THE UTAH UPLAND GAME ADVISORY COMMITTEE

May 21, 2001

A committee meeting was held this date: Present were: Kay Craig, Vic Fatovic, Ray Lee, Robb Leishman, Dean Mitchell (DWR Upland Game Program Manager), Dennis Pennington, Ernie Perkins, and John Staley (Chair). Minutes from the last meeting, April 23rd, 2001, were approved as submitted.

OLD BUSINESS:

Sage Grouse Conservation Plan:

Dean Mitchell provided the committee with copies of this draft plan, as requested at the last meeting. Dean noted that sage grouse have declined dramatically in recent decades, and that they are considered as valid an indicator to the quality of a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem as canaries are to the air quality in a mineshaft. In a major initiative involving the public and citizens, this conservation plan establishes local working groups in all 13 sage grouse working areas in the State. An individual from USU will facilitate these local working groups to produce specific conservation plans in each area.

Sharp Tailed Grouse Conservation Plan: This plan is in rough draft and is nearing completion. It is in the final edit and cleanup phase. Dean may have copies of this plan for the committee by the next meeting.

A Band Tailed Pigeon Conservation Plan has also been completed. It is in the coordination phase and has already been signed off by several States and flyway managers.

A Wild Turkey Harvest Management Strategy Document is in work. This is a model to proactively recommend the #s of permits on a unit. National Wild Turkey Federation and Forest Service biologists are collaborating on this project.

2000 Season Harvest Numbers: Very preliminary numbers are in. The big news on this from is that the questionaire return rates are so low that the numbers and projections cannot be used. Return rates from sharp tailed grouse hunters were only 30%, while return rates from Sage Grouse hunters were at an abysmal 17%. DWR will need to undertake a follow-up survey of hunters to gather additional data in order to produce valid information.

Chukar Partridge Management Plan:

The majority of this meeting was spent on the Chukar Management Plan, revising the “issues and concerns” that were developed at the last meeting. The 17 items developed at the April 23, 2001 meeting were revised and reorganized to the following:

1. Habitat Issues and Concerns:

a. Understanding and defining the importance of water to Chukar in Utah.

b. Understanding and defining the importance of wildfires, and the lack of rehabilitative management to re-establish shrubs, cover and forbs.

c. Delineating optimum Utah habitats.

2. Population Management Issues and Concerns:

a. Determining Chukar distribution in Utah.

b. Establishing and maintaining Chukars in Utah.

c. The lack of sufficient authoritative data to drive management decisions such as harvest management strategies and season opening dates.

d. Understanding of the impacts of disease on Utah Chukar populations.

e. Understanding of the impacts of predation on Utah Chukar populations.

3. Resource Issues and Concerns:

a. The lack of resources to restore habitat, and to build populations.

b. The lack of a model or showcase project to convincingly demonstrate the potential populations that could be established.

c. The lack of a plan to increase Chukar recreational opportunities.

NEW BUSINESS:

2001 Transplant Efforts:

The transplant plan for this year is for 4,000 Chukar and 1,400 Pheasants. The Chukar will be evenly split between the five regions. Some discussion ensued on planting some birds later in the season and other management schemes. Perhaps some of these will develop out of the Chukar Management plan.

Willard Bay WMA Dog Training Area: Ernie Perkins advised that he and several other committee members had been out at the area the previous weekend. The vegetation is coming in nicely – it is an excellent training area. The new pond will be outstanding when some vegetation is planted or has grown on the dirt/mud left from grading and excavation. There were four separate groups using the area in a couple of areas. More open training areas are badly needed on the State WMAs. These are a great service to the sporting public.

CLOSING:

Let us know of donations, projects, etc., made by your group – we want to publicize good activities!

If you know of other interested parties who should get copies of the minutes, and who are involved in upland game organizations or programs, please get us their name. If you want to make an electronic mail input, please send it to one of the following:

Ray Lee rlee@mail.rhs.weber.k12.ut.us Rob Leishman Robbrpt@uswest.net
Dean Mitchell nrdwr.dmitchel@state.ut.us Darrell Noble roofs@inconnect.com
Ernie Perkins eperkins@uswest.net Joe Riches Starrline@efortress.com
Hal Smith hmsmith@parkcity.net John Staley jsmunster@aol.com

The next Committee meeting is planned for Monday, July 9th, 2001, at 6:00 P.M. at the DWR State offices at 1594 West North Temple, Salt Lake City. This meeting will again be largely dedicated to progress on the Chukar Management Plan, specifically working Chukar management goals, objectives and strategies. Everyone is invited to attend these meetings.