Uintah Basin

Next meeting: January 25, 2012, beginning 3:30 PM at the County Building in Vernal. For more information contact Lorien Belton (770-2413; lorien.belton@usu.edu). Mark your calendars for the following meeting on March 20, 2012, at 10 AM.
Chairs: Scott Chew and Dave Allison

Local Working Group (LWG) meetings are held quarterly. Unless otherwise noted the UBARM LWG meets during the following months:

January: in conjunction with UBPCD meeting (same day)
- Review plan strategies and actions
- Discuss spring monitoring and project goals

March: in conjunction with UBPCD meeting (same day)
- Updates and coordination regarding habitat or other project implementation and research projects.

Summer field tour in conjunction with Uintah Basin/Northeast Region PCD

November/December meeting: in conjunction with UBPCD meeting (same day)
- Discuss project updates
- Consider any new threats and any actions to take
- Propose new projects for funding in the upcoming year.

To be placed on the mailing list, or for specific meeting times and locations, contact Lorien Belton, CBCP Extension Specialist at 435-770-2413 or Lorien.belton@usu.edu.

UBARM Sage-grouse Conservation Plan

Sage-grouse Conservation Plan

Standard Operating procedures

Reports and Publications

Orrin Duvuvuei, 2011 Annual Report. Anthro Mountain Greater Sage-grouse Populations.
James Taylor, 2011 Annual Report. Evaluation of Mechanical, Biological, and Chemical Treatments to Restore Sagebrush Steppe in Northeastern Utah.
2011 Accomplishment Report, Uintah Basin section
Anadarko Report 2011. The application of GIS, Remote Sensing techniques to field telemetry data to model and map sage-grouse (Centrocercus spp.) seasonal habitat-use on Seep Ridge and East Bench and other areas in Utah: Implications for Guiding Sustainable Energy Development in the West.
Presentation given to County Commission, Spring 2011.
James Taylor. 2011. Evaluation of mechanical, biological, and chemical treatments to restore sagebrush steppe in northeastern Utah. Presentation given at the USU Wildland Resources Graduate Student Symposium.
Research Report by Josh Kaze, Steven L. Peterson, Randy T. Larsen, and Rick J. Baxter. 2010. Greater Sage-grouse Habitat Selection at Multiple Spatial Scales in Utah. Brigham Young University.
Dissertationby Eric T. Thacker (2010) Greater Sage-grouse Seasonal Ecology and Responses to Habitat Manipulations in Northern Utah. Utah State University.
2010 Communicator article about Landowners Support Research Efforts on Diamond Mountain
2010 Accomplishment Report, Uintah Basin section
Anthro Mountain Report: Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Restoration - Phase II: Restoration of Habitats Encroached by Pinyon-Juniper
Anthro Mountain Grazing Preliminary Project Report
2009 Preliminary Report on Lop and Scatter Project on Anthro Mountain
2008 Report on Prescribed Fire Research Activities
2008 Accomplishment Report, Uintah Basin section
2008 Annual Report of USU Research Activities
2007Annual Report of USU Research Activities
2006-7 Accomplishment Report; Uintah Basin section
Master's Thesis by Leah Smith. 2009. Greater Sage-grouse and Energy Development in Northeastern Utah: Implications for Management

Minutes:

Juvenile Survival in Translocated Sage-grouse on Anthro Mountain

Previous research has concentrated on brood and adult hen survival of sage-grouse in translocated populations but little research has focused on estimating juvenile survival in these populations. In addition, seasonal movements and wintering areas of Anthro sage-grouse are unknown. Although nest success and survival have been monitored on Anthro Mountain, the correlation of predator abundance to these estimates has not been documented. This research will focus on estimating the survival of Anthro Mountain’s adult and juvenile sage-grouse and determining critical wintering areas. The effects of predator abundance on nest success and sage-grouse survival will also be documented. Information gathered from this project will be used to determine the limiting factor to sage-grouse population growth in Anthro Mountain’s translocated population.

Orrin Duvuvuei is pursuing an MS degree in the Wildland Resources Department at Utah State University. Raised in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Orrin’s lifelong passion for wildlife and the outdoors began at a young age as he followed his father and grandfather into the woods on hunting excursions. He was immediately fascinated by the animals that he pursued and wanted to learn the biology driving their behaviors so he attended The Ohio State University and earned a B.S. in Wildlife Sciences. Orrin has had several wildlife positions since his undergraduate studies including: multiple sage-grouse research positions in Colorado, Montana, and Utah, a wild turkey internship in Ohio, a deer capture position in Pennsylvania, a predator-prey research position in Michigan, and a sensitive species technician position in Utah. His research will compare the vital rates between demographic groups in Anthro Mountain’s translocated sage-grouse population. His main research interest is game species management and conservation. Orrin can be reached at orrin.duvuvuei@gmail.com.

Habitat Improvement

Biography

James Taylor is currently pursuing an M.S. degree in the Wildland Resources Department at Utah State University. His main

research interest is habitat management. James was raised on a farm in central Illinois. As a teenager, he moved with his family to Idaho. After settling in to his new surroundings, James fell in love with the state, especially the vast and rugged desert and canyonlands of Owyhee County, in which he spent as much time as he possibly could pursuing his favorite recreational activities (hunting, hiking, and four-wheeling, to name a few). James graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. degree in Rangeland Ecology and Management, as well as a minor in soil science. After receiving an offer from Dr. Terry Messmer of Utah State University to study methods of improving sage grouse brood-rearing habitat in east-central Utah, James eagerly accepted the opportunity to try to find means by which to bolster populations of this species which has provided him with so much enjoyment over the years.

Landowners Support Research Efforts on Diamond Mountain

By Lorien Belton, Utah State University

Local landowners have played a crucial role in some important new sage-grouse research being conducted on Diamond Mountain. Several students from Brigham Young University are involved in research collaring and tracking sage-grouse. Local landowners and ranchers Mitch Hacking and Brad Horrocks stepped up to the plate, graciously offering to allow the students to stay in their hunting lodge, “2 Dog Huntin,” in the area. In addition to reducing project costs for housing the students, being able to stay at the lodge significantly reduced fuel costs for the students, who would otherwise have needed to drive back down the mountain every night.

According to Josh Kaze, one of the BYU students, these same landowners were also extremely helpful when it came to contacting other landowners on Diamond Mountain. “Mitch and Brad acted as advocates for the sage-grouse project and opened many doors, or gates, for us, without which we may never had been able to attain permission” to access the land. The students expressed their thanks to the many ranchers who gave them permission to conduct their research on their land. Access can be critical, and a major challenge, when students are tracking radio-collared grouse. Because so many different landowners in the area have been supportive, the research has been very successful to date.

The students have captured and radio-collared 30 sage-grouse in the area, and are tracking them to better understand how the grouse use the landscape. They have also taken vegetation measurements and are keeping track of sage-grouse breeding activity, such as nest success. The results of their research will contribute substantially to our understanding of sage-grouse on Diamond Mountain.