The forthcoming 2025--2035 Utah Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) expanded upon prior versions to include additional native taxa. The 2015--2025 WAP listed 141 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), whereas the revised plan lists 257 SGCNs. In addition to mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, mollusks, and crustaceans, two new taxa are included: insects and plants. The revised SGCN list reflects Utah species in true decline and that require quick and effective conservation interventions. The WAP guides research, management, and conservation initiatives for native wildlife species across the state. Whether such initiatives move forward may depend on resource availability (time, people, and financial). Although often resource-intensive, long-term monitoring programs are critical in determining wildlife population trends, uncovering the factors influencing those trends, and assessing the effectiveness of conservation efforts. If not based on reliable monitoring data, recovery planning for threatened species may be ineffective and squander precious resources. Partners can play an important role in supporting the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) to meet its objectives for native species conservation. One such partnership has supported the state in its efforts to conserve the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas), one of five amphibian SGCNs. For a decade, Utah's Hogle Zoo and Sageland Collaborative, in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Utah Geological Survey (UGS), have monitored the western toad and its habitat by conducting field surveys and engaging community scientists. These surveys document presence/absence, breeding evidence, and habitat condition and change. Such data form a key part of recovery planning for this species. Other benefits of this program include engaging hundreds of Utahns in public-land conservation, raising community awareness about a native species, and increasing transparency about the work of state wildlife managers. Community engagement can be particularly valuable for improving public perceptions of and conservation support for amphibians and reptiles, which typically have lower social capital relative to birds, mammals, and other vertebrate taxa (Olson & Pilliod 2022). Eastern populations of the western (boreal) toad belong to the subspecies Anaxyrus boreas boreas and occur in high-altitude wetlands in Colorado, Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, northern New Mexico, and most of Utah. Within this region, several populations have undergone significant declines, including those in the southern Rocky Mountains (Muths et al. 2003; Pilliod et al. 2010); New Mexico, where the species is considered extirpated (IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group 2022); and southwestern Utah. The western toad is presently ranked as Critically Imperiled (S1) in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming; Imperiled (S2) in Idaho; and Vulnerable (S3) in Utah (NatureServe 2025). The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management classify it as a Sensitive Species. Although population declines have been attributed largely to infection with the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), this species faces several threats, including altered hydrology and habitat degradation resulting from agriculture (e.g., livestock grazing), land-use change, pollution, and other factors. Concern over existing and predicted impacts from climate change is also growing given the western toad's occurrence at higher elevations (5,000ft +). Increasing temperatures and variation in precipitation may significantly alter montane wetland habitats (Muths et al. 2020). If the prevalence of Bd increases with increases in temperature, amphibians adapted to montane climates, such as western toads, may develop increased susceptibility to chytridiomycosis (Muths et al. 2020). Further challenging the recovery effort for this species is interpopulation variability in response to stressors. For example, western toad populations are inconsistent in their resistance and tolerance to Bd (Hardy et al. 2025; Pilliod et al. 2010), indicating a degree of population-level immunogenetic variation that influences the impact of chytridiomycosis in this species. Populations in the southern Rocky Mountains are considered more susceptible to Bd than more northerly populations, such as those in Utah and Wyoming (Hardy et al. 2025). Such variation precludes the development of broad-scale management and conservation measures and emphasizes the importance of understanding local and regional contexts. Guided by priorities set by Utah DWR regional biologists and other partners, this project will continue statewide monitoring of western toad populations in at least four of the five administrative regions. New to the monitoring effort in 2025 is electronic data collection using ArcGIS Survey123. Literature Cited Hardy, B.M., Muths, E., Funk, W.C., and Bailey, L.L. 2025. Quantifying intraspecific variation in host resistance and tolerance to a lethal pathogen. Journal of Animal Ecology (online early). IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2022. Anaxyrus boreas. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T181488862A197445871. Accessed 1 January 2025. Muths, E., Corn, P.S., Pessier, A.P., and Green, D.E. 2003. Evidence for disease related amphibian decline in Colorado. Biological Conservation 110: 357--365. Muths, E., Hossack, B.R., Campbell Grant, E.H., Pilliod, D.S., and Mosher, B.A. 2020. Effects of snowpack, temperature, and disease on demography in a wild population of amphibians. Herpetologica 76: 132--143. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data, accessed through NatureServe Explorer [Web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. Available at https://explorer.natureserve.org. Olson, D.H. and Pilliod, D.S. 2022. Elevating human dimensions of amphibian and reptile conservation, a USA perspective. Conservation Science and Practice 4: e12685. Pilliod, D.S., Muths, E., Scherer, R.D., Bartelt, P.E., Corn, P.S., Hossack, B.R., Lambert, B.A., Mccaffery, R., and Gaughan, C. 2010. Effects of amphibian chytrid fungus on individual survival probability in wild boreal toads. Conservation Biology 24: 1259-1267.

