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The Utah Department of Natural Resources Building

DWR sections

Employees at the Division of Wildlife Resources are organized into seven sections:

  • Administration/Director's Office
  • Administrative Services
  • Aquatics
  • Conservation Outreach
  • Habitat
  • Law Enforcement
  • Wildlife

Each section is organized under the direction of a section chief (based in the Salt Lake office), whose role is to oversee the work of their section and communicate directly with the Director's Office. A description of each section is below:

Administration/Director's Office

The Director's Office provides strategic direction for the agency, and promotes an inclusive and collaborative culture that builds teamwork, high standards of conduct and leadership capacity. Motivating employees to be productive, effective and successful as they work to meet the agency's legislative mandates and management goals is key to our work.

The director serves as executive secretary to the Utah Wildlife Board, and supervises the deputy directors, the legislative liaison and the chief diversity and inclusion officer. This team develops and disseminates comprehensive agency goals and objectives in cooperation with the Leadership Team, DNR administration, the legislature, Utah Wildlife Board and Governor's Office. The deputy directors supervise the DWR's five regional supervisors and the six section chiefs located in the Salt Lake office.

Administrative Services Section

The Administrative Services Section provides a wide variety of support services for the DWR, including all of the following:

  • Budget and Accounting

    This includes all accounting and budgeting functions:

    • payroll
    • budget preparation
    • accounts payable
    • accounts receivable
    • travel
    • purchasing
    • contract management
    • uniform tracking
    • Federal Aid accounting and billing
    • general Human Resources work
    • some auditing

    Many of these functions occur at the Salt Lake office and within each of the five regional offices.

  • Licensing and Permit Drawings

    This includes all licensing, permitting and certificates of registration that allow the public to participate in a variety of wildlife-related activities. The licensing staff coordinates the sale of about a million licenses annually that are sold at more than 300 retail stores, online, at regional offices and over the phone. The hunt-drawing group administers about 650,000 applications per year for those who apply for limited-entry hunting permits. Finally, the certificate of registration process allows for unique situations when the public or businesses are allowed to possess or work with certain types of wildlife or fish. These are handled on a case-by-case basis within a framework of rules and processes. This workgroup also staffs the front counters at all five regions and the Salt Lake office.

  • Facilities Management

    The DWR owns more than 200 buildings throughout the state. These are often managed locally by the users of the buildings, while the Salt Lake office coordinates new construction, repairs, improvements, energy issues and other items related to facilities management.

  • Information Systems

    A small group of employees who technically work for the Utah Department of Technology Services, but we consider them part of the DWR team, are housed in the section. This group is responsible for software development, database management, systems operations, computer orders and a variety of software and other technologies used in the DWR.

  • Aeronautics

    The DWR owns and operates small airplanes that are used for many tasks, including fish stocking, wildlife population surveys, telemetry surveys, aerial photography, law enforcement and occasional transportation of personnel.

Aquatic Section

The Aquatic Section is responsible for the management, protection, conservation and enhancement of all aquatic resources in the state.

  • Sportfish Program

    Sportfishing in Utah includes coldwater and warmwater fish species. The DWR's sportfish biologists assess sportfish populations to ensure the quality and availability of fishing opportunities.

  • Fish Hatchery Program

    The Aquatic Section also is also responsible for the DWR's 13 hatcheries that stock almost 10 million fish — ranging in size from tiny fingerlings to 12-inch rainbow trout — at more than 1,000 Utah waterbodies annually. In addition to trout, our hatcheries provide hybrid striped bass, channel catfish, walleye, tiger muskie and many native fish statewide.

  • Native Aquatic Species Program

    The focus of our native aquatic team is keeping native species from being listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. Our biologists work toward this goal by conserving and expanding populations as well as protecting and restoring their respective habitats. The DWR emphasizes management of native fish populations in the Colorado River, Virgin River and Utah Lake. Other species that receive special attention are the native cutthroat trout, Columbia spotted frog, boreal toad, and the leatherside and least chubs.

