Latest news with #FireandStateLands
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Federal dollars will go toward forest conservation in southern Utah
Zion National Park is seen from the Pine Creek Canyon Overlook. (Photo by Carlo) The federal government is awarding Utah $3 million to purchase conservation easements in southern Utah near Zion National Park. The funding — awarded to the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — was announced Monday and will go toward ongoing forest preservation efforts outside of the national park. Called the Zion Connectivity Project, the state will direct the funding at two properties totalling 766 acres near the north section of the national park. A conservation easement — a legally binding agreement between a landowner and government that places restrictions on the land for environmental purposes — will prevent the land from being fragmented or developed. That will help preserve the ecologically rich stretch of forest. The region contains a number of springs and streams, including the La Verkin Creek, which feeds into the Virgin River and eventually the Colorado River. The creek supports six native species of fish, like the Virgin River chub and Woundfin, both federally endangered. The forest provides critical habitat for the endangered California condor and Mexican spotted owl, and preventing the area from being segmented will help black bear, grouse, deer and elk populations. Old-growth ponderosa pines, some of them hundreds of years old, can also be found in the area. 'The strategic location of this project, combined with the presence of California condors, garnered incredible support from Zion National Park, elected officials, neighboring landowners, and other organizations. Thanks to the efforts of these private landowners and The Conservation Fund, protecting this important forested area was recognized as a priority to the national program,' said Natalie Conlin, forest legacy program manager for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. The Zion Connectivity Project is part of Utah's Forest Legacy Program, which uses conservation easements throughout the state to safeguard forests from development, protect water resources and habitat, and keep wildlife corridors intact. The Zion Connectivity Project is sandwiched between two existing Forest Legacy projects — the Zion Overlook and Viewtop projects. The three projects create a combined 1,752-acre stretch of projected land along the northern border of Zion National Park. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
$3 million awarded for Forest Legacy project north of Zion National Park
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $3 million for a Forest Legacy project in Washington County during its latest round of funding. Dubbed the 'Zion Connectivity Project' due to its proximity to Zion National Park, the project aims to preserve forested areas from potential fragmentation or development through conservation easements. According to the USDA website, a conservation easement 'allows the land to remain in private ownership while ensuring that its environmental values are retained.' Natalie Conlin, the Forest Legacy program manager for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, said the location of the project, combined with its wildlife assets and numerous springs, garnered strong support. The Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands will use the funding to purchase conservation easements in two properties totaling 766 acres. Landowners receive economic compensation to keep their forests as forests. 'Thanks to the efforts of these private landowners and The Conservation Fund, protecting this important forested area was recognized as a priority to the national program,' Conlin said. The land in the Zion Connectivity Project is home to California condors — the largest land bird in North America. After becoming extinct in the wild in 1987, the condors were placed in a captive breeding program and later reintroduced, reaching a total population of over 500 today, both captive and free-flying across the different location. The presence of the California condor in southern Utah makes this area a critical habitat for its preservation. Additionally, the project contains 4 miles of streams, including a half-mile segment of the La Verkin Creek, a tributary to the Virgin River, which was designated as a National Wild and Scenic River in 2009. La Verkin Creek provides direct benefits to six native fish species, including the federally endangered Virgin River chub and woundfin, as well as the state-listed Virgin spinedace and flannelmouth sucker. As part of the Upper Virgin watershed, preserving this area ensures wildlife will continue to have access to these stream flows and ponds during their migration from lower desert elevations. Both conservation easements are crucial for the local wildlife habitat. The project site links nearby big game migration corridors, offering summer range for deer and elk, and provides year-round habitat for black bears and dusky grouse. The project area includes old-growth ponderosa pines that are unique to this region. These ancient trees offer food and nesting cover for wildlife and possess resistance to wildfires. Alongside two other Forest Legacy projects (Zion Overlook and Viewtop) and protected lands La Verkin and Taylor Creek BLM Wilderness Area, the Zion Connectivity Project will form a 1,752-acre link of protected lands north of Zion National Park.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Utah fire conditions could be a mixed bag this summer. Here's how you can prepare
