Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah. Photo: Pattiz Brothers

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Several Summit County conservation projects will move forward after $6.5 million was committed to efforts across Utah during the state’s annual conservation permit funding meeting on April 1.

The Utah Conservation Permit Program, launched in 1980, helps fund fish and wildlife conservation through a portion of fees collected from limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime hunting permits designated as “conservation and expo permits,” according to the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Since 2001, the program has generated more than $88 million for conservation work statewide.

Many of the funded efforts are coordinated through Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative, which focuses on improving watershed health and biodiversity, increasing water quality and yield, enhancing wildlife habitat, and supporting sustainable use of natural resources.

Summit County conservation projects

In Summit County, three projects received funding, including the Burnt Beaver project, a large-scale effort spanning the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley national forests. The project will restore aspen stands, improve wildlife habitat, and reduce environmental risks, and was awarded more than $260,000.

Another project targets aspen ecosystem restoration in the Moffit and Whitney area. Work there will focus on improving wildlife habitat, reducing the risk of severe wildfire, protecting the wildland-urban interface, and supporting stream and fisheries restoration. The project also aims to protect water quality in the headwaters of the Bear River while restoring critical habitat.

Near Echo Reservoir, crews will restore wetlands along the Hope River following wildfire damage in 2024. Plans include planting native shrubs to provide food and cover for big game, installing fencing to prevent livestock grazing, and adding boulder clusters in streams to create pools and improve fish habitat.

Wasatch County also received funding for two projects, including ecosystem work at Strawberry Reservoir and wildfire restoration near Yellow Lake.

Project impact and timeline

“These projects help improve wildlife habitat and watershed health throughout the state, which supports fish and wildlife populations,” said Tyler Thompson, program director for the Watershed Restoration Initiative. “They are crucial, and conservation permit funds help make them possible.”

During the April 1 meeting, Division of Wildlife Resources biologists presented 91 projects. Of those, 87 received partial or full funding from 12 conservation groups. Altogether, the projects are expected to improve approximately 132,000 acres of wildlife habitat.

Many of the efforts will take years to complete. Funding becomes available July 1, with much of the seeding and restoration work planned for the fall planting season.