March 6th of 2015
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Utah Elk Habitat Gets Upgrade Thanks to RMEF GrantsMISSOULA, Mont.--The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation awarded grants to fund more than 50 projects that will improve more than 51,000 acres of habitat for elk and other wildlife in 22 counties across Utah.
The grants, awarded in 2014, total $226,500 and will directly benefit Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Washington and Wayne Counties. There are also two projects with statewide benefits.
“It’s vital for elk to have access to the nutrition they need to survive in this arid, high desert region. This funding will help clear encroaching pinyon and juniper trees in many areas that stifle forage for elk, deer and other wildlife,” said David Allen. “The grants will also restore ailing water sources and assist with the construction of new guzzlers.”
Allen thanked Utah volunteers who raised the grant funding through banquets, membership drives and other events. He also thanked volunteers and members from around the country for their dedication to elk, elk country and conservation.
Since 1987, RMEF and its partners completed 451 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Utah with a combined value of more than $51.3 million. These projects have protected and enhanced 999,138 acres and opened or secured public access to 27,192 acres of land.
RMEF grants will help fund the following projects, many of which carry over into 2015, listed by county:
Beaver County—Improve up to 2,850 acres of elk and mule deer winter range and reduce hazardous fuels on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands near Beaver and North Creek by broadcast seeding and then mechanically treating encroaching pinyon-juniper; and aerially seed 500 acres of low elevation pinyon-juniper woodland habitat that was treated by prescribed fire in 2012-2013 to combat potential cheatgrass invasion and reduce soil erosion in a steep, inaccessible canyon east of Sulphurdale on the Fishlake National Forest.
Box Elder County—Improve 950 acres of BLM sagebrush habitat in the Etna area by thinning juniper and then seeding with desirable forage species; and capture and transplant up to 50 bighorn sheep from the Newfoundland Mountains to meet population management objectives for the area and relocate the animals to the Oak Creek Mountains.
Cache County—Remove 21 acres of subalpine fir at the top of Green Canyon east of Paradise and Hyrum where the fir trees are outcompeting mature aspen stands due to fire suppression; and treat approximately 600 acres of sagebrush habitat in Elk Valley in the Saddle Creek drainage on the Cache National Forest to reintroduce disturbance and create a more varied structure and reduce wildfire hazards to the north of the Hardware Ranch.
Carbon County—Implement a hazardous fuels reduction/habitat restoration/forest health project on 566 acres within an approximately 2,000-acre project area that includes the Ford Creek and Diamanti Canyon areas on BLM lands; remove encroaching conifer trees on 68 acres of the Cold Springs Wildlife Management Area (WMA) to promote aspen and desirable forbs for big game and grouse 12 miles northeast of Sunnyside; and apply two-way chain treatment to 308 acres of pinyon-juniper followed by seeding to improve winter range conditions for deer and elk and reinvigorate sagebrush communities southwest of Helper.
Daggett County—Replace two old guzzlers on Bare Top Mountain which is home to the largest bighorn sheep herd in northeast Utah while also benefitting elk, mule deer and pronghorn; seed 300 acres of thinned pinyon-juniper encroachment to increase grass and browse cover on crucial big game winter range in Browns Park at the mouth of Birch Creek Canyon on Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) and private lands; and apply pre-commercial thinning of young lodgepole pine and conifer removal from riparian areas and sagebrush communities to improve 1,482 acres of habitat in the Cart Creek watershed on the Ashley National Forest.
Duchesne County—Improve 584 acres of winter range through removal of pinyon-juniper trees encroaching into sagebrush habitat at the top of Gate Canyon on BLM lands southwest of Myton; lop and scatter encroaching pinyon-juniper on 1,150 acres of elk, deer and potential sage grouse Wyoming big sagebrush winter habitat at the top of Gates Canyon; install two wildlife guzzler tanks and aprons in the Big Wash area of the Ninemile-Anthro Wildlife Management Unit in an area where numerous pinyon-juniper management projects have been completed; and lop and scatter encroaching pinyon-juniper and Douglas fir trees on 1,272 acres of sagebrush and mountain brush communities on the Jeep Trail and Nutters Ridge areas of Anthro Mountain on Ashley National Forest southeast of Duchesne; and seed 240 acres to improve winter range for elk, mule deer and sage grouse on the Tabby Mountain WMA.