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways A storm that dumped rain and snow across Utah over the past few days has been beneficial for the drought-heavy state. As of noon, several communities had already received over 0.5 inches since Sunday. Alpine, Cedar City, Richfield, Santaquin, and Enterprise, in Washington County, all received over an inch of rain, while nearly 2 inches had dumped in Cove Fort, in Cache County. The storm also overperformed in the mountains, delivering several inches of snow in the upper Cottonwood canyons. While that's great for current wildfire conditions, things can change fairly quickly, warns Taiga Rohrer, deputy state fire management officer of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. 'It takes very little time for those fuels to dry out,' he said, pointing to invasive cheatgrass as an example of where conditions can change in days. That's why he and other experts are advising residents to take steps now to prevent wildfires and their potential impacts, instead of waiting until fire conditions worsen. May is National Wildfire Awareness Month, and Rocky Mountain Power recognized the designation Tuesday by bringing in state and local experts to discuss wildfire preparedness and this summer's unique fire outlook. Utah's fire forecast Nearly three-quarters of the state remained in drought to start this month, including almost half in severe or extreme drought categories, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Despite Utah's drought situation, 'normal' fire potential is expected to remain in place throughout the state this month, according to the wildland fire potential outlook that the National Interagency Fire Center's Predictive Services updated last week. The report states that early May precipitation is helping to keep conditions 'moderate,' but expected 'prolonged' dry periods and winds can pose 'brief localized wildfire risk' over the next few weeks. Forecasters wrote that wildfire fuels in southern Utah 'will dry quickly by late May and June' unless this month's storms produce precipitation that is 'well above normal.' So far, so good on that front. Although temperatures are forecast to reach the upper 80s along the Wasatch Front by the end of this week, long-range outlooks favor cooler and wetter weather returning by about mid-May. But all it takes is a shift to 'continually hot, dry, windy weather' for conditions to worsen, Rohrer cautioned, which is what long-range models currently project could begin by the start of meteorological summer. Above-average fire potential is projected to return to southern Utah by June and potentially last through July across south-central Utah, but the region's fortunes could change sometime during the month. These maps, updated last week, show projected wildland fire potential over the next four months. Potential could increase to above-normal in parts of southern Utah in June and July before returning to normal in August. | National Interagency Fire Center Predictive Services Utah has some of the highest probabilities for above-normal temperatures this summer, but central and southern regions are listed as having 'equal chances' when it comes to precipitation, according to preliminary meteorological summer outlooks released by the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center. The latter means that there's no clear signal yet whether conditions will be wetter, drier or near-normal between June 1 and Aug. 31. Slightly higher odds for drier-than-normal conditions are expected across northern Utah. Longer-range models indicate stronger monsoon odds toward the end of summer, which could reach all parts of the state. Based on that probability, all of Utah is listed as returning to 'normal' wildfire potential by the end of meteorological summer. However, experts point out that these are still probabilities, so Utahns should prepare for any situation. They add that normal fire conditions can be burdensome for firefighters. 'A normal fire season is still normally very active,' Rohrer said. 'Fires can still occur.' What you can do to prepare The best way to prepare for wildfire season is to create a defensible space outside of your home, state officials say. Clearing leaves and other debris off roofs and gutters and taking other home improvement steps to prevent embers from catching on fire is also important, as embers can engulf a home even if flames don't reach your front door. As for new fire starts, Utah Fire Sense has plenty of tips. These include: Properly douse campfires so they're cold to the touch before you leave a campsite. Avoid driving over dry vegetation and prevent any chains from dragging. Don't place shooting targets next to or in front of rock backstops or near dry vegetation. Meanwhile, power companies are also taking steps, especially as power-related fire starts have led to some of the largest fires in the West in recent memory. Some lawsuits claim that downed lines could have started some of California's devastating wildfires earlier this year. Rocky Mountain Power has a three-member meteorology team that analyzes hundreds of weather stations and active vegetation conditions within its service area, offering daily outlooks for crews to prepare for any given day. The team also uses a program to project how active wildfires will move, helping prepare for potential utility impacts. Scott Jensen, senior meteorologist for Rocky Mountain Power, shows how the power utility company projects weather to prepare for potential impacts during a presentation at the company's Salt Lake City headquarters on Tuesday. | Carter Williams, Red flag conditions, in which strong winds mixed with low relative humidity and hot temperatures, can prompt the company to take proactive measures, said Allen Berreth, vice president of operations for Utah's largest power provider. These include using 'enhanced safety settings' to 'deenergize' power lines when there's any indication that weather or other factors could create problems. The company might also shut off power lines when red flag conditions emerge during a dry period or if wildfire models project that flames are headed to power equipment. It reduces fire risk, but it could also lead to more power outages. 