Utah Habitat Council approves funding for dozens of habitat and big‑game projects across the state

The Utah Habitat Council met in person and online on April 16 to review and approve funding recommendations for multiregional habitat restoration projects addressing fish, riparian and big‑game needs.

Chair Eric Hedley, the Habitat Section Chief, opened the meeting by noting the session was being livestreamed and that staff and presenters would introduce themselves. “We reviewed 60 plus projects at the ECP meeting,” he said; staff later clarified, “It ended up being 87 projects,” reflecting a larger review load and roughly $6.5 million in partner contributions from sportsmen and conservation groups.

Council business focused on project presentations from regional habitat biologists and partner agencies. Presenters described a mix of low‑tech stream restorations using Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs), culvert replacements to restore fish passage, juniper and conifer thinning, mastication, prescribed burns, seeding and pond/guzzler repairs to improve water availability for mule deer, elk, moose and ground‑nesting birds.

Soldier Creek (Project 7690) in the Central Region was presented as a multistage package of BDAs, beaver releases, a culvert replacement (planned with Trout Unlimited), juniper retreatment and weed control. The council approved the proposal by voice vote after staff discussion of partner matches and next steps.

A large Wasatch Front watershed restoration package (Project 7772) with hand‑cut and pile work, 90 acres of prescribed burning, BDAs and archaeology surveys was approved with adjustments to funding splits and a request to check NEPA timing for Cottonwood Canyon. Danny Bordeaux, a habitat restoration biologist, said the work included partners such as the U.S. Forest Service, Trout Unlimited and Salt Lake City agencies.

Several multiyear fire and fuels projects also secured council support. The Bajo Mountain prescribed‑fire plan and a multi‑phase Porphyry Bench sagebrush restoration project were both approved after staff described partner commitments and expected habitat benefits for mule deer and elk.

In the Northeast Region, a Willow Creek riparian restoration proposal emphasizing tamarisk removal, BDA maintenance and complementary harrow/seeding work with Trout Unlimited and the Division of Water Quality won approval. Council members flagged an earlier plan to use pesticide bait for grasshopper control and directed staff to coordinate with the region’s sensitive‑species biologist; partners agreed to fund alternative, habitat‑friendly tactics such as bird‑box installations.

The council also funded targeted experiments and monitoring: a Rabbit Gulch test of a long‑acting herbicide (Rejuvra) to control cheatgrass while protecting resident native grasses, and repair/rebuild plans for critical range‑trend exclosures in the Book Cliffs to preserve long‑term monitoring capacity.

Most approvals were by voice vote; many projects had substantial partner funding (NRCS, sportsmen’s groups, Forest Service, BLM) and some were ranked high in the Wildlife Restoration Initiative (WRI). Because many proposals are multiyear, council members asked presenters to return to the April 29 funding meeting with refined budgets, trimmed seed mixes and clarified implementation schedules so final allocations can be set.

Quotes and attributions in this report are drawn from presenters and council members during the meeting. Several council motions passed without roll‑call tallies recorded in the transcript; where a named mover or seconder was indicated in the record it is noted in the meeting timeline and actions list. The council adjourned after setting a follow‑up funding meeting for the 29th; staff will circulate updated spreadsheets and requested follow‑up information in advance.