BLM Announces North Hills and Sulphur Wild Horse Gathers

Photo Courtesy BLM

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to begin removing excess wild horses from the North Hills Wild Horse Management Plan Area (WHMPA) near Enterprise, Utah, and the Sulphur Herd Management Area (HMA) near Milford, Utah, in December.

“These two gathers will help us maintain healthy conditions for the wildhorses on the range.” said Acting Cedar City Field Office Manager Randy Trujillo. “By taking additional fertility control measures, these gathers should also allow us to extend the time before we need to conduct another gather to remove excess wild horses.”

The BLM will begin gathering approximately 210 horses in the North Hills WHMPA on December 2. The WHMPA includes the North Hills HMA, which includes about 49,900 acres of BLM-administered, state and private lands in Iron and Washington counties, as well as the United States Forest Service (USFS) North Hills Wild Horse Territory, which covers approximately 24,029 acres. The Appropriate Management Level (AML) established for the North Hills WHMPA is a population range of 40-60 wild horses. The current estimated population of wild horses within the WHMPA, based on a count completed in January, is estimated at 250 wild horses.

The BLM will also gather additional wild horses from the North Hills that will be released back into the area after the mares are treated with a fertility control vaccine to slow population growth.

Members of the public are welcome to view operations once they begin. The BLM is planning to provide public observation of gather operations daily so long as the safety of the animals, staff, and observers is not jeopardized and operations are not disrupted. Those interested in participating in an escorted tour during the North Hills gather must meet at 6:00 a.m. at the Sinclair gas station at the junction of Highways 18 and 219 east of Enterprise. Current plans call for the North Hills gather to operate December 2 through 6, although weather conditions may affect the projected schedule. Participants must provide their own transportation, water and lunches. The BLM recommends that the public dress for harsh field conditions. Binoculars are strongly recommended.

The BLM plans to gather approximately 250 wild horses from the Sulphur HMA beginning December 13, 2010. The majority of these horses, approximately 220 animals, will be released back to the range following the gather. Of these, about 90 would be mares vaccinated with a fertility control vaccine to slow population growth. The Sulphur HMA covers approximately 265,676 acres of public, state and private lands, located in Beaver, Iron, and Millard counties. The AML for the HMA is 165 to 250 wild horses. The current estimated population of wild horses within the Sulphur HMA is 276.

AML is determined through land-use planning efforts that involve public participation, vegetation inventories and allocation of forage in terms of animal unit months; the BLM determines the appropriate number of wild horses that each HMA can support in balance with other uses of and resources on public land. Planning efforts include an inventory and the monitoring of all uses of the public rangelands.

Members of the public are also welcome to view operations on the Sulphur gather. Those interested in participating in an escorted tour must meet at 6:00 a.m. MST at the Border Inn located in Baker, NV on the Utah-Nevada border on U.S. Highway 6 and 50. Current plans call for the Sulphur gather to operate December 13 through 20, although weather conditions may affect the projected schedule. “Animals removed from the North Hills and Sulphur areas will be available for adoption through the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program,” Trujillo said.

Horses from the North Hills WHMPA will be shipped to the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison and horses gathered from the Sulphur HMA will be shipped to the Delta Wild Horse Corrals.

Animals that are not adopted will be cared for in long-term pastures, where they retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The BLM does not send any horses to slaughter. The gather and impacts are described and analyzed in the North Hills WHMPA

Wild Horse Gather Plan Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and the Sulphur Wild Horse HMA Capture, Treat and Release Plan Final EA. The EAs and the Decision Records are posted on the BLM website at www.blm.gov/ut. The BLM also will provide updates and information at the same web address on a regular basis throughout the course of the gather.

To learn more about the program or to obtain an adoption application, visit the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro website at http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/ .

The BLM manages more land - more than 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.

Richfield sets new All-Terrain Vehicle World Record

Richfield – Rocky Mountain ATV Jamboree organizers received official word from the Guinness Book of World Records that it now holds the record for "Largest Parade of ATVs". The new record was set at the 2009 Jamboree with 1,870 machines, easily surpassing the existing record set by the All-Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota with 1,632 ATVs.