Garfield County—Improve 2,000 acres of elk, sage grouse, mule deer and pronghorn habitat and reduce hazardous fuels on BLM lands near Hatch by broadcast seeding and then mulching pinyon-juniper encroachment; develop trailheads on the Mt. Dutton/Sevier Plateau area on the Dixie National Forest as a continuation of Dedicated Hunter projects which have developed trailheads into roadless areas for hunter access by foot and horseback; and construct a 10,200-gallon wildlife guzzler to benefit elk, mule deer and pronghorn in the Sage Hen Hollow area approximately nine miles southwest of Panguitch on SITLA land while also installing a fence to exclude livestock.
Grand County—Improve big game winter range northeast of the Green River in the Floy area of the Book Cliffs by lopping and scattering 642 acres of pinyon-juniper, and also apply bullhog treatment to an additional 660 acres on BLM, SITLA and private lands; install three new big game guzzlers on the Little Creek Ridge WMA in the Book Cliffs; and install three new water guzzlers, two at Hatch Point and one in Hell Roaring Canyon, as part of a multi-year effort to restore wildlife water developments across BLM lands in the Moab area (also affects San Juan and Wayne Counties).
Iron County—Perform lop and scatter maintenance treatments in previously chained areas in the northwest corner of the Cedar City Ranger District on the Dixie National Forest to improve winter range for elk and mule deer while also applying bitterbrush seeding.
Juab County—Improve sagebrush habitat on the south end of the East Tintic Mountains on BLM lands by thinning pinyon-juniper on approximately 855 acres and then seeding where necessary; and improve winter forage opportunities on 836 acres in the Salt Creek drainage on the Uinta National Forest to avoid supplemental feeding and depredation issues on adjacent private lands by establishing natural winter forage plots through seeding and transplants.
Millard County—Conduct two-way chain treatments of pinyon-juniper on 682 acres of the North Fillmore WMA, install a new pipeline and two watering troughs for wildlife, and apply supplemental seeding with grasses and forbs; and apply two-way chain pinyon and juniper and one-way chain treatments to older sagebrush stands to reduce fuel loads, improve critical wildlife habitat, improve rangeland and watershed health, and increase the understory of grasses, forbs, and shrub species on private land on the east side of the Phavant Management Unit.
Piute County—Remove encroaching pinyon-juniper trees from mature tree stands on 946 acres within the Cedar Grove areas on SITLA and BLM lands on the northwest portion of Parker Mountain; clean up and remove old debris from five water source ponds and upgrade them to catch water from winter runoff and seasonal rainfall on Parker Mountain; lop and scatter encroaching pinyon-juniper from 1,500 acres of BLM lands while applying two-way chained treatment and seeding to an additional 730 acres between Parker Mountain and Grass Valley (also affects Sevier and Wayne Counties); and apply harrow treatment to 1,200 acres of elk and mule deer habitat on the Fishlake National Forest to reduce decadent big sagebrush and enhance browse (also affects Wayne and Sevier Counties).
Sanpete County—Improve 1,393 acres of winter range by hand-cutting pinyon-juniper encroaching into a previously chained area, seeding three shrub islands and cleaning out and sealing three storage ponds on BLM lands in Antelope Valley; and use hand and mechanical treatments to remove pinyon-juniper from approximately 629 acres in the eastern portion of the Ferron/Price Ranger District on the Manti National Forest. Up to 40 percent of the project area may be treated with prescribed fire (also affects Emery County).
Sevier County—Lop and scatter pinyon-juniper trees encroaching on 1,847 acres of important wintering sagebrush communities within the Sand Ledges Recreation Area on SITLA and BLM lands east of Richfield; mechanically treat more than 700 acres of wildlife habitat as part of an ecosystem restoration and hazardous fuels reduction project focusing on improving native species diversity adjacent to the mountain community of Acord Lakes on the Fishlake National Forest; conduct two-way chaining treatment with seeding between passes to remove encroaching pinyon-juniper on 897 acres approximately 15 miles east of Richfield on SITLA land; and lop and scatter encroaching pinyon-juniper on 2,507 acres of elk and mule deer winter range on BLM lands within the Monroe Mountain area and also install two 1,500-gallon capacity guzzlers and repair one existing guzzler in the treatment area.
Summit County—Lop and scatter encroaching conifers on 332 acres of critical elk, moose and mule deer habitat, as well as potential bighorn sheep habitat on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains on the Wasatch National Forest eight miles northeast of Hoop Lake.
