Initiatives
photo courtesy of Brian SlobeThe UPD Issues Status Report - this report identifies conflicts with existing land uses and future development that occur as a result of the Utah prairie dog's threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. The report describes the main concerns each stakeholder has with UPD, and tracks how each concern is being addressed. This effort came about when Utah State Senator Dennis Stowell requested that UPDRIP staff research each "UPD issue" that he had been made aware of through his constituents. The information in this report is intended to provide a fair representation of all the stakeholders views, so that we have an accurate account of each conflict. Identifying accurate, specific details regarding the conflicts will help us to streamline problem solving, rather than perpetuate the problem. If you would like to add your "concern" to the report or feel that something in the report needs updating, please contact the Program Coordinator to let them know.
Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act, provide for partnerships with non-Federal parties to conserve the ecosystems upon which listed species depend, ultimately contributing to their recovery. HCPs are planning documents required as part of an application for an incidental take permit. They describe the anticipated effects of the proposed taking; how those impacts will be minimized, or mitigated; and how the HCP is to be funded.
- Iron County HCP
- Cedar City Golf Course & Paiute Tribal Lands HCP
- Rangewide HCP – A joint HCP being developed, which will replace the current Iron County HCP, to cover Iron, Garfield, & Wayne Counties as well as SITLA lands. The new HCP will protect a greater amount of habitat, moving UPD closer to recovery while allowing for increased amount of "take" throughout the range. A final draft of the HCP is expected to be submitted to the Fish & Wildlife Service for approval. The biggest challenge the Counties face in getting the new HCP approved is securing the funding to implement the HCP. The County Commissioners are currently seeking Congressional support to fund a good portion of the HCP; the remaining portion may be funded by assessing a mitigation fee.
Habitat restoration and maintenance - Partner agencies, including the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), the U.S. Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service, work together to carry out vegetation treatments and other restorative activities on federal and state lands to maintain healthy UPD habitat. Each year, these agencies coordinate their efforts through UPDRIP; implementation of projects occurs in the spring and summer months. See the 2012 annual work plan for a detailed project list.
Disease Monitoring & Management - One of the biggest threats to recovery of the Utah prairie dog is Plague, which is carried by fleas that infest prairie dog colonies and cause massive outbreaks. UPD populations often crash because of plague. In order to fight this threat, Partner agencies, including the UDWR, the U.S. Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service, work together to carry out plague abatement treatments, including dusting the prairie dogs with a flea repellant. Each year, these agencies coordinate their plague abatement efforts through UPDRIP; implementation occurs in the Spring and Summer months. See the 2012 annual work plan for a detailed project list.
Translocation - As the majority of UPDs exist on private property (approximately 80%), there have been major efforts to translocate dogs from private to public ground. The UDWR carries out translocation efforts in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, the BLM, local governments such as Iron & Garfield Counties and Cedar City, as well as private landowners. Translocation projects planned for spring and summer 2012 are listed on the 2012 annual work plan . The UDWR follows translocation protocols established by the UPD Recovery Team and approved by the US FWS.
Research, Monitoring and Management - A large part of the recovery effort involves research and monitoring. Research is aimed at improving the effectiveness of recovery activities as well as helping to better understand measures for determining recovery of the species. Monitoring the species is important to track the progress of recovery and the status of UPD populations across their range.
Currently, several studies are underway: UDWR has completed the 3rd year of a study to determine the efficacy of using a systemic flea control chemical to reduce flea infestations in UPD, which cause plague outbreaks. Results and samples have been sent to the primary researcher, who is in Missouri. The primary researcher will conduct the final analysis. UDWR also assisted with a short‐term bait uptake study that is the precursor to a field study for a plague vaccine delivery program. Initial results were encouraging and field tests on the actual vaccine should follow in the next two years. USU Extension biologist, Nicki Frey is heading up a project to study family group translocation; results from USU's family group translocation study are awaiting analysis by USU researchers.
UPD Habitat Credits Exchange Program (UPDHCEP) - The HCEP is a partner program targeted towards private landowners who have Utah prairie dogs occupying their land. Administered by the Panoramaland & Color Country Resource Conservation & Development Councils (RC&Ds), this program generates habitat credits by purchasing conservation easements for UPDs. Easements are negotiated with willing landowners – the HCEP pays a landowner to maintain their property in its current state, which supports UPDs; in turn the program can sell habitat credits to other landowners in need of "take" (incidental impact to the species as a result of an otherwise legal action, like a building project). The program is market driven and can effectively "clear" a property of UPD encumbrances in perpetuity, while conserving the species elsewhere.
Safe Harbor Program - An agreement between a private landowner (often ranchers) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in which the landowner manages UPD habitat on a portion of their property to provide a conservation benefit to UPDs in exchange for assurance that they will not incur regulatory penalties or restrictions from the ESA during the life of the permit (administered by the Panoramaland and Color Country RC&Ds)