The Northern Regional Advisory Council heard a summary of actions taken at the Utah Wildlife Board meeting on Aug. 21, including approval of rule updates and permit changes. A staff member told the council the board approved recommended changes to rules R657-42 and R657-57 and adopted tagging-requirement recommendations that add a fourth photo for evidence of harvest.

The report said the board approved additional permits on Cooperative Wildlife Management Units (CWMUs) in northern Utah and allowed the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) to work within the rule to make necessary adjustments. That motion passed 4 in favor with 2 recusals, the staff member said. The board also approved 19 additional bison permits for the Henry Mountains and confirmed a change to the CWMU advisory committee by appointing Gary Webb; those motions passed unanimously.

The staff member opened the update for questions; none were recorded. The RAC did not take action on the board items itself; the segment was an informational report to RAC members about board-level decisions.

Why it matters: the reported board decisions alter regulatory and permit settings that affect how the DWR and landowners manage big-game hunting and CWMU activities in the region. Changes to tagging requirements affect how hunters document harvests for compliance and enforcement.

Details: the update identified rules by number (R657-42; R657-57) and noted the tagging requirement now includes an additional photo. The CWMU permit motion authorized the division to make adjustments under the rule and had two recusals; the Henry Mountains bison permits and the CWMU advisory committee appointment passed unanimously.

Outlook: these are board-level policy changes reported to the RAC; any implementation changes will be administered by DWR staff and reflected in future guidance, permits and enforcement practices.