Record $6.6 million raised for Utah Wildlife Projects through conservation permits

Mule deer in the Northeastern Region. Photo: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

SALT LAKE CITY — A record $6.6 million has been committed to fund dozens of wildlife conservation and habitat restoration projects across Utah, following the annual conservation permit project funding meeting held April 2.

The funding, raised through the sale of conservation permits by participating hunting and conservation groups, will support 81 of 94 proposed projects presented by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) biologists. The funded projects will improve 163,231 acres of wildlife habitat across the state.

“These projects help improve wildlife habitat and watershed health throughout the state, which helps our fish and wildlife populations in these areas,” Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative Program Director Tyler Thompson said. “These projects are crucial, and the conservation permits and funds help make them possible.”

The Utah Conservation Permit Program began in 1980 to increase funding for conservation initiatives. Each year, the Utah Wildlife Board designates a small number of limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime hunting permits as conservation or expo permits.

Many funded projects are submitted to the Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI), a partnership-based program within the Utah Department of Natural Resources. The WRI emphasizes watershed health, biodiversity, and sustainable resource use. Project proposals are reviewed annually by WRI committees and the DWR to determine priority. Conservation groups then select which projects to support at the annual meeting — a process in place since 2008.

Funded Projects and Impacts

This year’s projects include improvements to habitat for mule deer, elk, and upland game birds, as well as research into big game migration and population health. The initiatives aim to:

• Protect and improve critical winter and summer ranges, especially in sagebrush and aspen ecosystems
• Enhance understanding of animal migration routes for better wildlife crossings and habitat planning
• Monitor deer population trends through survival studies of does and fawns
• Increase resistance to large-scale wildfires
• Address the impacts of roads, fences, and other development on wildlife corridors

Top-funded projects include:

• Watts Mountain Habitat Improvement Phase 2: $460,000 to improve over 6,200 acres of sagebrush in the Fillmore Ranger District of Fishlake National Forest, protect 2 acres of river habitat, and transplant vegetation.
• Central Region Mule Deer & Upland Game Habitat Project: $357,000 to irrigate forage fields for mule deer and install water guzzlers for upland game birds at the Santaquin Wildlife Management Area.
• Book Cliffs Wildlife Habitat Improvements: $292,500 for removal of pinyon pine and juniper trees impacting sagebrush, planting of wildlife-friendly vegetation, and stream restoration on Willow Creek.

“We are really grateful for the support of our conservation partners who believe in wildlife conservation and want to help improve wildlife populations and habitats in Utah,” DWR Habitat Conservation Coordinator Daniel Eddington said.

Most projects take years to fully implement. Funds from this year’s meeting will be available starting July 1, with the majority of seeding and restoration work planned for the fall.

Over 168,000 acres were improved through WRI habitat projects in 2023–24. Since its inception in 2006, the WRI has improved nearly 2.7 million acres of Utah’s landscape through more than 2,800 projects.

Permit Programs: Conservation and Expo

Conservation permits are auctioned at fundraising events by conservation and sportsmen’s groups. Ninety percent of the proceeds are directed to conservation and research initiatives, such as wildlife transplants, aerial surveys, and habitat enhancements. The remaining 10% helps cover administrative costs for the organizations.

Expo permits are distributed via a public drawing at the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City. Applicants pay a $5 fee, which supports both the hosting organizations and ongoing conservation efforts.

Why It Matters for Utah Hunters

Since 2001, conservation permits have generated over $88 million for conservation efforts in Utah.

“If not for the revenue from these permits, the DWR and its partners would have much less funding to complete high-priority wildlife conservation projects,” the agency stated. “The conservation and expo permit funding has led to the enhancement of thousands of acres of crucial habitats and the completion of important research to help the DWR better manage big game populations.”

Participating Groups

Groups that participated in the April 2 meeting and helped fund these project include:

• Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit Association
• Dallas Safari Club
• Mule Deer Foundation
• National Wild Turkey Federation
• Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
• Safari Club International
• Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife
• Utah Archery Association
• Utah Chukar and Wildlife Foundation
• Utah Houndsmen Association
• Utah Wild Sheep Foundation
• Wildlife Conservation Foundation