'We don't take that decision lightly,' Berreth said. Rocky Mountain Power officials say they plan to reach out to customers more directly when these decisions are made, so they recommend that they update their contact information. They add that people should have an emergency plan and an emergency kit in case of a wildfire.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Disaster team deploys to Moab for wildfire mitigation
MOAB, Utah () — A national disaster response organization has deployed to Moab for a wildfire prevention project. , a veteran-led humanitarian organization, has come to Moab to reduce wildfire through Operation Prepare Moab. This is the seventh time since 2018 the team has done so. According to , local, state, and federal crews will be partnering with Team Rubicon to remove seven acres of invasive vegetation that puts homes at risk of wildfires. Wildfire update: Prairie Fire burns nearly 2K acres, Elizabeth Ridge blaze still burning Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands, Bureau of Land Management, Moab Valley Fire Department, the City of Moab, and Rim to Rim Restoration all partnered on the operation. The saw four large fires in 2024. Most notably, the Prairie fire, which began on Sept. 16, burned 1,581 acres. The Moab Valley also so below-average precipitation in the Moab Fire Zone in 2024, despite a large flood event on June 21. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Utah Gov. Cox signs executive order for wildfire preparedness
A helicopter carries a water bucket to fight a wildfire near Richfield, Utah. (Getty Images) Looking ahead to Utah's hot and dry summer months, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order on Monday to encourage wildfire preparedness across the state. The order, according to Cox's office, is meant to 'improve coordination among state, local, and federal partners ahead of the 2025 fire season.' 'I'm incredibly proud of Utah's firefighters and first responders,' the governor said in a prepared statement. 'Their courage and dedication set the standard — and this executive order builds on their work by improving coordination and focusing our efforts where they're needed most. This is about making sure we're ready before the next fire season begins.' The executive order establishes a new working group focused on wildfire management, made up of leaders from state agencies including the Department of Natural Resources, the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, the Department of Public Safety, and the Division of Emergency Management. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Cox tasked the group with identifying the highest-risk areas, improving coordination across jurisdictions, and submitting a report that includes recommendations for the governor. He set a deadline of June 1. 'When it comes to wildfires, the unexpected has become the new normal,' said Jamie Barnes, state forester and director of the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.'Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our planning efforts can help reduce risks to watersheds and landscapes across the state – and strengthen our overall wildfire preparedness.' In his order, the governor also included a call to Utahns to prepare their own families and households for wildfire danger. He recommended: Have an emergency supply kit, make a plan, and be informed Review the Utah Fire Sense and Be Ready Utah preparedness campaigns Sign up to receive local emergency alerts by visiting your county and city websites Review and understand your insurance coverage Know evacuation routes Don't forget to include pets and other animals in emergency planning Gather and protect important documents Create a defensible space around your property Ensure fire hydrants are accessible during all times of the year Maintain, update and test smoke detectors and fire suppression systems. 'In addition to the immediate dangers wildfires pose, Utah also faces serious post-fire risks — including flooding and debris flows — that can devastate communities long after the flames are out,' Cox's office said in Monday's news release. 'The order acknowledges these threats and calls for a comprehensive, forward-looking approach to mitigation and preparedness.' The governor's office also said the executive order 'builds on the success' of the Utah Fire Sense Campaign, 'which helped reduce human-caused wildfires by nearly 75% from 2020 to 2023.' 'It also reflects the administration's deep appreciation for the bravery and commitment of Utah's state, local, and federal firefighters — whose efforts help protect both lives and natural resources across the state,' the office said. The executive order took immediate effect when it was signed Monday. It's set to expire on June 1. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