  • Habitat Projects

    Aquatic habitat restoration and protection projects are funded in large part through Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative, Habitat Council and the Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council. Project includes purchasing conservation pools, stabilizing reservoirs, restoring stream corridors, land-management planning, and water quality improvement grants.

    Additionally, a portion of fishing license sales — along with a federal match — are used to provide motorboat access to more than 100 reservoirs and lakes across the state.

Conservation Outreach Section

The Conservation Outreach Section helps connect the DWR's management and enforcement efforts with hunters, anglers, shooting enthusiasts, wildlife viewers and the general public.

  • Communications

    The communications team creates content through various methods and tools to help promote hunting and fishing in Utah and to highlight programs, conservation work and management efforts within the DWR.

    The communications team performs a variety of jobs, including creating and distributing the fishing and hunting guidebooks; writing news releases and inviting press to events and ride-alongs; managing the DWR social media accounts; creating podcasts, videos and emails; and managing the DWR website. Additionally, team members help manage the DWR brand by designing signs, logos and advertisements and by editing and polishing presentations used in public meetings.

  • Wildlife Recreation Events, Volunteer Services and Walk-in Access

    The events program plays a critical role in the DWR's efforts to recruit, retain and reactivate hunters and anglers. It also helps educate Utahns about the value that wildlife adds to their quality of life. The DWR's events team employees oversee staffing at educational booths at expos and festivals, angler education at Community Fishing ponds, wildlife-viewing events, volunteer management and social science activities like survey efforts.

    The volunteer program gives the public a chance to experience hands-on conservation projects and to interact with DWR personnel in the field. In the process, the public has an opportunity to give back to wildlife and learn about wildlife management in Utah. The largest volunteer program is the Dedicated Hunter Program, but there are several other volunteers who work closely with the DWR.

  • Hunter Education and Shooting Sports programs

    The Utah Hunter Education Program helps new hunters learn essential hunting and safety skills and develop practical techniques. Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1965 who wants to obtain a hunting license must first complete a nationally recognized hunter education course. The Utah Hunter Education Program also offers Furharvester Education, which is required to obtain a furbearer license (for Utah residents born after Dec. 31, 1984), and Bowhunter Education, which is not required in Utah but is mandatory in some other states. Hundreds of certified volunteer instructors deliver the Utah Hunter Education Program curriculum to thousands of students annually.

    The shooting sports program manages the DWR's Lee Kay Public Shooting Range in Salt Lake City and the Cache Valley Public Shooting Range in Logan. Together these facilities provide safe firearms and archery shooting opportunities for more than 55,000 people annually. Additionally, the DWR partners with and supports a growing number of third-party shooting ranges across the state, managed by local municipalities. The program also works with the National Archery in the Schools Program and Youth Hunter Education Challenge program, which both help introduce young people to archery, shooting and hunting.

  • Education centers and programs

    Our education programs reach tens of thousands of people each year. At larger events such as the Utah State Fair, wildlife education booths and displays are set up to encourage the public to go out and find wildlife in their environment. Project WILD is an education program that trains Utah's teachers about wildlife and how to bring wildlife-oriented activities into their classrooms.

    The Conservation Outreach Section also manages the DWR's education centers: the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Wildlife Education Center at Farmington Bay and the Wildlife Education Center at Hardware Wildlife Management Area. The centers use exhibits, field trips and other activities to teach the public about wildlife management and conservation in Utah and the important role of hunters and anglers in that work.

Habitat Section

The Habitat Section works to maintain, protect and improve species' habitats statewide.

  • Terrestrial Habitat Restoration

    This program improves habitats that become degraded because of invasive species, overutilization, changes in fire cycles or disturbance regimes and other reasons. Work involves planning and implementing all aspects of the restoration projects. Habitat Section employees work closely with the Aquatic Section to restore river corridors and stream channels — and their adjacent vegetation — in areas that have been channelized or otherwise degraded.

  • Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative

    Along with the DNR, we operate this partnership-based, habitat-conservation funding system that leverages several other funds — around $40 million a year — to complete strategic habitat- and fire-restoration work statewide. Learn more about Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative.

