Utah's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan (CWCP)

DRAFT 6/18/03 v.6

Introduction

Planning for wildlife species of greatest conservation need in Utah builds upon several pre-existing program goals as well as strategic efforts (i.e., a sensitive species rule and list, the Partners in Flight state plan and so forth). DWR intends to integrate these efforts partially through a special landscape emphasis on wildlife habitat restoration combined with the improved management of functional habitats that currently sustain many of Utah's species of conservation need. In our state, sagebrush steppe and riparian ecotypes are where a majority of designated species of conservation need and management priorities merge. Thus, the improved management and restoration of these habitat types through our Wildlife Habitat Initiative (WHI) will provide a geographic focus for prioritizing DWR efforts toward the conservation and management of wildlife species of conservation need in Utah.

Background

In FY 2000 Congress responded to a lobby from the Teaming With Wildlife (TWW) coalition to set aside separate monies for nongame species conservation planning, management, education and protection, by establishing the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program (WCRP). The TWW coalition was, however, unsuccessful in achieving the creation of a new federal funding source for nongame population management based on a percentage of the excise taxes collected on the sale of outdoor recreation goods. Rather, WCRP relied upon a percentage of the tax revenue generated through the sale of offshore oil and gas; funded programs included conservation activities as well as a limited amount of education-information and law enforcement activities.

No new money source was forthcoming in FY 2001 or 2002, but Congress chose to make these State Wildlife Grant program funds available to state fish and wildlife agencies focused on species of greatest conservation need (in contrast to nongame species only), this time funding only conservation specific activities. A prerequisite stipulated in both bills was that each state must commit to completing a ten-year (FY 2006–2015) Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan (herein known as the CWCP or Conservation Strategy) by September 30, 2005. The law established specific guidelines for states to follow in their plan development/submission. Certain itemized criteria for ensuring that the plans are appropriate and can be implemented have been established and a review-approval process is also stipulated. These are reflected in these eight elements below and then anticipated state specific actions to comply with these requirements are covered in the text that follows:

1. information on the distribution and abundance of species of wildlife, including low and declining populations as the State fish and wildlife agency deems appropriate, that are indicative of the diversity and health of the State's wildlife;
    
2. descriptions of locations and relative condition of key habitats and community types essential to conservation of species identified in (1);
    
3. descriptions of problems which may adversely affect species identified in (i) or their habitats, and priority research and survey efforts needed to identify factors which may assist in restoration and improved conservation of these species and habitats;
4. descriptions of conservation actions proposed to conserve the identified species and habitats and priorities for implementing such actions;
    
5. proposed plans for monitoring species identified in (element 1) and their habitats, for monitoring the effectiveness of the conservation actions proposed in (element 4), and for adapting these conservation actions to respond appropriately to new information or changing conditions;
    
6. descriptions of procedures to review the State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan at intervals not to exceed ten years;
    
7. plans for coordinating the development, implementation, review, and revision of the State comprehensive wildlife conservation plan with Federal, State, and local agencies and Indian tribes that manage significant land and water areas within the State or administer programs that significantly affect the conservation of identified species and habitats; and
    
8. an effective public participation process.

Importance of habitat to Utah's wildlife conservation objectives

DWR's Strategic Plan (1998-2005), calls for the sustaining and restoring habitat functions. Remedial actions are needed to enhance wildlife populations (i.e., range, abundance & distribution) hindered by the absence of crucial elements (i.e., winter food quantity/quality, shelter requirements or safety/security aspects to reduce the vulnerability of sensitive species to predation and habitat disturbance). Additionally, although many of these crucial habitat elements may already exist, the full habitat capacity for a particular wildlife species may have as yet not been met. Reasons why are many, however, it is often the absence of a sufficient threshold number of breeding pairs or a minimal prey base to establish or maintain a population, let alone enable it to increase its size.

DWR's strategic goals and objectives are accomplished through strategies that intend to deliver specific habitat or wildlife population outcomes, typically detailed in habitat and species management plans for both game and nongame species of conservation need. Essential to this outcome is cooperation with public land management agencies in their long range planning efforts and our participation with federal directives as seen in farm bill legislation. Habitat restoration, maintenance and stewardship are important and can only happen through building and nurturing federal, state, nongovernmental organization and private partnerships.

DWR's wildlife conservation programs

Several distinct DWR efforts focus on increasing the abundance, distribution and range for species of conservation need. Proven methods of scientific excellence in surveying, inventorying and monitoring wildlife populations have provided reliable databases of wildlife species' information (e.g., our Natural Heritage Program database). Prioritized aquatic and terrestrial species of conservation need are identified in new Rule R657-48: Implementation of the Wildlife Species of Concern and Habitat Designation Advisory Committee and associated list (commonly known as the State Sensitive Species List).