“ATV use is growing all over the country, and with Utah's great trails and destinations, we are at the forefront of that growth as this new record shows,” commented Utah State Parks Deputy Director Fred Hayes. “Successful events like the Rocky Mountain ATV Jamboree show that ATV use on Utah's public lands can be accomplished consistent with other multiple-use efforts.”

More Chances to Hunt Bears

DWR presents ideas for 2011 hunts
By all indications, black bears in Utah are doing well. And that means hunters might have a few more chances to hunt bears in 2011.

The following are among the changes Division of Wildlife Resources biologists are recommending for Utah’s 2011 bear hunts:

 A total of 419 hunting permits. That’s 53 more than the 366 offered in 2010. About 40 percent of those who draw a bear-hunting permit end up taking a bear. The extra 53 permits should result in hunters taking about 180 bears in 2011. In 2010, hunters took 158 bears.

 Forty one of the 419 permits would be premium-limited-entry permits. If they didn’t take a bear during the spring hunt, those who drew one of the 41 premium-limited-entry permits could hunt bears again during the fall hunt.

 Extending the spring hunting season for one week on three additional bear management units in the state.
The South Slope, Yellowstone unit and the South Slope, Vernal, Diamond Mountain, Bonanza unit in northeastern Utah, and the Central Mountains, Manti-North unit in central Utah, are the three units biologists are considering.

Currently, six units in Utah have a hunting season that’s one week longer than the rest of the units in the state. The extended season usually runs from early April through the first week in June.

 Allowing those who draw a fall spot-and-stalk permit for the Book Cliffs, Little Creek unit to hunt from August through November. 2010 was the first year a spot-and-stalk bear hunt was held on the unit. To avoid conflicts with big game hunters, bear hunters were not allowed to hunt on the unit in October. But very few deer hunters are allowed to hunt the unit, and the DWR is not aware of any conflicts that occurred between deer and bear hunters. For that reason, DWR biologists would like to give spot-and-stalk bear hunters a chance to hunt on the unit in October too.

(Spot-and-stalk hunters may not use hounds to track and tree bears, and they may not use bait to try to lure bears in.) The Book Cliffs, Little Creek unit is in the roadless area in the BookCliffs.


Bears are doing well
Three main factors help DWR biologists decide how many hunting permits they should recommend each year. Those factors include the average age of the bears hunters take, the percent of those bears that are females and the number of adult bears that are surviving from year to year.

Justin Dolling, game mammals coordinator for the DWR, says as long as targets relating to those factors aren’t exceeded, biologists know the state’s black bear population is doing well. “And those targets haven’t been exceeded for several years,” he says.

You can see all of the DWR’s black bear recommendations at www.wildlife.utah.gov/pub After you’ve reviewed the recommendations at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings , you can let your Regional Advisory Council members know your thoughts by attending your upcoming RAC meeting or by sending an e-mail to them.

A plan that will guide how black bears are managed in Utah for the next 12 years is also available for review.

You can read the proposed plan at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings . The following are among the plan’s highlights:
 Currently, most bear hunters in Utah use hounds to track and tree bears.  While hunting with hounds would continue under the new plan, some areas of the state may become spot-and-stalk-only areas. Hounds may not be used during spot-and-stalk hunts.

 To help biologists focus hunters on bears that are killing livestock and raiding campgrounds, the new plan would create harvest-objective areas.

Currently, all of Utah’s bear hunting areas are limited-entry areas.  Only those who draw a permit for a limited-entry area can hunt on it. Under the new plan, some of the limited-entry areas would become harvest-objective areas. The number of hunters who can hunt on a harvest-objective area isn’t limited, so switching an area to harvest objective would increase the number of people who can hunt the area.  Letting more hunters hunt an area would increase the chance that a set number of bears were taken.

