Project Details

We classify deer habitats into three main categories based on the season of use: winter, summer, and transitional. Deer use high-quality forage during the spring and early summer to aid in fat and protein deposition (Cook et al. 2013). The higher the quality of spring and summer forage, the better the antler growth in bucks, the better does are prepared for lactation, and the more fat reserves deer can build up for use during winter. Recent data from Utah's monitoring effort suggests the amount of fat deer have entering into winter is an important predictor of over-winter survival. Similarly, high-quality forage on the winter range may help slow the rate of decline of accumulated fat reserves, helping deer survive. The size and condition of mule deer populations are primarily determined by the quantity, quality, and availability of crucial habitats as they provide the necessary nutrition to sustain deer throughout the year. Lack of quality habitat has been associated with decreased survival and recruitment of fawns, increased age at first reproduction, decreased reproductive output, and decreased survival by adults (Monteith et al. 2014). Loss and degradation of habitat are thought to be the main reasons for mule deer population declines in western North America over the last few decades (Workman and Low 1976, WAFWA 2003). Crucial mule deer habitat has been and continues to be lost or fragmented in many parts of central Utah due to human population expansion, development, and natural events. Continued degradation and loss of crucial habitat will lead to significant declines in carrying capacity and/or numbers of mule deer. Urbanization, road construction, off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, energy development, drought, catastrophic wildfire, and expansion of invasive plant species have all resulted in loss or degradation of mule deer habitat. The quality and quantity of forage available on important mule deer ranges can be limited by a variety of factors. The encroachment of pinyon and juniper trees threatens to choke out understory forbs and shrubs and increase risk of catastrophic wildfire. Annual weeds such as cheatgrass alter natural fire cycles by increasing fire frequencies, often resulting in shrublands being converted to annual grasslands that do not provide the essential nutrients for survival. Aspen and mountain meadow habitat is declining in part due to conifer encroachment resulting from the suppression of naturally occurring fires. The seeding of aggressive introduced perennial grasses that outcompete native shrubs and forbs can reduce the ability of rangelands to meet the dietary requirements of mule deer. The degradation and loss of natural water sources across the landscape from a wide variety of anthropogenic and climatic factors reduce water availability for mule deer, which is crucial for survival and healthy populations. The decrease in nutrient-rich vegetation in riparian areas from piping projects, poor grazing practices, and stream channelization and erosion have resulted in a decline in productivity, especially during crucial summer months. 
The DWR Range Trend Project has documented many of these threats and how mule deer habitat in Utah has changed over the last 30 years (UDWR 2014--2018). During the 1940s and 1950s, deer herds erupted in response to abundant shrub growth on mule deer ranges throughout the state, as a result of heavy grazing on most rangelands (deVos et al. 2003). Since then, many shrub-dominated rangelands have gradually converted to old decadent stands of shrubs or succumbed to drought, invasive weeds, wildfire, and juniper-dominated communities due to lack of fire or other disturbances. 
To address the decline in mule deer habitat in Utah we have done many restoration projects and this project will continue to build on those efforts by increasing water on the landscape and improving the winter range.

Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.

Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.

LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.

TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.

List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.

If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.

Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.

Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.

Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.

Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.

List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.

Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.

Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.