For Utah's Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office
Why is it necessary to control invasive species? Invasive noxious weeds have been described as a raging biological wildfire – out of control, spreading rapidly, and causing enormous economic losses. Millions of acres in North America have been invaded or are at risk of being invaded by weeds, including cropland, pastures, rangelands, forests, wilderness areas, national parks, recreation sites, wildlife …
The Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative was founded in 2017 by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to document, preserve and enhance the movement of wildlife throughout Utah. The Initiative uses state-of-the-art GPS tracking technology to monitor species movements in near real time. Information generated by tracking collars is used to define critical habitats for species, including migration corridors that link …
The primary focus of predator management in Utah is 1) protecting livestock from coyotes, black bear and cougar, and 2) protecting mule deer, greater sage-grouse, and other wildlife (including threatened and endangered species) from coyotes, raptors, ravens, and small mammalian predators. In the absence of proper management, these smaller predators, like common ravens and small mammalian predators, can have a …
Since the first property acquisition in 1909, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has been acquiring and managing land across Utah for wildlife, habitat, and wildlife-related recreation opportunities. These properties are not multiple-use properties like Bureau of Land Management or U.S. Forest Service lands. Furthermore, it is important to research what access and recreational opportunities are permitted on each …
The Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program (GSLEP), which is part of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, manages the avian and aquatic communities of the Great Salt Lake. The program also manages the commercial harvest of brine shrimp cysts, a multimillion dollar business for which the Great Salt Lake is world-renowned. The work of managing the Great Salt Lake’s unique …
The Utah Grazing Improvement Program (GIP) seeks to improve the productivity, health, and sustainability of our rangelands and watersheds. It’s believed that well-planned and managed livestock grazing is the most important landscape-scale tool for maintaining healthy rangelands, watersheds, and wildlife habitats. Healthy rangelands contribute to a healthy livestock industry and productive rural economies. The goals of the GIP are to …
Utah’s Endangered Species Mitigation Fund (ESMF) — now managed within the Division of Wildlife Resources — has a mission to protect Utah’s plant and animal species of greatest conservation need, as well as species recognized as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. The primary objective of ESMF is to direct funds toward the protection, conservation …
Did you know that people have been here in Utah for more than 13,000 years? It’s a remarkable legacy of human endurance and adaptation. Today this legacy is also under threat. Archaeological sites, these physical places where we can go to visit the past, are much more fragile than they look. And with more people visiting Utah’s great outdoors than …
A Resource Management Plan (RMP) is a planning document used to define policy, goals, and objectives for managing natural resources on public lands (Utah Code 63L-6-103). The State and each of its counties have adopted resource management plans, which address topics ranging from agriculture and livestock grazing to wilderness and wild and scenic rivers. The State of Utah supports the …
The State of Utah’s Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office (PLPCO) invites you to explore Utah’s magnificent public lands. Utah has some of the most beautiful and varied landscapes in the country and it is part of PLPCO’s mission to protect public access to public lands so Utahns and visitors alike can enjoy this shared resource. Millions of acres of public …