Tooele County—Thin pinyon-juniper on approximately 1,070 acres of BLM land on the south and west side of the East Tintic Mountains and aerially seed areas lacking perennial grasses and forbs; and improve sagebrush habitat on 1,050 acres by thinning encroaching juniper and seeding where necessary on the east facing slopes of the Onaqui Mountains.
Uintah County—Install four wildlife guzzlers in pinyon and juniper treatment areas on Atchee Ridge in the Book Cliffs to better distribute wildlife, including elk and bison, throughout treated areas in an effort to reduce pressure on regenerating aspen stands; install an additional water well with a solar-powered water pump to distribute water to a nearby trough at the Mail Draw WMA and also clean out 11 existing small ponds in the Rye Grass, Sears Canyon and Mail Draw areas (also affects Daggett County); and remove encroaching pinyon-juniper that are actively competing with sagebrush, grasses and forbs on SITLA and BLM lands in the Diamond Mountain area
Washington County—Aerially seed approximately 1,939 acres of existing fuel breaks around New Harmony to improve their effectiveness and enhance forage for elk, mule deer and Rio Grande wild turkey on the Dixie National Forest; build a 10,200-gallon wildlife guzzler, and the fencing to exclude livestock, in the Beaver Dam Mountains in southern Utah to support wildlife, particularly desert bighorn sheep; provide funding to capture up to 70 bighorn sheep on BLM lands and potentially within Zion National Park and transplant them to Nokai Dome on the San Juan River (also affects Kane County); and apply RMEF volunteer manpower to install a new water guzzler on a non-working guzzler site and build an exclosure fence in the Pine Valley Mountains north of St. George on the Dixie National Forest.
Wayne County—Clean and remove debris from established pond structures on BLM lands on Parker Mountain to increase water storage of winter runoff and seasonal rainfall, and to support wildlife and livestock grazing management systems.
Statewide—Apply funding for a study to develop an explicit understanding of elk spatial ecology in northern Utah in order to enable the identification of high-risk areas for the transmission of elk-borne brucellosis and provide the basis for a novel strategic adaptive management approach to controlling the spread of the disease in elk at the landscape scale, thereby mitigating the risk of spillover to livestock; and provide funding for a study placing radio collars on 300 elk throughout the state to better understand elk movements, help inform management decisions and allow managers to better manage population objectives.
Conservation projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.
Partners for the Utah projects include the Ashley, Dixie, Fishlake, Manti and Unita-Wasatch-Cache National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Natural Resources, Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, local businesses, universities, private landowners, and various sportsmen, wildlife, civic and government organizations.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Founded over 30 years ago, fueled by hunters and a membership of more than 205,000 strong, RMEF has conserved more than 6.6 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation™” at www.rmef.org or
800-CALL ELK.
The grants, awarded in 2014, total $226,500 and will directly benefit Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Washington and Wayne Counties. There are also two projects with statewide benefits.
“It’s vital for elk to have access to the nutrition they need to survive in this arid, high desert region. This funding will help clear encroaching pinyon and juniper trees in many areas that stifle forage for elk, deer and other wildlife,” said David Allen. “The grants will also restore ailing water sources and assist with the construction of new guzzlers.”
Allen thanked Utah volunteers who raised the grant funding through banquets, membership drives and other events. He also thanked volunteers and members from around the country for their dedication to elk, elk country and conservation.
Since 1987, RMEF and its partners completed 451 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Utah with a combined value of more than $51.3 million. These projects have protected and enhanced 999,138 acres and opened or secured public access to 27,192 acres of land.
RMEF grants will help fund the following projects, many of which carry over into 2015, listed by county:
Beaver County—Improve up to 2,850 acres of elk and mule deer winter range and reduce hazardous fuels on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands near Beaver and North Creek by broadcast seeding and then mechanically treating encroaching pinyon-juniper; and aerially seed 500 acres of low elevation pinyon-juniper woodland habitat that was treated by prescribed fire in 2012-2013 to combat potential cheatgrass invasion and reduce soil erosion in a steep, inaccessible canyon east of Sulphurdale on the Fishlake National Forest.
Box Elder County—Improve 950 acres of BLM sagebrush habitat in the Etna area by thinning juniper and then seeding with desirable forage species; and capture and transplant up to 50 bighorn sheep from the Newfoundland Mountains to meet population management objectives for the area and relocate the animals to the Oak Creek Mountains.
