9717 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Page 12 annual Statewide priorities and report on prior year activities. Ideally, this second meeting would occur at a time when biologists can report on information collected the previous year and also at a time when the Team will still have plenty of time to identify priority projects for the upcoming field season for submittal to various grant programs. The Division has the responsibility and authority to develop a conservation and management plan consistent with the goal and objectives of the Range- wide Agreement and to establish and maintain an adequate and active program for the conservation of the three species. The Division has specific statutory responsibilities, particularly with respect to the management and conservation of the three species; their habitat; and the management, development, and allocation of water resources (Title 23-13-35 of the Utah Code provides that all wildlife within the State of Utah is the property of the State). This Plan is subject to and is intended to be consistent with all applicable Federal and State laws and interstate compacts. Implementation Plans In certain instances, agencies or entities may wish to participate without becoming official signatories to this Plan. In these cases, it will be possible for an agency or entity to participate in the development anq execution of an implementation plan for specific hydrologic units or streams. In this way, an entity such as a water conservancy district that may be a significant component for project success, can participate in an official capacity at a more specific level, where they will have the greatest interest to participate. Funding The Division will apply for funding to support this plan during the years 2005 through 2010 from federal State Wildlife Grants (SWG) with matching funds from the Utah Department of Natural Resources' Endangered Species Mitigation Fund (ESMF). The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), National Park Service (NPS), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have granted additional funding during the state fiscal years 2004, 2005, and 2006 and the federal fiscal year 2004 and 2005. Funding for future years will be sought from these and other appropriate sources through the request for proposals grant process of various grant programs. Certainty of Effectiveness The Division acknowledges and supports the principle that documented progress toward stable and increased distribution, abundance, and recruitment of populations of the three species constitutes the primary index of effectiveness of this conservation program. Conservation efforts implemented will be appropriate for the known threats to each population as identified through population and habitat surveys, many of which are already underway and included in the following chapters. Objectives and Conservation Actions: A step-by-step process to address threats The list of all potential conservation efforts is included in a separate document entitled, "Objectives and conservation actions for the three species: Annual priorities for the State of Utah conservation and management plan for the roundtail chub, bluehead sucker, and flannelmouth sucker" (Annual Priorities), which the Team will use as guidance through the life of the Agreement. The Annual Priorities document identifies the objectives and the conservation needs for the three species by 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC). The Team will review the project list and go through a prioritization process (discussed in detail later in this text) internally each 5 See http://www.le.state.ut.us/~code/TITLE23/TITLE23.htm. Utah State Code Title 23-12-3.