The aims of this project are to support the Utah DWR, contribute to the recovery and conservation of the western toad in Utah, and promote public engagement in wildlife conservation in Utah. Measurable objectives include: * With partners, evaluate and determine priority monitoring sites for 2026; * Organize and lead surveys of western toads and other amphibians at prioritized sites; * Identify habitat changes that may significantly affect populations of western toads and other amphibians at monitoring sites; * Estimate occupancy and detection probability of the western toad using a standardized survey protocol; * Increase recruitment and engagement of community scientists by at least 10% over the prior year; * Define indicators to measure the contribution of community scientists to this project; * Assess the impacts of participation in this project on community scientists; and * Identify ways to improve and grow this project's community science component.

Project will be conducted statewide at DWR-recommended survey sites in at least four administrative regions. Priority sites are montane wetlands at elevations of 5,000ft and above with prior evidence of breeding. Other priorities include potentially important sites that have to date not been surveyed or not surveyed systematically. Most fieldwork will occur May to September 2026. Recruiting community scientists will begin in January and continue through the field season.

This project aligns with the goals and objectives of the most recent "Conservation Agreement for the Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas) in Utah." A species recovery plan for the western toad is expected in 2026. GOAL 1: Address, classify, and mitigate current and future threats to western toads, and identify new threats Objective 1: Implement regular status assessments and promote collaboration and data sharing between organizations as threat calculations and rankings are updated. This project directly supports Objective 1:1 through the ongoing collection and sharing of monitoring data on the western toad populations and habitats. Data are compiled and submitted to the Utah DWR Native Herpetology Coordinator, DWR regional biologists, and the Utah Natural Heritage Program. Objective 2 : Preserve and restore western toad habitat and continue efforts to discover new populations and suitable habitat. This project supports Objective 1:2 through the annual monitoring of western toad habitats and environmental variables, as well as surveying new sites where this species may occur. GOAL 2: Maintain, investigate, and implement workable long-term propagation and translocation strategies Objective 1: Broaden breeding, translocation, and repatriation efforts to include multiple high-risk western toad populations throughout the state as warranted. This project helps meet Objective 2:2 by identifying suitable sites for reintroduction, supplementation, and translocation. Additionally, Utah's Hogle Zoo is a key partner overseeing the captive propagation and management of Utah western toads. GOAL 3: Maintain existing interagency and Western Toad Conservation Team (WTCT) partnerships and seek out new collaborations Objective 1: Build partnerships and strengthen existing relationships within the WTCT This project requires considerable collaboration among and input from DWR regional biologists, the DWR administrative team, and several other partners. The process of setting priorities and sharing findings as part of this project strengthens relationships among stakeholders and facilitates communication. As such, this project supports Objective 3:1.

Not applicable

Water chemistry data at each surveyed wetland will be recorded using a Hanna Instruments HI98129 meter. Collected annually, water-quality measurements inform the state's management of wetland habitats and reveal any concerning trends.

Not applicable. This project does not require compliance as it involves observational research and does not involve activities that would alter or damage natural environments. Hogle Zoo staff members involved in marking toads with PIT (passive integrated transponder) tags have a current Certificate of Registration.

