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Utah DWR presents PILT check and habitat plans for Yankee Meadows WMA and Utah Prairie Dog
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Summary
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources presented a $2,515.35 PILT payment and reviewed localized habitat management plans for Yankee Meadows WMA and the Parowan Valley Utah Prairie Dog, noting the UPD is a federally listed species and that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service oversees regulatory authority.
Representatives from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) gave the commission an update on local wildlife management and presented a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT).
Dax Mangus, regional DWR supervisor, presented a PILT payment of $2,515.35 to the commission and introduced DWR staff who would work with local stakeholders. “It was great to work with Cedar City and the Commissioners,” Mangus said and offered a direct contact for follow‑up.
Aquatics biologist MaKayla Roundy reviewed the Yankee Meadows Wildlife Management Area (WMA), summarizing acreage, management goals (resilient fishery, family‑oriented angling, invasive species protection), and 2025 WMA user survey results. Biologist Barbara Sugarman presented the Parowan Valley Utah Prairie Dog (UPD) Habitat Management Plan, noting the prairie dog is federally listed and that the DWR creates habitat management plans while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service retains regulatory authority. She identified habitat concerns including prairie dog expansion onto private property and vegetation issues, and she described potential habitat improvements and annual maintenance.
Mangus told commissioners the county may submit comments directly on the WMA plan or through the Resource Development Coordinating Committee (RDCC) process. The commission took no formal action on the WMA/Habitat Management Plan at the meeting; staff follow‑up was encouraged.