Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Funding Project Approval topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Habitat Council finalizes project list and budget after heated prioritization, approves multiple ECP‑funded projects
Summary
After a lengthy budget and project‑by‑project prioritization, the Habitat Council approved a package of projects and a final budget to send to the director’s office; members cut or deferred numerous fencing and infrastructure requests and flagged several items for follow up with conservation partners.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Habitat Council approved a final package of projects and a recommended budget after a multi‑hour review that prioritized projects based on WRI ranking, conservation partner commitments and available funds from the Habitat Council, the External Conservation Permit (ECP) pool and other sources.
Chair Eric Edgeley and council members described the meeting as a difficult exercise in prioritization. “There are many more shovel‑ready good projects than we have money for,” Edgeley said as the council worked through a list of proposals. Council members agreed to remove lower‑ranked projects, defer several large fencing projects and seek contributions from sportsmen’s groups and other partners for some items.
Among budget moves discussed in the meeting: - The Gordon Creek inholding acquisition request was reduced from an estimated $150,000 to about $32,000 after several landowners accepted division offers; council members said the $32,000 is important to secure leftover inholdings. - The BioBase (data/inventory) project was recommended to be deferred because funds were tight; staff said other funding sources will be explored. - Several WMA fencing projects were pushed off the list because fencing costs had risen; the council kept higher‑priority fences where matching PR (mitigation) funds or ECP support existed, and discussed asking conservation partners to move pledged funds between projects if needed.
Council members also debated staff positions and recurring costs. A northern‑region upland position that had previously received partner support was removed from the funding list; several council members objected and asked staff to revisit whether other ECP or PR funds could backfill that $17,000 gap.
After multiple sniping and negotiation rounds the council approved the ECP‑funded project group and the final budget to be forwarded to the director’s office. A motion to approve the final budget passed by voice vote. “We’ve allocated the full amount the director’s office asked us to be at,” Edgeley said near the end of the session.
Votes at a glance - Motion to approve minutes from the previous meeting — moved by Randy; seconded by Blake K.; outcome: approved (voice vote). - Motion to approve ECP‑funded project group — motion made during the meeting; outcome: approved (voice vote). - Motion to approve final project list and budget to send to the director — moved by Randy; seconded by Drew; outcome: approved (voice vote).
Council members asked staff to follow up with conservation partners on several items — including redirecting ECP pledges to higher‑priority fence work (Cinnamon Creek) and exploring ICP/PR funds to reduce Habitat Council burden — and to return with revised proposals or permitting language where needed. The council also scheduled a field tour (Parker Mountain / Vignal areas and nearby facilities, 2 days) and closed the meeting by approving the motion to adjourn.
