Department of Interior Awards $2.6 Million to BLM & Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative

Department of Interior Awards $2.6 Million to BLM & Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative

Resources Allocated to Four Southern Utah Projects to Restore Landscapes,

Improve Habitat and Reduce Hazardous Fuels

Salt Lake City (June 12, 2015) – The Wildland Fire Resilient Landscapes Award announced today by the Department of Interior commits $2.6 million to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI), coordinated by the Utah Department of Natural Resources. The funds awarded to Utah will be used to help complete four southern Utah projects to restore landscapes, improve habitat and reduce hazardous fuels.

1. Hamlin Valley, north of Modena, Utah: 10,000 acre project to remove pinyon/juniper from the watershed and improve the area for sage-grouse habitat. It will also increase forage for grazing.
2. Parker Front, south of Greenwich, Utah: 3,174 acre project to improve sage-grouse, mule deer and elk winter habitat and install a 21,500 gallon capacity poly tank guzzler system.
3. South Canyon, south of Panguitch, Utah: 6,000 acre project to improve sage-grouse, mule deer, elk and pronghorn habitat and ranges. Hazardous fuel reduction efforts will also occur near Hatch, Utah by mulching hand thinning and seeding areas of pinyon/juniper.
4. Yellowjacket, north of Kanab, Utah: 3,200 acre project to improve winter mule deer habitat and reduce hazardous fuels near Cave Lake by mechanically mulching, and seeding areas of pinyon/juniper.    

“Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative has a significant number of projects ready to go. We can put the money to work immediately to improve our watersheds,” said Alan Clark, DNR watershed program director. “We’re committed to restoring and rehabilitating as many acres as possible, so we’re appreciative of the added resources, which will allow us to complete more projects than anticipated.”

WRI is an effort to restore and improve watershed health in priority areas throughout Utah. It enhances and protects our present and future quality of life, improves water quality and quantity, reduces catastrophic wildfires, restores watersheds following wildfires and increases wildlife habitat and forage for sustainable agriculture.

This year the initiative is scheduled to fund 113 projects statewide at a cost of about $17 million. Funds come from over 90 different state, federal and private partners, including the Utah Legislature, BLM, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Mule Deer Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife.

In 2014, with support of $3.95 million from the Utah Legislature, WRI completed over 130 projects restoring 112,987 acres of uplands and 55 miles of stream and riparian areas. Since its inception in 2005, WRI partners have completed over 1,340 projects and treated more than 1.15 million acres of habitat with an investment by all partners of over $130 million.