  • Great Basin Research Center

    The GBRC oversees all of the following:

    • Seed warehouse: Receives, processes and stores seed mixtures for targeted habitat restoration.
    • Range trend monitoring: For more than 25 years, our crews have monitored the condition and long-term trends of shrub-based habitats throughout Utah.
    • Plant research: Some staffers research differences between various rangeland plant varieties and the effectiveness of specific habitat-restoration techniques.
    • Excavation and equipment crews: Much of our restoration work requires excavators, tractors and anchor chains that we manage and maintain at GBRC.
  • Habitat Council Fund

    Each year, the Habitat Council receives approximately $3.4 million to fund projects to restore and maintain habitats throughout the state. These projects are proposed and approved through the Habitat Council and Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative to match and leverage other conservation funds.

  • Impact Analysis

    Impact analysis personnel work with our federal partners, other state agencies and project proponents to avoid or minimize the impacts of development on wildlife habitats. In many cases, we use mitigation strategies — such as habitat restoration — to offset unavoidable impacts.

  • Wildlife and Waterfowl Management Areas

    The DWR owns and/or manages more than 600,000 acres of wildlife habitats throughout Utah. These lands — designated wildlife and waterfowl management areas — are managed and maintained through our regions to conserve critical habitats and benefit wildlife species statewide. They are also used to reduce wildlife depredation and provide places for Utahns to hunt and fish. Unlike other public or state-owned lands, WMAs are not multi-use lands, and the types of recreation allowed are outlined in each WMA's unique habitat management plan.

  • Wildlife Lands Team

    This critical team works to identify, acquire and document important lands and waters for wildlife habitat conservation. They work on fee titles, conservation easements, conservation pools, water rights/shares and instream flow rights.

  • Geographic Information Systems

    The DWR's GIS team works to meet critical internal and external wildlife-related GIS needs. This often includes complex analyses of wildlife habitats, corridors and movements, which are communicated and shared through modeling, online mapping and other compelling information products.

    June sucker fish
  • Endangered Species Mitigation Fund

    Each year, the legislature allocates about $3.3 million for the Utah Endangered Species Mitigation Fund to study, improve and monitor various nongame species and habitats in Utah. These funds can also be leveraged and matched through Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative.

  • Utah's Wildlife Action Plan
    Utah Wildlife Action Plan

    The Utah Wildlife Action Plan is a multi-year planning document that allows the DWR to obtain federal State Wildlife Grant funding (approximately $800,000 annually). Those funds are matched with funding from the Endangered Species Mitigation Fund and collectively form the cornerstone for the DWR's native species conservation efforts. The Utah Wildlife Action Plan identifies the species and habitats most in need of conservation attention as well as threats to those species.

Female Utah DWR conservation officer, smiling

Law Enforcement Section

Our Law Enforcement Section protects Utah's wildlife and their habitats — and safety for people all over the state — through proactive education and judicious enforcement of applicable laws. We strive to earn community trust and promote voluntary compliance with wildlife laws by serving the public with integrity, compassion and respect.

  • Wildlife Enforcement Districts

    One of the unique things about the Law Enforcement Section is its straight-line structure. This means that the chain of command for all conservation officers leads to the section chief in Salt Lake. When fully staffed, there are about 80 conservation officers working throughout Utah. Those officers with patrol assignments each cover a roughly 1,570-square-mile wildlife enforcement district.

  • Conservation Officer Training

    All conservation officers complete the state's Peace Officer Standards and Training program, just like recruits for the Utah Highway Patrol, counties and local municipalities. They must also complete an in-depth testing process that includes rigorous physical fitness and endurance tests, psychological exams, a background investigation and internal review panels. Conservation officers receive year-round training and certification renewals.

  • Community and Interagency Collaboration

    In addition to their enforcement responsibilities, our conservation officers support wildlife management activities by assisting with biology surveys, wildlife captures and relocations, hunter education, public outreach and more. As fully certified state law enforcement officers, DWR conservation officers are able to respond to non-wildlife-related criminal code violations and are often requested to assist local law enforcement agencies.

