DWR acronyms and terms

A cheat sheet for employees, new and old

As DWR employees, we come across and use a seemingly endless array of jargon on a daily basis. It can be kind of overwhelming when you first get started. Here's a list of some frequently used acronyms, terms and lingo that may come in handy.

DWR offices

CRO: Central Region Office
NERO: Northeastern Region Office
NRO: Northern Region Office
SERO: Southeastern Region Office
SLO: Salt Lake Office
SRO: Southern Region Office
WCFO: Washington County Field Office

DWR facilities

AAHRC: Aquatic Animal Health and Research Center (formerly FES)
CVPSR: Cache Valley Public Shooting Range
EWEC: Eccles Wildlife Education Center
FES: Fisheries Experiment Station (now AAHRC)
HWEC: Hardware Wildlife Education Center
LKPSR: Lee Kay Public Shooting Range

DWR/DNR programs and terms

CWMU: Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit
DH: Dedicated Hunter program
ESMF: Endangered Species Mitigation Fund (now Species Protection Account)
GSL: Great Salt Lake
GSLEP: Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program
HE: Hunter Education
ICP: Internal Conservation Program
LOA: Landowner Association
NASP: National Archery in Schools Program
PRC: Proclamation Review Committee ("proclamation" is the old term for the hunting and fishing guidebooks)
RAC: Regional Advisory Council
WB: Utah Wildlife Board (or, "the board")
WIA: Walk-in access
WMA: Wildlife management area OR Waterfowl management area
WMI: Wildlife Migration Initiative
UHEC: Utah Hunter Education Challenge (Utah version of YHEC)
YHEC: Youth Hunter Education Challenge

DWR/DNR employment

IRA: "I Really Appreciate" You Award
P4P: Pay for Performance
PMC: Performance Management Contract
SIP: Salary Improvement Plan
UPM: Utah Performance Management system (synonymous with "PMC")

General terms, slang and lingo

AIS: Aquatic invasive species
ALW: Any legal weapon
BG: Big Game
BOM: Big ol' meeting (conference-style, in-person, DWR-wide meeting)
CO: Conservation Officer
COR: Certificate of registration
FY: Fiscal Year
GIS: Geographic Information System
GRAMA: Government Records Management Access Act
LE: Law enforcement OR Limited-entry permit
OIAL: Once-in-a-lifetime hunts
R3: Recruit, Retain and Reactivate (hunters and anglers)
SGCN: Species of Greatest Conservation Need
UTiP: Utah Turn-in-a-Poacher (refers to the hotline for reporting a poacher)

Wildlife diseases

AI: Avian influenza
CWD: Chronic wasting disease
HPAI: Highly pathogenic avian influenza
WD: Whirling disease

Partner organizations

ACI: Association for Conservation Information
AFS: American Fisheries Society
AFWA: Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
BHA: Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
CAHSS: Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports
CLfT: Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow
Fallon: Shorthand for System Consultants Inc. of Fallon, NV
MDF: Mule Deer Foundation
NAS: National Audubon Society (more often referred to as "Audubon")
NWTF: National Wild Turkey Federation
RBFF: Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation
RMEF: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
SCI: Safari Club International OR System Consultants Inc. of Fallon, NV (our contractor who conducts the big game drawing)
SFW: Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife
TU: Trout Unlimited
TWS: The Wildlife Society
UCI: Utah Correctional Industries
WAU: Wild Aware Utah (DWR, Hogle Zoo & USU Extension)
WCS: Wildlife Conservation Society
WAFWA: Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

State of Utah agencies and programs

DEQ: Department of Environmental Quality
DNR: Department of Natural Resources
DWR: Division of Wildlife Resources (a DNR division)
FFSL: Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (a DNR division)
GIP: Grazing Improvement Fund
ICP: Internal Conservation Program
OED: Office of Energy Development (a DNR division)
OGM: Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (a DNR division)
PLPCO: Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office
SWG: State Wildlife Grant Program
UDAF: Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
WRI: Watershed Restoration Initiative

Federal agencies we work with frequently

BLM: Bureau of Land Management
BOR: Bureau of Reclamation
NPS: National Park Service
USFS: U.S. Forest Service
USFWS: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
USGS: U.S. Geological Survey

Federal laws, programs and funding

DJ: Dingell-Johnson Act (and funds)
ESA: Endangered Species Act
PR: Pittman-Robertson Act (and funds), aka Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration
QZAP: Quagga and Zebra Mussel Action Plan
RAWA: Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (and funds)

Hunting, fishing and outdoors lingo

Bag limit is the number of fish, waterfowl or upland game animals you can legally harvest in a day, usually determined at the species level.
Bonus point is a point given to a hunter who is unsuccessful in drawing a limited-entry tag, with the intent that the more bonus points you accrue, the better chance you have of drawing a tag the next cycle. Hunters can also purchase a bonus point only in years that they do not apply for a permit.
Drawing, or "the draw," is when hunters apply online for a limited number of permits for various species, hunting seasons and particular hunting units.
Glass/glassing is using binoculars or a spotting scope to watch for game or evidence of game.
Hunter's Choice is a permit where the hunter can harvest either a male or female of the same species.
Limited-entry (permit, unit, hunt or species) refers to a hunt for which a limited number of permits are offered and there is usually high demand.
Over-the-counter tags are permits available for hunters to buy at a DWR office, license agency or online.
Preference point is a point that is given to a hunter who is unsuccessful in the general-season drawing. Hunters can also purchase a preference point only in years that they do not apply for a permit.
Pursuit permit is a permit for bear or cougar hunting that allows a hunter to pursue a bear or cougar, but not harvest. This is basically a dog training exercise where they will tree, corner or hold the bear or cougar at bay, and then call the dogs off.
Smokepole is another name for a muzzleloader rifle.
Shed hunting is searching the landscape looking for shed antlers from big game animals.
Tag is used interchangeably with hunting permit.