Cache County—Remove 21 acres of subalpine fir at the top of Green Canyon east of Paradise and Hyrum where the fir trees are outcompeting mature aspen stands due to fire suppression; and treat approximately 600 acres of sagebrush habitat in Elk Valley in the Saddle Creek drainage on the Cache National Forest to reintroduce disturbance and create a more varied structure and reduce wildfire hazards to the north of the Hardware Ranch.
Carbon County—Implement a hazardous fuels reduction/habitat restoration/forest health project on 566 acres within an approximately 2,000-acre project area that includes the Ford Creek and Diamanti Canyon areas on BLM lands; remove encroaching conifer trees on 68 acres of the Cold Springs Wildlife Management Area (WMA) to promote aspen and desirable forbs for big game and grouse 12 miles northeast of Sunnyside; and apply two-way chain treatment to 308 acres of pinyon-juniper followed by seeding to improve winter range conditions for deer and elk and reinvigorate sagebrush communities southwest of Helper.
Daggett County—Replace two old guzzlers on Bare Top Mountain which is home to the largest bighorn sheep herd in northeast Utah while also benefitting elk, mule deer and pronghorn; seed 300 acres of thinned pinyon-juniper encroachment to increase grass and browse cover on crucial big game winter range in Browns Park at the mouth of Birch Creek Canyon on Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) and private lands; and apply pre-commercial thinning of young lodgepole pine and conifer removal from riparian areas and sagebrush communities to improve 1,482 acres of habitat in the Cart Creek watershed on the Ashley National Forest.
Duchesne County—Improve 584 acres of winter range through removal of pinyon-juniper trees encroaching into sagebrush habitat at the top of Gate Canyon on BLM lands southwest of Myton; lop and scatter encroaching pinyon-juniper on 1,150 acres of elk, deer and potential sage grouse Wyoming big sagebrush winter habitat at the top of Gates Canyon; install two wildlife guzzler tanks and aprons in the Big Wash area of the Ninemile-Anthro Wildlife Management Unit in an area where numerous pinyon-juniper management projects have been completed; and lop and scatter encroaching pinyon-juniper and Douglas fir trees on 1,272 acres of sagebrush and mountain brush communities on the Jeep Trail and Nutters Ridge areas of Anthro Mountain on Ashley National Forest southeast of Duchesne; and seed 240 acres to improve winter range for elk, mule deer and sage grouse on the Tabby Mountain WMA.
Garfield County—Improve 2,000 acres of elk, sage grouse, mule deer and pronghorn habitat and reduce hazardous fuels on BLM lands near Hatch by broadcast seeding and then mulching pinyon-juniper encroachment; develop trailheads on the Mt. Dutton/Sevier Plateau area on the Dixie National Forest as a continuation of Dedicated Hunter projects which have developed trailheads into roadless areas for hunter access by foot and horseback; and construct a 10,200-gallon wildlife guzzler to benefit elk, mule deer and pronghorn in the Sage Hen Hollow area approximately nine miles southwest of Panguitch on SITLA land while also installing a fence to exclude livestock.
Grand County—Improve big game winter range northeast of the Green River in the Floy area of the Book Cliffs by lopping and scattering 642 acres of pinyon-juniper, and also apply bullhog treatment to an additional 660 acres on BLM, SITLA and private lands; install three new big game guzzlers on the Little Creek Ridge WMA in the Book Cliffs; and install three new water guzzlers, two at Hatch Point and one in Hell Roaring Canyon, as part of a multi-year effort to restore wildlife water developments across BLM lands in the Moab area (also affects San Juan and Wayne Counties).
Iron County—Perform lop and scatter maintenance treatments in previously chained areas in the northwest corner of the Cedar City Ranger District on the Dixie National Forest to improve winter range for elk and mule deer while also applying bitterbrush seeding.
Juab County—Improve sagebrush habitat on the south end of the East Tintic Mountains on BLM lands by thinning pinyon-juniper on approximately 855 acres and then seeding where necessary; and improve winter forage opportunities on 836 acres in the Salt Creek drainage on the Uinta National Forest to avoid supplemental feeding and depredation issues on adjacent private lands by establishing natural winter forage plots through seeding and transplants.