  • DWR Officer James Thomas and K-9 Kip
    K-9 Program

    Currently, each of the five regions across Utah has a trained dog and handler. Our K-9s have been certified and trained to detect various wildlife species, including big game, waterfowl, upland game, fish, cougars, bears and various furbearer species. Our K-9s are also tracking dogs and can locate items with a human odor on them. This ability has been helpful not only in investigating poaching cases, but also in assisting in search and rescue situations to find lost hikers and to help other law enforcement agencies locate evidence.

  • Special Investigations Unit

    The Special Investigations Unit consists of three DWR conservation officers who are primarily responsible for cases across the state involving the illegal commercialization of wildlife. They also focus on multi-jurisdictional/interstate wildlife-crime offenders, hunting-related shooting incidents that result in another person being injured, predator attacks on humans and the investigation of incidents related to intimidation or threats of physical violence made against DWR personnel and property.

  • Drone Team
    Drone hovering in the air above a field with mountains in the background

    The Unmanned Aerial Systems team — more commonly called the drone team — completes various licensing and training requirements with the Federal Aviation Administration and is certified to operate drones for law enforcement work. The investigators assigned to the drone team are located throughout the state and assist with documenting crime scenes, evidence searches, biological surveys, tracking poaching cases and nuisance animals, and investigating human/animal encounters.

  • DWR conservation officer in a patrol boat
    Aquatic Invasive Species

    Aquatic invasive species are any nonnative plant or animal species found in water that are a threat to the abundance, health or diversity of native and/or sport aquatic species, which were confirmed in one Utah waterbody, Lake Powell, in 2012. In addition to checking for boater compliance with regulations in place to stop the spread of AIS, we operate inspection and decontamination stations to ensure that destructive quagga mussels are not transported out of the reservoir.

Wildlife Section

The Wildlife Section is responsible for the management and conservation of all terrestrial wildlife in the state. The section includes various programs whose coordinators are housed in the Salt Lake office and provides statewide direction for staff in the regional offices.

  • Wildlife Program Coordinators

    Each program coordinator works cooperatively with regional wildlife managers to write annual work plans, which provide guidance on work that will be accomplished in each of the seven section programs:

    Great Salt Lake researchers with birds
    • Avian nongame birds
    • Big game
    • Game mammals
    • Migratory game birds
    • Nongame mammals
    • Upland game
    • Private lands/public wildlife
  • Species Management Plans

    Program coordinators also write species management plans to establish population objectives, set criteria for hunt recommendations and identify needed actions to benefit wildlife. The Wildlife Section builds relationships with community stakeholders, and provides data and recommendations several times a year to the RACs and wildlife board for consideration.

  • Salt Lake staff and State Veterinarian

    The staff in Salt Lake consists of a wildlife chief, three assistant chiefs/program coordinators, program coordinators, biologists, a biometrician and a support services coordinator. The state veterinarian coordinates all data and information about wildlife health in the state, including monitoring and reporting results of chronic wasting disease, avian influenza and other wildlife diseases.

  • Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative
    Bighorn ram at Zion National Park, wearing a GPS collar

    Using wildlife tracking and data management technologies such as Geographic Information Systems, the Wildlife Migration Initiative identifies and protects connective corridors that allow fish and wildlife migration to necessary habitat areas around the state. By placing tracking devices — such as transmitting collars on big game animals or miniscule transponders in fish — the WMI identifies migration and movement patterns. This data helps prioritize areas to reconnect fragmented habitat ranges, and informs programs and habitat improvement projects to help fish and wildlife safely move from one area to another.

  • Nuisance Wildlife and Depredation
    Two DWR technicians at a coyote bounty check-in station

    Wildlife biologists, specialists and technicians assist with all of the duties listed above and also help address nuisance wildlife and depredation issues. They also help with urban deer and coyote bounty programs.

Inside
Wildlife Blog: Views from DWR employees
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