Council hears $39,500 outfitter ask and helicopter support requests for remote trout restoration projects

Several Uinta Mountain trout‑restoration projects and related funding requests were presented to the Great Salt Lake Blue Ribbon Council, which heard details about logistics, costs and conservation goals.

Why it matters: state fisheries staff said the projects aim to remove nonnative brook trout and reestablish Colorado River cutthroat trout across remote headwater streams and lakes. Restoring and expanding conservation populations is part of the Division of Wildlife Resources’ strategy to prevent listing of the cutthroat as a threatened or endangered species.

Fall Creek rotenone treatment and outfitter request: DWR staff summarized a Fall Creek project in the Rock Creek drainage that was reshaped following a wildfire roughly five years ago. After on‑the‑ground reconnaissance and electrofishing surveys, staff said the current treatment scope is about 6–7 miles of stream and roughly 24 surface acres across several lakes and reconnecting tributaries. Mike Slater and other staff told the council the scope narrowed after field surveys showed many upper reaches no longer contained fish.

DWR requested Blue Ribbon funding to hire an outfitter to support pack and camp logistics necessary to get equipment and personnel into remote treatment areas. Staff said the outfitter is already under a multiyear contract and has bid $39,000 (DWR asked for $39,500) to support the second year of the operation. DWR listed total project in‑kind and personnel contributions of roughly $84,000 when all costs and staff time are included, with the Blue Ribbon ask covering the contracted outfitter component. Staff described the treatment as planned for early August, with the objective of achieving a full kill in the treated lakes and streams and then restocking with cutthroat trout.

Helicopter support and Oweep/South Fork projects: another DWR presenter described the need for helicopter support on two separate Uinta projects: the South Fork Sheep Creek final‑year rotenone treatment and restocking in the Oweep drainage. Staff said helicopter support reduces the field time and improves safety and fish health when moving boats and personnel to lakes that are 10–20 miles backcountry and would otherwise require days of horseback transport. The combined ask presented to the council was $42,000 in contracted helicopter support: roughly $27,000 to complete the South Fork Sheep Creek Year‑3 treatment and $15,000 to accomplish the Oweep drainage stocking in a single day.

Swan Creek egg trap lease request: staff also presented on the Swan Creek spawning trap that supplies eggs for Bear Lake cutthroat production. DWR staff said the trap collects roughly 230,000–240,000 eggs per year that are used to stock multiple fisheries (including Strawberry Reservoir and Bear Lake) and to support broodstock and predator‑control efforts. The division requested a one‑time Blue Ribbon contribution of $36,000 (spread as an ask covering a 10‑year lease period) to secure site access and related lease costs for the trapping facility and parking/operational access on adjacent private property.

Logistics, safety and conservation rationale: presenters emphasized the complexity of backcountry rotenone treatments — heavy equipment, boats, dozens of personnel, neutralizing chemicals (potassium permanganate) and the need for experienced outfitters or helicopter support. Staff argued that contractor support both speeds work and improves safety and effectiveness, allowing biologists to focus on technical tasks rather than logistics. DWR framed the projects as preventive conservation: by expanding the number of miles and surface acres occupied by Colorado River cutthroat trout, the division aims to reduce the species' risk of being listed as threatened.

Budget and contracting notes: presenters said the outfitter is under contract from previous procurement and that the council's contribution would pay for an already‑bid line item. They also noted the possibility a second follow‑up treatment year could be required; staff said that would be a smaller ask because much equipment and some operations would remain in place.

What was not decided: the council did not take a formal funding vote during the meeting. Staff asked the council to consider the requests; no formal appropriation or contract award was approved in the session recorded in the transcript.

Next steps: staff invited questions and said they would provide budget detail and project pages on the council’s Google site. DWR also offered to schedule field visits and provide more detailed timelines for the August treatment window and helicopter operations.