Millard County—Conduct two-way chain treatments of pinyon-juniper on 682 acres of the North Fillmore WMA, install a new pipeline and two watering troughs for wildlife, and apply supplemental seeding with grasses and forbs; and apply two-way chain pinyon and juniper and one-way chain treatments to older sagebrush stands to reduce fuel loads, improve critical wildlife habitat, improve rangeland and watershed health, and increase the understory of grasses, forbs, and shrub species on private land on the east side of the Phavant Management Unit.
Piute County—Remove encroaching pinyon-juniper trees from mature tree stands on 946 acres within the Cedar Grove areas on SITLA and BLM lands on the northwest portion of Parker Mountain; clean up and remove old debris from five water source ponds and upgrade them to catch water from winter runoff and seasonal rainfall on Parker Mountain; lop and scatter encroaching pinyon-juniper from 1,500 acres of BLM lands while applying two-way chained treatment and seeding to an additional 730 acres between Parker Mountain and Grass Valley (also affects Sevier and Wayne Counties); and apply harrow treatment to 1,200 acres of elk and mule deer habitat on the Fishlake National Forest to reduce decadent big sagebrush and enhance browse (also affects Wayne and Sevier Counties).
Sanpete County—Improve 1,393 acres of winter range by hand-cutting pinyon-juniper encroaching into a previously chained area, seeding three shrub islands and cleaning out and sealing three storage ponds on BLM lands in Antelope Valley; and use hand and mechanical treatments to remove pinyon-juniper from approximately 629 acres in the eastern portion of the Ferron/Price Ranger District on the Manti National Forest. Up to 40 percent of the project area may be treated with prescribed fire (also affects Emery County).
Sevier County—Lop and scatter pinyon-juniper trees encroaching on 1,847 acres of important wintering sagebrush communities within the Sand Ledges Recreation Area on SITLA and BLM lands east of Richfield; mechanically treat more than 700 acres of wildlife habitat as part of an ecosystem restoration and hazardous fuels reduction project focusing on improving native species diversity adjacent to the mountain community of Acord Lakes on the Fishlake National Forest; conduct two-way chaining treatment with seeding between passes to remove encroaching pinyon-juniper on 897 acres approximately 15 miles east of Richfield on SITLA land; and lop and scatter encroaching pinyon-juniper on 2,507 acres of elk and mule deer winter range on BLM lands within the Monroe Mountain area and also install two 1,500-gallon capacity guzzlers and repair one existing guzzler in the treatment area.
Summit County—Lop and scatter encroaching conifers on 332 acres of critical elk, moose and mule deer habitat, as well as potential bighorn sheep habitat on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains on the Wasatch National Forest eight miles northeast of Hoop Lake.
Tooele County—Thin pinyon-juniper on approximately 1,070 acres of BLM land on the south and west side of the East Tintic Mountains and aerially seed areas lacking perennial grasses and forbs; and improve sagebrush habitat on 1,050 acres by thinning encroaching juniper and seeding where necessary on the east facing slopes of the Onaqui Mountains.
Uintah County—Install four wildlife guzzlers in pinyon and juniper treatment areas on Atchee Ridge in the Book Cliffs to better distribute wildlife, including elk and bison, throughout treated areas in an effort to reduce pressure on regenerating aspen stands; install an additional water well with a solar-powered water pump to distribute water to a nearby trough at the Mail Draw WMA and also clean out 11 existing small ponds in the Rye Grass, Sears Canyon and Mail Draw areas (also affects Daggett County); and remove encroaching pinyon-juniper that are actively competing with sagebrush, grasses and forbs on SITLA and BLM lands in the Diamond Mountain area
Washington County—Aerially seed approximately 1,939 acres of existing fuel breaks around New Harmony to improve their effectiveness and enhance forage for elk, mule deer and Rio Grande wild turkey on the Dixie National Forest; build a 10,200-gallon wildlife guzzler, and the fencing to exclude livestock, in the Beaver Dam Mountains in southern Utah to support wildlife, particularly desert bighorn sheep; provide funding to capture up to 70 bighorn sheep on BLM lands and potentially within Zion National Park and transplant them to Nokai Dome on the San Juan River (also affects Kane County); and apply RMEF volunteer manpower to install a new water guzzler on a non-working guzzler site and build an exclosure fence in the Pine Valley Mountains north of St. George on the Dixie National Forest.
Wayne County—Clean and remove debris from established pond structures on BLM lands on Parker Mountain to increase water storage of winter runoff and seasonal rainfall, and to support wildlife and livestock grazing management systems.
