There are a myriad of habitat restoration and stewardship agreements for the benefit of wildlife that could be accomplished on private and public lands in Utah. In many cases, there is adequate funding under programs such as the Conservation Permit Program, USFS and BLM Keystone (IIJA/IRA) Stewardship Agreements, Watershed Restoration Initiative, Federal Farm Bill, USFWS Partners Program, Invasive Species Mitigation Fund, Grazing Improvement Fund, etc. A significant limiting factor for initiation, implementation and delivery of habitat development work is limited UDWR and partner staffing levels. There are many opportunities to improve private, state and federal lands for mule deer and other wildlife which are not being taken advantage of due to a shortage of personnel and existing staff already operating at full bandwidth. MDF has the organizational infrastructure and experience necessary to supplement statewide capacity through this and similar positions.

The Mule Deer Foundation will help fill the land and wildlife management agency staffing void by hiring and supervising habitat development and stewardship project specialists. MDF is uniquely suited to pursue this type of work because of the distinctive organizational structure that promotes local chapter investment of funding and volunteer efforts, it's recognition as a key conservation partner by USFS and BLM, and its status as a non-governmental 501(c)(3) that offers flexibility in pursuing contracts and agreements with a broad array of conservation partners and contractors. The MDF habitat specialists will focus primarily on stewardship agreements and resultant projects in cooperation with the USFS & BLM using science-based prioritization and frequent DWR input. Summer range improvement to benefit mule deer and other wildlife species will be key, as will using available data to design projects in the right places and scales. The MDF habitat specialists will also help secure funding and implement habitat projects on other state, federal, tribal and private lands.

Statewide, to assist partners in turning known resource needs and historic conservation funding opportunities into sustainable acres that will help conserve mule deer and other wildlife in Utah.

Statewide and Unit-specific Deer Management Plans

Statewide Elk, Moose & Pronghorn Management Plans

Utah State Wildlife Action Plan

USFS Forest Plans (Multiple forests)

BLM Resource Management Plans (Multiple districts)

Other conservation and land management plans as appropriate

Many projects will have a fuels component designed to protect life & property, proactively reduce the potential for catastrophic wildfire, improve wildlife habitat and restore natural fire cycles.

Many of the projects completed by these specialists serve to directly or indirectly maintain or improve water quality and increase water quantity available on the landscape.

All projects undertaken by this position will adhere to required compliance thresholds, as required by funding sources, and federal, state & tribal regulation.

Duties to be performed by the MDF habitat specialists will include, but are not limited to: contact with landowners; coordination with federal, state and tribal agencies; participation in WRI regional project ranking processes; project implementation such as site preparation, seeding, herbicide spraying, mowing, conifer thinning/mulching, coppice cutting, burning, aspen restoration, riparian & wet meadow restoration, tree and shrub planting, etc. The MDF habitat specialists will annually complete 3 or more habitat and/or stewardship projects throughout Utah designed to benefit wildlife, with some flexibility based on the scale and scope of projects. Each of these projects shall be entered into Utah's Watershed Initiative project database (wri.utah.gov). Whenever possible, projects should be reviewed and approved prior to implementation by the appropriate WRI regional team and reported on after completion according to WRI rules. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in termination of this cooperative agreement as outlined in the existing agreement.

Will be conducted as needed on a project-by-project basis to meet the needs of MDF and conservation partners associated with those projects.

MDF frequently partners with most federal and state land management agencies through multiyear stewardship and other agreements or contracts. Tribal agencies and private landowners statewide may also be partnered with on a project-by-project basis.

See individual projects submitted by the MDF Stewardship biologist or federal partners for details.

The majority of projects completed by these specialists will aim to improve quality and quantity of sustainable uses such as big game hunting, recreation, timber harvest, biomass utilization, grazing, etc. to meet land management agency standards and state wildlife management goals.

