Latest news with #UtahDivisionofForestry
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
21-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Gov. Cox issues wildfire executive order as Utah prepares for the ‘unexpected'
Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order Monday that seeks to bolster Utah's wildfire preparedness and coordination ahead of the anticipated fire season. The order establishes the Working Group on Wildfire Management, which will be composed of several agency heads, including Utah Department of Natural Resources Director Joel Ferry, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands Director Jamie Barnes and Utah Department of Public Safety Director Jess Anderson. They will be tasked with providing a report by June 1 that outlines areas of concern; coordination with city, state and private land owners; and improvements to evacuation planning. The report will also seek to identify "priority areas" for wildfire mitigation projects on state and, through possible coordination, federal land, and post-fire risks like debris flows, among other things. "This is about making sure we're ready before the next fire season begins," Cox said in a statement. His order is slated to expire June 1. The order comes less than a week after the governor said he was working on potential emergency declarations for some parts of Utah amid drought concerns in central and southern Utah. He hinted that drought-related executive orders could be issued when legislators return to Capitol Hill for a session in May. Most of Washington County and parts of Iron County remain in extreme drought, while another third of the state — including large portions of eastern and western Utah — is listed as in severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Only a quarter of the state is either not listed under a drought category or considered "abnormally dry." These indicate that soil moisture levels are not ideal for most of the state, which is a potential problem. "Utah's low soil moisture can create conditions favorable for wildfires," the order states. "Unpredictable factors, such as weather, can impact fire activity and may cause the rapid growth of wildfires." Long-range outlooks don't offer many favors, at least for the start of summer. While the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center projects a wet end to April for Utah, its latest report lists the state as having greater odds for below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures in May. Its three-month outlook leans toward slightly drier conditions for most of the state between May and July, aside from the very southern end of the state, which is listed as having "equal chances" for precipitation. Even then, early monsoonal storms could produce lightning before conditions improve across the driest part of the state. That's where early planning comes into play. Cox's order comes after the state passed a few wildfire-related bills in the 2025 legislative session, including one that put Utah on track to join the Great Plains Interstate Fire Compact, which would allow it to share resources with other member states. Those legislative conversations took place as state leaders looked to find ways to avoid repeating the catastrophic fires that killed more than two dozen people and destroyed over 15,000 structures in Southern California earlier this year. Meanwhile, state fire experts have warned about unpredictable fire conditions that can last before and after the typical summer months. 'When it comes to wildfires, the unexpected has become the new normal,' Barnes said. '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.'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Utah firefighters deployed as drought-plagued Texas braces for wildfire risks
Utah firefighters are once again hitting the road to help fight fires — or, at least potential fires — out of state. Two Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands task forces composed of local firefighters from across the state gathered Wednesday morning before heading to Texas to combat expected fire risks in the Lone Star State, which has some of the driest conditions in the nation. Per the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 20% of the state is listed in severe drought or worse, most of which is located in West Texas. Over half the state remains in at least moderate drought, which has spilled over into widespread wildfire threats. While the National Interagency Fire Center listed no active large fires in Texas in its latest report, Texas A&M Forest Service officials report the state's Wildland Fire Preparedness Level has increased. Warm weather and strong winds forecast for the region have also created an "extreme" risk for more fires to start, according to the National Weather Service, which issued red flag warnings for most of the state. Utah's teams will remain in Texas for up to 14 days with the threat of fires high, according to the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Other states are also helping out. For instance, Cap City News reported that teams from Wyoming were also deployed to Texas on Wednesday. Utah firefighters typically respond to other states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Wednesday's deployment comes two months after state firefighters headed to California, as fires raged in and around Los Angeles. Over 15,000 structures are believed to have burned from the series of fires at the time, with an estimated cost in the billions.