Statewide—Apply funding for a study to develop an explicit understanding of elk spatial ecology in northern Utah in order to enable the identification of high-risk areas for the transmission of elk-borne brucellosis and provide the basis for a novel strategic adaptive management approach to controlling the spread of the disease in elk at the landscape scale, thereby mitigating the risk of spillover to livestock; and provide funding for a study placing radio collars on 300 elk throughout the state to better understand elk movements, help inform management decisions and allow managers to better manage population objectives.
Conservation projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.
Partners for the Utah projects include the Ashley, Dixie, Fishlake, Manti and Unita-Wasatch-Cache National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Natural Resources, Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, local businesses, universities, private landowners, and various sportsmen, wildlife, civic and government organizations.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Founded over 30 years ago, fueled by hunters and a membership of more than 205,000 strong, RMEF has conserved more than 6.6 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation™” at www.rmef.org or
800-CALL ELK.
March 26th, 2014
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2014
RMEF Grants to Improve Utah Elk Habitat
MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation awarded grants to fund more than 50 on-the-ground projects that will enhance habitat for elk and other wildlife around the state of Utah.
The grants, awarded in 2013, total $156,300 and will directly benefit Beaver, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, and Wayne counties. Four other projects have statewide benefits.
“Pinyon pine trees and juniper shrubs have a tendency to choke out forage that is vital for elk, mule deer and other wildlife. This funding will allow for thinning, removal and seeding projects to do the work that Mother Nature is not,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Funding will also help restore aspen stands and refurbish water supplies in an area of the country that often lacks water.”
Allen also thanked dedicated RMEF volunteers in Utah who conducted fundraising projects at their banquets, through membership drives and other events to generate the funding. He also thanked volunteers and members around the nation for their dedication to conservation.
“Our volunteers make the RMEF motor run. We thank them for their passion and dedication to elk and elk country,” added Allen.
RMEF grants will help fund the following 2013 projects, listed by county:
Beaver County— Remove encroaching pinyon-juniper on about 1,000 acres on the Southwest Desert to increase vegetative diversity on sage-brush steppe habitat; and replace existing small capacity water guzzler with new 10,200-gallon big game guzzler at the south end of Antelope Valley west of Milford.
Cache County—Treat 4,850 acres with prescribed fire to restore and maintain aspen on Cache National Forest lands south of the Temple Fork of the Logan River and north of Left Hand Fork of the Blacksmith Fork Canyon; treat 1,500 acres with prescribed fire to restore and maintain aspen in the Curtis Ridge area; and treat 1,960 acres of juniper in Cache Valley to improve declining mule deer winter habitat followed by seeding of a sagebrush/forb/grass mix to enhance disturbed areas.
Carbon County—Treat 395 acres of pinyon-juniper woodlands to reduce vegetative fuels and restore sagebrush and grassland-steppe habitat on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in portions of the Fish Creek and Dugout Creek drainages on the toe-slopes of the Book Cliffs near Price; and create small clearcuts within aspen stands to regenerate aspen on 69 acres on the Cold Springs Wildlife Management Area and 65 acres of adjacent private land.
Daggett County—Remove encroaching pinyon-juniper on 856 acres of summer range along Crouse Creek in the Marshall Draw Wildlife Management Area and in Mail Draw and Warren Draw on Diamond Mountain. The project will also benefit Colorado cutthroat trout and sage grouse brood rearing and nesting habitat; and the removal and replacement of two old guzzlers (Lightning Point and The Thumb) with two new ones using a new design that is more bighorn sheep-friendly.
Duchesne County—Remove pinyon-juniper encroachment on 400 acres of sagebrush habitat to improve winter range for elk, deer and sage grouse at the top of Gate Canyon about 45 miles southwest of Myton. The project will also create fuel breaks to prevent unplanned wildfires from removing large amounts of sagebrush; remove pinyon-juniper on 2,200 acres previously chained in 2006-2008 on the Tabby Mountain Wildlife Management Area and adjacent private land near Tabiona; lop and scatter encroaching pinyon, juniper and Douglas fir trees on 720 acres of sagebrush and mountain brush communities on Jeep Trail and Nutters Ridge areas of Anthro Mountain southeast of Duchesne to improve wildlife habitat; and the application of herbicide to improve 113 acres of mainly abandoned agricultural lands in Sowers Canyon along with drill seeding of more acres; scalp and drill seed 160 acres of winter range and sage grouse brood rearing habitat along the southern border of Tabby Mountain Wildlife Management Area.