07/01/2025

06/30/2026

2026

The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) continued to partner with multiple organizations and land-management agencies to improve mule deer and other wildlife habitat across Utah. Planning, contracting, and coordinating with agency and NGO partners remained a major focus throughout FY26. Project work was conducted under existing Master Stewardship and Supplemental Project Agreements with the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, utilizing mechanical and hand-crew treatments to reduce conifer encroachment, thin mixed-conifer and aspen stands, and improve habitat connectivity for mule deer and other wildlife species across the North Slope Uintas, Southern Utah, and adjacent project areas. MDF has an agreement to manage WRI-funded projects on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, and Tyler Meservy continued to support project planning, contract oversight, and on-the-ground implementation across multiple active projects, including Highway 150 Fuel Break 2026 (WRI 7422), Anadarko 2025 (WRI 6926), Bourbon Fuels Treatments 2026 (WRI 7381), Burnt Beaver 2025 (WRI 6871), Burnt Beaver 2026 (WRI 7350), East Bear Lake Range and Stream Improvements Phase III (WRI 7442), Monroe Canyon Fire Restoration and Reforestation Project (WRI 7684), and the Paunsaugunt Mule Deer Migration Corridor Fence and Habitat Connectivity Project (WRI 7822). In FY26, MDF managed on-the-ground treatment or WRI projects across 2,062 acres, in addition to further projects funded but not directly managed on the ground.

Tyler Meservy served as Vice-Chair of the Northeastern Region WRI through December 2025, and was elevated to Chair starting January 2026. He continued to serve on the Southern Region and Northern Region Ranking Committees and co-led the MDF team responsible for disbursement of Conservation Expo tag funds, helping direct $2.4 Million across 63 projects statewide. Katie Acree served on the Northeastern Region Ranking Committee for MDF and assisted with planning and implementation of the projects. Highway 150 Fuel Break 2026 (WRI 7422) -- 341 acres were completed in FY26; implementation began but was not finished due to snow, with the remaining 76 acres to be completed in FY27. Anadarko 2025 (WRI 6926) -- Completed this fiscal year, totaling 82.4 acres. Forest Service treatments were finished in 2024, and the remaining private land treatment was completed in June 2026. Bourbon Fuels Treatments 2026 (WRI 7381) -- 880 acres were completed, with all treatments finished in October 2025. One additional private land project remains. Burnt Beaver 2025 (WRI 6871) -- 757 acres were completed this fiscal year. Burnt Beaver 2026 (WRI 7350) -- Contracted in fall 2025, with work beginning in June 2026; implementation is ongoing. East Bear Lake Range and Stream Improvements Phase III (WRI 7442) -- Funded in FY26, with contracting and planning/proposal work ongoing. Monroe Canyon Fire Restoration and Reforestation Project (WRI 7684) -- Fundraising efforts continued, with $200,000 secured toward restoration and reforestation work. Paunsaugunt Mule Deer Migration Corridor Fence and Habitat Connectivity Project (WRI 7822) -- MDF funded the contractor for fence and habitat connectivity improvements and assisted with an associated volunteer project. Proposals were submitted for new projects planned for FY27, including Bourbon 2027, Burnt Beaver 2027, and the Lower American Fork Watershed Restoration project, and all were funded. MDF also continues to manage work on the Ashley National Forest as a non-WRI project, and will begin additional work on the Ashley through the Burnt Beaver 2027 project.

Work will continue into FY27 to implement large-scale fuels reduction, aspen regeneration, and wildlife habitat connectivity projects across Utah. MDF has established new agreements with the Dixie National Forest and is in the process of establishing a new agreement with the Ashley National Forest. We also hope to partner with the BLM on sagebrush planting efforts near Price, Utah. Through ongoing partnerships with USFS, UDWR, FFSL, and BLM, MDF will continue expanding restoration capacity across the state. FY27 priorities include completion of ongoing contracts under Highway 150 Fuel Break, Burnt Beaver 2026, and East Bear Lake Range and Stream Improvements Phase III, along with implementation of newly funded proposals under Bourbon 2027, Burnt Beaver 2027, and the Lower American Fork Watershed Restoration project (WRI 7751). MDF will continue participation in regional ranking committees, WRI planning processes, and cross-boundary project development to support mule deer habitat statewide.