Utah Division of Wildlife shifts Blue Ribbon outreach calendar after dicey ice, adds social campaigns and spring surveys

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council on Jan. 10 reviewed the division’s 2025 outreach priorities and events, removing a planned ice‑fishing promotion because of unsafe ice and shifting emphasis to social media, targeted promotions and creel survey results in spring.

Faith Heaton Jolley, public information officer for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, told the council the division “agreed that we would scrap that 1” — an ice‑fishing news release originally planned for January — because of “dicey ice conditions this year.” Jolley said staff will instead promote Blue Ribbon fisheries in February with social posts tied to Valentine’s Day and run safety messaging about ice conditions that already went out in December.

The council’s nut graf: outreach staff and regional biologists aim to balance safety messaging and promotion. The division plans to use a mix of short social campaigns, news releases and blog posts to promote fisheries and events while ensuring anglers know about hazards and last‑minute cancellations.

Key outreach items and timing discussed

- February: a Valentine’s‑themed social post promoting lesser‑known Blue Ribbon waters, replacing the cancelled January ice‑fishing release. Jolley said her team will also “promot[e] generally some blue ribbon fishery spots” in February.

- March: distribution of Uintas field resources and blog posts timed with spring fishing. Jolley flagged a March push for newly produced Uintas materials.

- April: spring creel summaries and targeted outreach to out‑of‑state anglers; Jolley said the out‑of‑state angler campaign will likely run in April pending coordination with staff who manage ad buys. Regional biologists were encouraged to coordinate any posting dates with outreach staff so social ads and event pages can be produced.

- June: Blue Ribbon project announcements and catch‑and‑release best management practice messaging; Jolley suggested doing both as news releases based on prior practice.

- July–August: kokanee closure reminders and high‑elevation fisheries outreach timed with access; the division typically issues a news release once streams and shorelines are accessible.

- Fall/October: fall fishery sampling results and regionally produced posts; biologists requested flexibility because sampling windows vary by region. Jolley recommended posts run October through January whenever regions finish gillnet surveys so the public has both a fall reminder and a later, data‑driven report.

Why it matters

Council members and staff framed the calendar as a mix of public‑safety communications and angler engagement. Jolley reiterated that safety messaging about ice and event cancellations already went out in December and will be updated as needed. Regional biologists said timely social posts and short news releases can both encourage fishing when conditions are good and provide data‑backed forecasts when monitoring is complete.

Details and follow‑ups

- The “out of state angler” campaign will likely be a mix of paid social ads, a blog and email outreach; outreach leads will confirm the budget and creative with the regional outreach managers.

- Creel surveys: staff plan a March news release that summarizes recently completed creel surveys; Jolley said that item will likely be a news release rather than pure social copy. Regions asked for latitude to publish posts when their survey results are ready (October–January window suggested).

- Events: outreach staff confirmed booths and materials for two legislative events — Outdoor Rec Day on the Hill (Jan. 31, 8 a.m.–10 a.m.) and Fishing Day on the Hill (Feb. 10). Jolley invited council members to email her (fjolley@utah.gov) to help staff booths or assist with event logistics.

Ending

Council members asked outreach and regional staff to coordinate dates, share final creative and confirm volunteer support for event booths. Jolley and outreach managers will follow up with biologists and post the finalized calendar and volunteer sign‑up links to the council’s shared site.