Emery County—Remove encroaching pinyon-juniper on 1,393 acres using a combination of hand and mechanical treatments, with some seeding, in sagebrush communities north of Huntington Canyon that supports elk, mule deer, black-tailed rabbit and high density of golden eagles. Some of the funding comes from nearby oil and gas development to mitigate habitat loss and fragmentation; and remove pinyon-juniper from 460 acres of sagebrush habitat and apply seeding where understory is lacking.
Garfield County—Implement prescribed burning on 181 acres of pinyon-juniper slash piles and apply 587 acres of lop and scatter treatments in Deep Creek, Pine Creek and surrounding uplands to help increase the cover and density of grasses, forbs and shrubs and improve habitat for elk, mule deer, turkey, Greater sage-grouse and Bonneville cutthroat trout; lop and scatter, chain harrow and seed approximately 92 acres of pinyon-juniper dominated habitat on the Panguitch Creek Wildlife Management Area; apply seed and then mechanically mulch encroaching pinyon-juniper in a mosaic pattern to improve 1,485 acres of winter range and sage grouse brooding habitat immediately south of Panguitch; and remove two old underground storage tanks that no longer hold water and replace them with a new 1,500-gallon thick-walled poly tank to provide water for the Mt. Dutton elk herd and other wildlife in the Marshall Basin.
Grand County—Remove encroaching pinyon-juniper from Wyoming sagebrush communities on 500 acres in the South Book Cliffs at the mouth of Thompson and Sego Canyons and apply seeding where necessary.
Kane County—Continuation of a project started in 2012 to restore sagebrush habitat with removal of pinyon-juniper in the Upper Kanab Creek Watershed by treating 959 acres with a bullhog and utilizing a chain harrow within 286 acres of sage grouse winter range followed by aerially seeding; and return 959-acre area to early seral stage by removing pinyon-juniper and seeding to improve elk and mule deer habitat and reduce erosion in the middle portions of the Upper Kanab Creek Watershed and within the Thompson Creek drainage.
Millard County— Aerially seed 187 acres and then remove encroaching pinyon juniper in a mosaic pattern to restore sagebrush-steppe habitat on the Pioneeer Wildlife Management Area near Holden.
Piute County—Treat 90 percent of pinyon-juniper from 756 acres following seed application on elk and mule deer winter range five miles south of Greenwich plus an additional 244 acres of pinyon-juniper with seed application between chaining passes. Fuels reduction will benefit the communities of Angle, Antimony, Burrville, Greenwich, Koosharem and Little Meadows. (includesSevier and Wayne Counties); and treat approximately 460 acres of pinyon-juniper encroachment and apply aerially seeding to increase vegetative diversity and decrease risk of catastrophic wildfire in the Horse Valley area south of Circleville.
San Juan County—Implement a combination of mechanical and hand cutting treatments on 637 acres to reduce pinyon-juniper encroachment and restore sagebrush meadows on Black Ridge Mesa 10 miles south of Moab; and prescribe burn 3,250 acres of aspen, mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forest to stimulate aspen regeneration on the southwest side of the La Sal Mountains 20 miles southeast of Moab.
Sanpete County—Install one 1,500-gallon subsurface tank guzzler in the Hayes Canyon area at the north end of Japanesse Valley seven miles west of Fayette in the Valley Mountains to provide a water supply for elk and deer along with a wildlife-friendly fence around it; lop and scatter encroaching pinyon and juniper on 140 acres of elk and deer winter range within the Little Valley five miles west of Fayette; install two 1,500-gallon guzzlers and treat 850 acres of winter range west of Manti; treatment to reduce pinyon-juniper on 285 acres of elk and mule deer winter range followed by aerial seeding on private lands along the west slope of the Wasatch plateau; remove pinyon-juniper from 1,021 acres of BLM and private land winter range protected with a conservation easement two miles north of Fairview; and remove pinyon-juniper on 519 acres of transitional range on Manti National Forest lands bordered by the Reeder, Sportsman's and Swasey subdivisions (also affects Emery County).