As soon as the set number of bears was taken (called the area’s quota), the hunt on the area would end for the season.
 Bait could still be used by archery hunters to lure bears in close enough for a clean and effective shot.

 Currently, three factors are used to determine the health of Utah’s bear population -- the percentage of females taken by hunters, the average age of the bears taken and the number of adult bears that survive from year to year.

The new plan would eliminate these three factors. In their place, the key factors would be:
• The number of females and the number of adult males that hunters take. (An adult male bear is a bear that’s five years of age or older.) Justin Dolling, game mammals coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the number of females and adult males that hunters take gives important information about how a bear population is doing.

“The number of females is important because females give birth to and care for the cubs,” Dolling says. “But the number of adult males hunters take is the best early indicator we have about the health of a bear population.”

Dolling says hunters usually find adult males because adult males wander more than the other age groups. “You know a bear population is in decline if the number of adult males hunters take is going down and the number of females is going up,” he says.

• Results from two important bear studies would also be used in the new management system.

One study involves snagging hair from bears at sites across Utah and then using DNA tests to determine how often bears are visiting the research sites. This study is helping biologists determine the total number of bears in Utah and helping them measure the growth rate of the state’s population.

The second study involves visiting bear dens in the winter to see how many cubs are in the dens and to assess the health of the cubs and their mothers. This study is giving biologists important information about the number of bears that are being brought into Utah’s population each year.

RAC chairmen will share the input they receive with members of the Utah Wildlife Board. The board will meet in Salt Lake City on Jan. 4 to approve bear hunting and pursuit rules for Utah’s 2011 seasons.
Dates, times and locations for the RAC meetings are as follows:

Southern Region
Dec. 7
7 p.m.
Beaver High School
195 E. Center St.
Beaver


Southeastern Region
Dec. 8
6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St.
Green River


Northeastern Region
Dec. 9
6:30 p.m.
Bingham Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center
320 N. Aggie Blvd. (2000 W.)
Vernal


Central Region
Dec. 14
6:30 p.m.
Central Region Conference Center
1115 N. Main St.
Springville

Northern Region
Dec. 15
6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W.
Brigham City


E-mail
You can also provide your comments to your RAC via e-mail. E-mail addresses for your RAC members are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings .

The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person’s e-mail address. You should direct your e-mail to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.

Wildlife Board will make final deer hunting decision on Dec. 2

Salt Lake City -- After a series of public meetings, the state’s Regional Advisory Councils are split over which deer hunting option they prefer.

The Utah Wildlife Board will make the final decision when it meets in Salt Lake City on Dec. 2. Right now, the board is considering three options.

The Dec. 2 meeting is open to the public. You’re invited and encouraged to attend.

Dec. 2 meeting
The Dec. 2 meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the Department of Natural Resources, 1594 W. North Temple in Salt Lake City.

The following items are available to help you understand the issues and prepare for the meeting:

 The three options the board is considering are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/2011-deer-changes.html .

 Written minutes and audio recordings of the recent RAC meetings are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/rac-minutes.html .

 Jim Karpowitz, director of the Division of Wildlife Resources, has written a letter to Utah’s deer hunters. His letter explains the current status of mule deer in Utah and what the future holds for these animals. You can read the letter at
www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/2011-deer-changes/director-message.html .

At the bottom of Karpowitz’s letter, you'll find links to several mule deer-related items on the DWR’s website.

Dec. 1
On Dec. 1, the Wildlife Board will meet in an executive work meeting to prepare for the Dec. 2 meeting. You’re invited to attend the Dec. 1 meeting too. But public comment will NOT be accepted at the Dec. 1 meeting. The Dec. 1 meeting begins at 1 p.m. in the auditorium at the Department of Natural Resources.

For more information about the two meetings, call the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

Fun Family Winter Festival planned at Jarvie Ranch

Vernal, Utah — Nature has prepared the Jarvie Ranch for the Winter Festival with a layer of snow on the mountains of Browns Park. In anticipation of the community’s arrival the ranch has been decorated in an historical re-creation of an authentic 1880’s Christmas. The Jarvie Store has been decorated with the holiday tree embellished with nature’s ornaments. John and Nellie Jarvie’s woolen stockings have been hung and their table set for their first Christmas dinner in the dugout.

