Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wma Management Plans topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Division updates management plans for several WMAs; Timpanogos to tighten trail access and Spencer Fork plan added
Summary
The Rack accepted updates and new management plans for Timpanogos, Spencer Fork and South Sanpete wildlife management areas, with Timpanogos adopting a formal access‑management plan, special‑use permits for high‑school teams, and a proposed winter closure window to reduce disturbance to wintering wildlife.
The Rack reviewed three wildlife management plan (WMA) items: an update to the Timpanogos WMA plan, a new Spencer Fork WMA plan, and a revision package for several South Sanpete WMAs. All three plans were presented by Central Region staff and accepted by the Rack.
Timpanogos WMA (mountain‑front property at the mouth of Provo Canyon) — Habitat manager Mark Farmer described a new access‑management plan developed with user groups and the Utah Valley Trails Alliance. The WMA saw a rapid proliferation of user‑created trails; the updated plan identifies approved trails to keep recreation in defined corridors and reduces informal tracks. The plan requires team special‑use permits for high‑school mountain‑bike teams; teams must perform trail maintenance hours tied to their permits. The division also plans a winter closure for bikes and horses in high‑use winter months (proposed December 1–April 15) and will consider limited exceptions for valid late‑season hunting permits.
Spencer Fork WMA — The Rack accepted a new management plan for the property. The new plan emphasizes post‑fire rehabilitation following two recent fires, the property’s year‑round importance for deer and elk, and mitigation for multiple powerline easements that cross the WMA.
South Sanpete WMAs — Division staff described a consolidated update covering 10 WMAs in southern Sanpete County (about 28,982 acres) and said the revision focuses on user‑created trails, redundant roads, and collaboration with Sanpete County to meet a new statutory requirement to coordinate road closures. The division held meetings with local user groups and county commissioners. The plan authorizes public outreach and a local hearing in Sanpete County, and staff said they will continue coordination before finalizing closures.
Rack members asked practical questions about enforcement of a new statutory requirement that adults accessing WMAs hold a hunting/fishing license; staff said enforcement will begin as education and warnings with a goal of compliance, and that law enforcement will prioritize public outreach before ticketing. On trail closures Rack members urged collaboration with Forest Service and local stakeholders where WMAs connect to public forest lands. The Rack did not make substantive changes to the plans and moved to accept them; the presenters said they will follow up with outreach, signage and seasonal closure schedules.
