportunities for the public by ensuring wildlife populations are robust and sustainable. This project will also improve economic conditions for our agricultural producers by doing much needed upgrades to existing livestock fencing.