Throughout the ranch pine wreaths and boughs are being hung, supplies for crafts are being set out, games are being organized, musicians are tuning their instruments, logs and being placed in the fire pit, and all of this is being done in preparation of the arrival of the Jarvie visitors.

What: John Jarvie Winter Festival

Where: Historic John Jarvie Ranch at Browns Park

When: Saturday, December 4, 2010, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Who: Public – everyone welcome – free!

Why: Experience turn-of-the century days gone by!

This is your invitation to attend and participate in the Jarvie Ranch Holiday Festival. If you would like more information about this event you can contact the Bureau of Land Management Vernal Field Office at (435) 781-4400 or call the Jarvie Ranch directly at (435) 885-3307. Or, to learn more about Browns Park and the John Jarvie Historic Ranch go to the following website: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/recreation_/browns_park.html

Boat Ramp Open at Starvation State Park

Duchesne – The new main boat ramp at Starvation State Park is now open and a wedge dock will be in place until ice forms. The new boat ramp is part of ongoing construction at the park. When complete, the park will offer new restrooms, and campsites with electric and water hookups. For information and current park conditions, visit statepark.utah.gov or call 435-738-2326.

Bighorn Sheep Viewing set for Dec. 3 and 4

Photo by Brent Stettler, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Green River -- Early December is the perfect time to see Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.

The animals wrap up their breeding season in December. It’s the time of year when rams charge into each other, slamming their horns together in a spectacular head-butting ritual that‘s designed to attract the attention of the ladies (female sheep called ewes).

“It’s fun and exciting to watch the way the rams act this time of the year,” says Brent Stettler, regional conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

That’s why Stettler and other DWR staff have chosen Dec. 3 and 4 as the dates for this year’s Bighorn Sheep Watch.

The watch will be held in and near the towns of Price and Green River this year.

The event is free. Stettler encourages everyone to attend.


What to bring
When you come to the event, bring a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope along with snacks, drinks and a camera.

DWR biologists will watch the sheep before the event. They’ll guide you to places where they’ve found bighorns recently.

If you don’t have your own binoculars or a spotting scope, no problem—the biologists have extra spotting scopes and binoculars you can use.


Dec. 3 – learn about the sheep
The watch begins on Friday evening, Dec. 3, at the Price Fairgrounds Events Center in Price.

To reach the fairgrounds, exit U.S. Highway 6 at Exit 240 (the West Price exit). After exiting the freeway, turn right at the stop light at the bottom of the off-ramp. Then travel west, following the signs to the fairgrounds.

At 7 p.m., Justin Shannon, regional wildlife manager for the DWR, will give a presentation about bighorn sheep and their life history. Shannon did his graduate thesis on this very topic.

Shannon will also have bighorn sheep skulls and horns you can see and handle, and he’ll be available to answer your questions.

Dec. 4 – see the sheep!
The fun really gets rolling on the morning of Dec. 4.

At 8 a.m., those attending the event will meet with DWR biologists at the John Wesley Powell Museum in Green River. The museum is at 1765 E. Main St.

After meeting at the museum, the group will travel north up the Green River corridor in search of bighorn sheep. The road the group will travel changes from asphalt to gravel and then to packed dirt, but passenger cars can move along it just fine.

The field trip will probably end by noon or by early afternoon, but you can leave the field trip at any time.

Because bighorn sheep are wild and unpredictable, Stettler can’t guarantee that you’ll see sheep at close range, or even at all. “Even if we don’t see sheep,” Stettler says, "the beauty of the Green River should make the trip an event worth attending.”

For more information, contact Stettler at (435) 613-3707 or brentstettler@utah.gov .