General * Consult with DWR biologists and other partners to identify and rank priority survey sites * Develop field-season schedule based on these priorities * Classify sites as requiring "expert-led" surveys or suitable for "independent" surveys * Compile detailed instructions for volunteers conducting independent surveys * Develop and advertise position descriptions for seasonal conservation technicians and student interns Community Science Training and Engagement: Jan to Sept 2026 * Build communications strategy for volunteer (community science) engagement * Evaluate and update prior training materials and strategies for the annual community science training event * Recruit volunteers through multiple channels (e.g., social media, E-mail, event tables) to attend the training event and sign up for community science opportunities * Conduct annual training event in March/April 2026 * Develop and administer pre- and post-participation volunteer questionnaires * Prepare and make available independent volunteer "toad backpacks" containing survey equipment and relevant instructions * Track independent surveys and verify submitted data from community scientists * Coordinate groups of volunteers participating in expert-led surveys and track volunteer hours Western Toad Population and Habitat Surveys: May to Aug 2026 * Train UHZ interns and seasonal technicians in safety and health field protocols (including disinfectant protocols), amphibian survey techniques, and supervision of community scientists * Systematically and slowly search sites using observer sweeps of habitat typically within 30-40m of the edge of a water body. * Collect data on western toads and associated habitats using the standardized monitoring form previously developed alongside DWR, USFS, and UGS (in early 2025 partners updated the monitoring form and converted it to digital format using ArcGIS Survey123). Data collected include general survey information (e.g., date, start and stop times, observers); weather conditions; amphibian data (e.g., species observed, biometrics, PIT tag identification, location); habitat characteristics (e.g., vegetation type and cover, primary substrate, water depth, potential for breeding); hydrologic factors (e.g., water chemistry); and habitat disturbance * Use a subset of survey data to estimate occupancy and detectability of the western toad * Manage data on western toad occurrence, habitat metrics, and community scientist engagement * Prepare summary data to share with partners and for presentation at annual conservation meeting. Final data will be disseminated to regional biologists as well as the annual Western Toad Conservation Team meeting * Contribute to the western toad partner agreement, conservation planning, and repatriation efforts by managing and evaluating survey and habitat data, participating in planning meetings, working to improve processes and protocols, and supporting the DWR and partners with other needs related to research and recovery of the western toad

Project outcomes will be monitored according to the metrics set for this project, including number of surveys conducted, number of sites surveyed, number of community scientists who participated in the project, total field hours, and the generation of preliminary but reliable estimates of occupancy and detectability for this species. No additional post-season field monitoring is required to determine project success. In collaboration with the DWR and other partners, UHZ plans to continue annual western toad population and habitat monitoring to ensure a robust data set is available for understanding the occurrence of this sensitive species and the habitat conditions for aquatic breeding sites.

For the past several years, Utah's Hogle Zoo has partnered with the Utah DWR, Sageland Collaborative, Utah Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. UHZ has been honored to host annual planning meetings of the Western Toad Conservation Team (most recently in December 2024), as well as meetings of the executive leadership team of the DWR. In recent years, UHZ and Sageland Collaborative have organized several meetings and discussions regarding data gaps and survey needs. On Jan. 6, 2025, for example, UHZ organized a meeting with DWR regional biologists, the Native Herpetology Coordinator, and other stakeholders to discuss survey site priorities for the coming field season.

Data collected through this project by UHZ, independent community scientists, DWR biologists, and other partners provide critical information to recovery planning for the western toad in Utah. The findings are also entered into a statewide UGS database that could be used to develop more robust predictive models for species occupancy and habitat suitability across Utah. UHZ looks forward to ongoing collaboration with the Utah DWR and other partners to adapt efforts and approaches to ensure maximum impact for conservation of the western toad in Utah. This includes cooperation on strategy and protocol development for post-release monitoring of captive-reared toads. This project will also continue to support statewide planning efforts to restore and maintain key aquatic habitats and repatriate this imperiled species to suitable habitats.

Not applicable