Project Details

Management of Ogden Bay, Howard Slough, and Harold S. Crane Waterfowl Management Areas (WMA's) are primarily for waterfowl and pheasant production in the spring/summer, and more importantly as a migration stopover in the spring and fall for migratory birds. However, many of the 200+ wildlife species that utilize the WMA's benefit as well. The purpose of this project is to create, maintain, and enhance critical habitats for a plethora of wildlife on our WMA's. These areas are also managed to provide waterfowl and upland hunting opportunity to the public, creating consumptive and non-consumptive recreational opportunities.
To improve the upland and waterfowl habitat at Ogden Bay WMA /Howard Slough WMA/ Harold Crane WMA funding is needed to do the following:  1. Control noxious weeds and encourage productive beneficial vegetation.  2. Manage water levels to maximize wildlife production and forage in wetland environments. 3. Maintain equipment to do all of the projects on these areas. 4. Repair or reconstruct failed/failing water control structures. 5. Infrastructure erosion control by planting wetland sod mats and/or plugs. 6. Lease 2 tractors each for a 6 month period to accomplish all of the above. 7. Lease a skid steer that will allow managers to load and unload shipments that come to the WMA, allow managers to auger holes when planting shrubs/trees, assist managers in mowing in hard to get to areas. 8. Plant perennial upland seed mix for nesting cover, purchase trees/shrubs, purchase soil amendments to apply to these plantings.

The wildlife technician positions allow for the maintenance of existing habitat and the enhancement and development of additional habitat for these WMA's. With the increased pressure from an expanding human population, development of lands, changes in agricultural practices and increased recreational demands it is imperative to maximize the benefits on the areas for wildlife.
Technicians will assist the only two full-time employees at OBWMA/HCWMA/HSWMA  by completing necessary habitat improvement projects such as noxious weed control, phragmites control projects and irrigating and caring for food plots. Habitat technicians will be responsible for dike mowing and general maintenance on the WMAs. They will also assist in keeping W.I.M.S. updated, various seeding/planting, habitat improvement projects. Technicians will play a key role in banding projects and predator control on the WMA's.

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.

Noxious weeds will be controlled with herbicides and water control techniques to maximize the quality of wildlife habitat. Equipment will be maintained to accomplish all projects on the areas. Tractors will be leased to accomplish mowing, disking, spreading soil amendments and planting. 
Technicians will assist with treating around 3,000 acres of Phragmites during the fall Phragmites project. During the spring and early summer, technicians will assist in treating around 500 acres of other noxious weeds such as: hoary cress, perennial pepperweed, Dyer's woad, poison hemlock, purple loostrife, salt cedar and various thistle species. Technicians will also assist with upland nesting habitat enhancements, and ground preparation for fall food plots. Water management is essential on the wetlands to enhance our vegetation diversity. Different areas will be monitored that will either be flooded or drought stressed. This task includes monitoring over 300 water control structures that require cleaning and maintenance. Technicians will be aiding managers in banding waterfowl. Technicians will irrigate food plots. The technician will also help us with our UDWR mandated W.I.M.S. system that tracks facilities maintenance. Finally, the technician will assist with predator control. 
Drive through gates, walk through gates and signs need to be replaced at Harold Crane and technicians will assist with these tasks.

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.

The proposed project meets the objectives in our Habitat management plans.
Also, the proposed project meets objectives in the WAP, such as:
Other Ecosystem Modifications
Objective #2 for Other Ecosystem Modifications Land management agencies and agents develop vegetation management projects that avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to species and habitats identified as vulnerable to these threats, such as brush eradication.
Habitat modification and loss are being mitigated by perennial plantings, food plots, and shrub rows.
Objective #1 for Sediment Transport Imbalance
 Opportunities are found and taken to modify or remove reservoir infrastructure or modify outflow management to simulate or return natural sediment transport.
The continual build-up of sediments in GSL wetlands is a major problem that can lead to decreased open water areas, shallower water depths that do not maximize the production of submerged aquatic vegetation and promotes invasive plant species. The WMA's management relies on water control structures that can be used to help pass through unwanted sediments and maintain a highly diverse and functional wetland. 
Objective #1 for Droughts
 Terrestrial SGCNs and key habitats persist on the landscape, despite increasing drought conditions. 
Drought condition over the past several years has reduced the resilience of highly functional upland habitats. In order to maintain and rehabilitate these upland habitats, renovation and reseeding is necessary in order to minimize the impacts of drought. Actions that this project will address include; 
2.3.14 Conduct upland vegetation treatments to restore characteristic upland vegetation and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings.
3.3.1 Develop a list of priority reintroduction species and locations
Objective #2 for Droughts 
Aquatic SGCNs and key habitats persist on the landscape, despite increasing drought conditions.
Drought conditions over the past several years have made it imperative that the WMA's have properly functioning water control structures to maximize water deliveries in order to maintain key wetland habitats. Actions that this project will address include;
2.3.6 Restore aquatic habitat complexity
2.3.15 Conduct riparian vegetation treatments to restore characteristic riparian vegetation and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings.

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.