Regional Division of Wildlife Resources staff reported several operational and outreach activities to the Northeastern Regional Advisory Council, including law enforcement priorities for fall hunts, wildfire security assistance, new outreach programs, a monarch-tagging pilot and federal grant funding for a shooting complex.

Why it matters: These routine but substantive regional activities affect public access, recreation opportunities, species monitoring and local infrastructure supported by DWR funds and partners.

Miles, a regional DWR presenter, said officers are actively patrolling for fall hunts and handling recurring illegal trail-camera and baiting cases. He described officers’ frequent roles supporting search-and-rescue operations and wildfire-security duties; the Beulah fire in Monroe was cited as an ongoing assignment occupying staff time. Outreach efforts highlighted a newly launched Utah birding slam designed to engage birders across skill levels; Miles said revenue from the program will help non-game wildlife projects.

On aquatic operations, regional staff reported kokanee spawning and egg-collection operations at multiple sites and said some viewing events were canceled at Sheep Creek due to low fish returns and beaver-dam blockages. The crew is conducting electrofishing on the Green River sections to monitor juvenile fish; staff reported catching over a thousand fish across multiple nights for condition assessments.

Miles said the division received notice of a roughly $2 million federal grant to complete the Roughrider Shooting Complex in Roosevelt, allowing construction of a 200-yard rifle range and pistol ranges to supplement existing local facilities. On trout management, staff encouraged harvest of smaller lake trout (unlimited harvest under 26 inches) to reduce overabundant lake trout and rebalance predator–prey relationships in certain reservoirs. The division also liberalized harvest limits at Monas Creek Reservoir (the larger Monas Creek) and Krause Reservoir because of low water and anticipated winter survival concerns; Monas Creek is scheduled to be drained for dam repairs.

The region is piloting a monarch-tagging project using Bluetooth sticker tags and a Project Monarch app to allow public detection; Miles said only a few of the transmitting tags survived this year but about 50 sticker tags are in circulation. Habitat work noted by the presenter included a ribbon-cutting for a new 1,600-acre Cook Wildlife Management Area, guzzler repairs after heavy snow, fencing projects and planned conifer removal and range-restoration work this fall.

Discussion and public comments at the RAC included positive reaction to fish and riparian work and interest in youth pheasant hunt sign-ups and crane viewing days. The presenter encouraged locals to contact DWR staff listed for event sign-ups and follow-up questions. Specific budget or schedule details for many items were not provided in the RAC presentation.