Additionally, a habitat restoration partnership initiative for sagebrush steppe as well as riparian areas centering on suites of associated species is being undertaken specific to species such as sage grouse, pygmy rabbits, and prairie dogs, as well as mule deer, in addition to aquatic species of concern such as Colorado River cutthroat and sculpin. Our Partners in Flight (PIF) state program planning effort has similarly identified several designated species of concern in Utah (i.e., black swift, ferruginous hawk, yellow-billed cuckoo, Mexican spotted owl, southwest flycatcher). Within our Aquatics program, the identification of habitat restoration as well as planning needs for native fish, amphibian, reptile and mollusk (FARM) species (e.g., leatherside chub, desert night lizard, Mojave rattlesnake, Brian Head mountainsnail, etc.) enables conservation actions prioritization.

Challenges, threats, risks, problems & issues

A substantial concern within Utah is the rapid human population growth and the related environmental pressures and impacts associated with habitat degradation and loss. Significant land use and development activities such as oil, gas/methane exploration and extraction, mismanaged grazing of rangelands (both private and public), as well as population growth, and related urban-suburban expansion are occurring in Utah. Thus the state is experiencing a rapid rate of open space loss and diminished habitat capacities to support diverse, plentiful and broader ranges of its native flora and fauna.

Environmental degradation results from highly populated watersheds along the Wasatch Front, dramatically reduced aquifer capacities, drought related pressures for potable, agricultural and industrial water uses. In addition, terrestrial and aquatic invasive and nuisance species, diseases such as the West Nile Virus that affect birds as well as human safety, Chronic Wasting Disease that affects ungulate (i.e., deer and elk) populations, Whirling Disease that affects several salmonid species (i.e., cutthroat trout), all combine to negatively affect wildlife and habitat management efforts.

Other factors impact DWR effectiveness and efficiencies achieved, like diminishing general fund revenues, reduced monies allocated for the Endangered Species Mitigation Fund at the state level and for State Wildlife Grants at the federal level, as well as an evident lack of broad public support for initiating a state-based revenue generator for any wildlife conservation efforts.

Proposed conservation actions and priorities

Accordingly, DWR is pursuing an inventory of all wildlife habitat (both private and public lands) and the wildlife species therein. This approach, if undertaken, would then enable the DWR to match the components of sensitive species and species of conservation need to the type of habitat necessary, plus identify the interrelationship of private-public land management/planning requirements. Priority research and survey efforts are planned to identify factors that may help sustain, restore and further conserve these species and habitats.

Building a collaborative conservation community

DWR will initiate this planning effort by engaging partners and informing their stakeholders, as well as other key entities in a collaborative, comprehensive way.

Conservation partners and stakeholders include such entities as federal and state management agencies, Indian Nations, nongovernmental groups, state and local governmental entities, significant national interest groups with state based chapters, state-specific interest groups as well as locally based groups, professional associations and societies, peripheral cooperators, commercial businesses with vested interests and corporations.

A ten-year comprehensive wildlife conservation plan (FY 2006–2015) will be developed and implemented to address jointly agreed upon and publicly ratified species/habitats of conservation need priorities, the necessary actions, and future changes that must be taken to address them.

Assessment and revision system

Systemically redressing the plan on a regular interval basis will also follow in a collaborative fashion as the partners and the agency learn and work together to adapt to meet changing environmental conditions, resources and human impacts. Our partners will be major players in the public (e.g., U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, etc.), private (e.g., landowners, industry and business, like the Utah Farm Bureau) and non-governmental arenas (e.g., The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited and Audubon Society) that have established their interest and stake in conserving wildlife species of conservation need.

Public participation

Two major reviews will happen: the first will be a scientific, governmental and NGO community response to Phase I information products developed by the DWR (Elements 1-3a). The second will be an open invitation to examine Phase II: survey and inventory priorities, proposed conservation actions and implementation priorities, as well as the monitoring plans for measuring effectiveness and adaptation developed in Elements 3b-5.

Inherent in this review and revision is the application of the wildlife management public decision-making process currently in place for obtaining input from the citizens, partners and major stakeholders. The five legislated Regional Wildlife Advisory Councils and the Wildlife Board that they advise and to which they report, enable public access to and awareness of substantive wildlife management issues of significance to the conservation of wildlife species and associated habitat of agreed upon conservation need. The RACs and Board will initially be informed of the planning process underway and then once completed, they will be brought the final, public reviewed plan prior to submittal to the USFWS.