BLM Holiday Tree Cutting Permits Available

Price Field Office
PRICE, Utah — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - Price Field Office will begin selling Christmas tree cutting permits starting on November 22, and continuing through December 23, 2010. The pinion pine and juniper tree tags are $10 each this year with one permit allowed per household. An individual may purchase up to three tags, but must provide the name and address of each person for which the tags are being purchased. It would be appreciated if the correct amount of money was provided at the time of purchase.

Maps of the tree cutting areas are provided with each tree tag along with the personal-use tree policy and conservation code. The map is part of the actual tree cutting permit. Trees may be cut only in designated areas.

Tree tags are available in Price at:
BLM Price Field Office
125 South 600 West
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

While creating holiday memories while searching for the perfect family holiday tree, be sure to be safe, please stay on established roads, protect wildlife, leave gates closed, respect fences and other property, and carry out litter. Be prepared for winter weather conditions!

For additional information on tree cutting on BLM managed lands, visit the website at http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/price.html  or call the BLM Office at (435) 636-3600.


Vernal Field Office
Vernal, Utah — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - Vernal Field Office will begin selling Christmas tree cutting permits starting on November 18. The pinion pine and juniper tree tags are $10 each this year with one permit allowed per household. An individual may purchase up to five tags, but must provide the name and address of each person for which the tags are being purchased.

Maps of the tree cutting areas are provided with each tree tag along with the personal-use tree policy, conservation code, and recycling information. The map is part of the actual tree cutting permit. Trees may be cut only in designated areas.

Tree tags are available in Vernal at:
BLM Vernal Field Office - 170 S 500 E - 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (thru December 23)
Davis Jubilee - 575 West Main (thru December 20)

Tree tags are available in Roosevelt at:
Davis Jubilee - 750 E 200 N (thru December 20)
Stewart’s Marketplace - 245 W Hwy 40 (thru December 20)

Recycling a holiday tree is easy!
1. When it is time to take down the holiday tree, remove all non-organic tree accessories that could contaminate the recycling process. These include the tree stand, lights, tinsel and ornaments. Unfortunately, flocked trees cannot be recycled.

2. Place the tree in a sheet or old blanket and take it to 100 West 100 North, Vernal, Utah, between December 26 and January 11, 2010. Trees in plastic tree bags cannot be recycled.

While creating holiday memories while searching for the perfect family holiday tree, be sure to be safe, please stay on established roads, protect wildlife, leave gates closed, respect fences and other property, and carry out litter. Be prepared for winter weather conditions!

For additional information on tree cutting on BLM managed lands, visit the website at http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal.html  or call the BLM Office at (435) 781-4400.


Salt Lake Field Office
Sale date: November 26 at 8:00 a.m.
Cost: $10 each with a limit of 2 per household
Type: Juniper
Where: Tooele County near Vernon
Address: 2370 South 2300 West, Salt Lake City. For more information, please contact the office at (801) 977-4300

There are also 50 permits available for Pinyon Pine in the Raft River wood gathering area only. This area is in Box Elder County near the Utah/Idaho/Nevada border. This area is approximately 3 hours from Salt Lake.


Richfield Field Office
Sale date: Currently on sale
Cost: $10 each with a limit of 1 per household
Type: Pinyon/Juniper
Where: Various areas across the Field Office
Address: 150 East 900 North, Richfield, Monday through Friday, 7:45-4:30. For more information, contact the Richfield office at (435) 896-1500.


Moab Field Office
Sale date: Currently on sale
Cost: $5 each with a limit of 10 per family
Type: Pinyon/Juniper
Where: Various areas across the Field Office in Grand and San Juan counties
Address: 82 East Dogwood, Moab. For maps and locations for tree cutting, contact the Moab office at (435) 259-2100, Monday through Friday, 7:45 – 4:30.


Monticello Field Office
Sale date: Currently on sale
Cost: $10 each with a limit of 5 per household
Type: Pinyon/Juniper
Where: Various areas across the Field Office
Address: 435 North Main, Monticello. For more information, contact the Monticello office at (435) 587-1500, 7:45 – 4:30 Monday through Friday.