Sevier County— Install a wildlife guzzler surrounded by wildlife-friendly fencing on the northwest portion of Triangle Mountain, where previous mechanical and seeding treatments resulted in productive forage, in an effort to keep elk and deer away from traffic on I-70 and agricultural lands near Salina; and restore 1,100 acres of elk and deer winter range along the east slope of the Pahvant Range by mechanically removing pinyon-juniper to stimulate existing browse.
Summit County—Thin encroaching juniper on 550 acres to regenerate browse and forb species; and lop and scatter approximately 290 acres of mixed conifer encroachment to regenerate browse and forb species, including aspen habitat, on critical winter range for elk, bighorn sheep and deer in the Hoop Lake area.
Tooele County—Remove up to 80 percent of existing juniper followed by seeding on 680 acres to improve sagebrush habitat on the western foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains six miles southeast of Stockton; and implement the fourth phase of a project to improve 485 acres of sagebrush habitat on the western foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains by removing cheatgrass followed by the application of herbicide and drill seeding to increase perennial grasses, forbs and sagebrush.
Unitah County—Remove encroaching pinyon and juniper trees from sagebrush habitat to improve 520 acres on Little Mountain between Vernal and Lapoin; remove pinyon-juniper trees on 470 acres of elk and mule deer winter range on Park Ridge in the Book Cliffs previously treated in 2010; treat 605 acres of pinyon-juniper to improve 605 acres of crucial elk and mule deer winter range and Greater sage-grouse nesting and rearing brood habitat on Little Mountain; remove encroaching pinyon-juniper from about 355 acres of sagebrush habitat in the Atchee Ridge area of the Book Cliffs; remove encroaching pinyon-juniper on 534 acres on Monument Ridge in the Book Cliffs; improve sagebrush habitat by removing encroaching pinyon-juniper across 634 acres in the Indian Springs Ridge area of the Book Cliffs; improve aspen stand condition along the Bookcliff Divide in the upper portion of the Book Cliffs by constructing exclosures around seven aspen stands to deter browsing on regenerating sprouts; build seven water guzzlers, each consisting of a 250-gallon buried tank and a 40' x 20' metal catchment apron, in the eastern portion of the Book Cliffs; and measure and quantify the overall health and condition of aspen stands in the western portion of the Book Cliffs and compare the findings with a similar data collection completed in 2012 on aspen stands in the eastern portion.
Wayne County—Create new and improve old fences, combined with water distribution to enable the Richfield Ranger District to give ample rest to pastures on three allotments in the central portion of Monroe Mountain that are planned for future habitat improvement projects.
Southern Utah— Utilize hand-seeders and Conservation Corps to seed browse species such as bitterbrush, four-wing saltbush, chokecherry, and serviceberry on elk and mule deer habitat that burned in 2012 wildfires.
Statewide—Provide funding for project to characterize ungulate impacts on aspen forests and quantify the relationships between disturbance size, aspen abundance, and ecological conditions on aspen regeneration success in areas with high ungulate use; and provide funding for an additional year of work to facilitate continued analysis of vast photo database, further work with quail, and website development as part of a project to improve the effectiveness of wildlife water developments.
Conservation projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities. RMEF volunteers and staff select hunting heritage projects to receive funding.
Partners for the Utah projects include the Ashley, Dixie, Fishlake, La Sal, Manti, and Unita-Wasatch-Cache National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Natural Resources, local businesses, universities, private landowners, and various sportsmen, wildlife, civic and government organizations.
Since 1987, RMEF and its partners completed 411 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Utah with a combined value of more than $45 million that enhanced or protected more than 997,000 acres and opened or secured public access to 27,192 acres.
March 3rd, 2014 |
Highest Charity Rating RMEF Once again, the independent Charity Navigator organization has given the RMEF a Four Star Rating, the highest. The RMEF is the only hunting conservation organization in Utah with a Four Star Rating. This is our 6th consecutive year in a row! The RMEF is where you get the bang for your donated buck. Hunting is conservation, and with us your money hits the ground to do more for wildlife.
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October 1, 2013 Guzzler Update
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Utah RMEF Dollars Hard at work! Some Fun Pictures Of Utah Wildlife using the guzzler that was put in using RMEF raised Funds!
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How RMEF Volunteers are making a difference for Utah Wildlife
Here you can see a guzzler being put in by Volunteers from the RMEF & other Organizations. This guzzler will provide water for all kinds of wildlife!
Here you can see a guzzler being put in by Volunteers from the RMEF & other Organizations. This guzzler will provide water for all kinds of wildlife!
