Region 4 \u2013 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Long Range Transportation Plan: Southeast Region [2013]

The Southeast Region (Region 4) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS, the Service) has initiated the development of its first Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). With the assistance of the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (EFLHD) of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Service\u2019s Southeast Region (FWS Region 4) is developing a twenty-year plan for the preservation, enhancement, operations and maintenance of its transportation assets across all of its national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries in the southeastern states and U.S. outlying areas

Endangered Species and Irrigated Agriculture, Water Resource Competition in Western River Systems

This report characterizes several aspects of water allocation tradeoffs between fish species listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act and agriculture in the American West. The geographic intersection between endangered/threatened (E/T) fish and agricultural production reliant on surface water for irrigation is identified. Three findings are: (1) 235 counties, representing 22 percent of the West\u27s counties, contain irrigated production that relies on water from rivers with E/T fish, (2) areas generating the highest revenues per acre from crop production are those most dependent on surface water irrigation, and (3) these same areas are also most likely to be drawing water from rivers that contain at least one E/T species

Fish Passage Engineering Design Criteria

Anthropogenic activities in rivers may introduce undue hazards to many aquatic organisms and contribute to overall habitat fragmentation. Fragmentation may negatively alter the structure and diversity of both diadromous and resident fish populations. These adverse impacts can be mitigated through dam removal, and a variety of technical and nature-like fish passage and protection technologies. Fish passage and protection (hereafter simply “fish passage”) requires the integration of numerous scientific and engineering disciplines including fish behavior, ichthyomechanics, hydraulics, hydrology, geomorphology, and hydropower. This document is intended to: 1) establish Engineering’s “baseline” design criteria for fishways, dam removals, road crossings and other fish passage related technologies; 2) serve as a resource for training in these disciplines; and 3) support the implementation of the Service’s statutory authorities related to the conservation and protection of aquatic resources (e.g., Section 18 of the Federal Power Act, Endangered Species Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act)

Wildlife Damage Management (WDM) in the Northern Utah ADC District

Across the United States, wildlife habitat has been substantially changed as human populations expand and land is used for human needs. These human uses and needs often compete with wildlife which increases the potential for conflicting human/wildlife interactions. In addition, segments of the public strive for protection for all wildlife; this protection can create localized conflicts between human and wildlife activities

Utah Northern Goshawk Project: Environmental Assessment

This environmental assessment amends the management direction established in current land and resource management plans for the Ashley, Dioxie, Fishlake, Manti-LaSal, Uinta, and Wasatch-Cache National Forests

Environmental Assessment Caribou Timber Sale

One of the decisions made in the 1985 Bighorn National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) was that timber sale offerings would be made. The Caribou timber sale was proposed in order to implement that Forest Plan allocation decision. The selection of this sale area was based upon several factors, including: Past forest management decisions and silvicultural prescriptions; the existence of a road system, which will minimize impacts upon wildlife habitat and water quality; the opportunity to change the forested vegetation to improve, or at least maintain within the Forest Plan standard and guidelines and other legal requirements, forest productivity and wildlife habitat

Potential strategies for managing Utah\u27s wolf-livestock conflicts

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) classifies gray wolf populations as either endangered, threatened, or nonessential / experimental. Therefore, if wolves enter Utah under their current legal classification, the USFWS will be the primary agency responsible for wolf management (see Section 2). For the last 30 years, this agency has been responsible for managing recovering wolf populations in other parts of the United States, both in the Great Lakes and the Rockies. Unfortunately, wolves have come into conflict with livestock in all of their recovery areas. As a result, the USFWS has taken various measures to minimize these conflicts, while maintaining their objectives to continue to recover wolf populations

Environmental Assessment for 36 Livestock Grazing Allotments on the Shoshone National Forest

The Shoshone National Forest proposes to issue Term Grazing Permits that will authorize the grazing of livestock on 36 grazing allotments located within the Forest. Permits will be issued for a period of up to 10 years. Part 3 (Special Terms and Conditions) of each permit would contain site specific livestock and rangeland management requirements designed to mitigate existing resource conflicts and implement Forest Plan standards and guidelines specific to each allotment