SALT LAKE CITY — Utah wildlife conservation officials say 102 large animals in the state have been poached, and more than 900 citations have been issued for various hunting violations since Aug. 1. The numbers come as officials say they are working to crack down on illegal hunting in the state.The Utah Division of Wildlife […]
Tag: Utah

Potential Costs of Declining Water Levels at Great Salt Lake Could be in the Billions
Utah’s well-being hinges on the long-term health of Great Salt Lake. That reality is made even clearer in a report commissioned by the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council that outlines the potential economic costs that could ensue if the lake’s ecosystem collapsed. With Great Salt Lake’s water levels on a sustained downward trend, “further declines, […]

BLM Announces Plans to Destroy the Onaqui Mountain Wild Horse Herd in 2019
Yesterday the BLM issued a press release on its Decision Record for the Onaqui Mountain Wild Horse Herd in Utah. The BLM says “The objectives of the approved population control measures are to slow the herd’s population growth and achieve and maintain a balance between wild horses on the range and other public land resources.” […]

Petition: End Cougar Hunting in Utah!
Unfortunately, killing mountain lions (cougars) is legal in much of the United States. They are a considered a “game species” and are legally hunted for sport in these thirteen states: Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, and North Dakota. In these states, the wildlife management agencies dictate […]

POLL: Should the Trump Administration be allowed to weaken protections for sage grouse?
The Trump administration has unveiled plans to weaken environmental protections for sprawling areas of the western US considered important habitat for the sage grouse, a chicken-like bird known for its flamboyant courtship displays. The proposals, put forward by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), essentially dismantle much of a landmark 2015 compromise struck between […]

POLL: Should protections on the Greater Sage Grouse be removed?
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) have introduced legislation that is an extreme and irresponsible attack on your public lands and the wildlife they support. This bill has the Orwellian title of the “Greater Sage Grouse Protection and Recovery Act,” (S.273, H.R.527). These bills would do the opposite of what their titles […]

POLL: Should the greater sage-grouse be kept on the “endangered species list”?
The greater sage-grouse, a bird best known for its flamboyant mating ritual, has become embroiled in a tussle over states’ rights, with Utah suing the federal government over its protection of the threatened species. Utah’s lawsuit claims that a federal plan to protect the sage-grouse has “overthrown” the state’s own work to safeguard the species […]

Pine warblers in your face
The birds seem to think it’s spring or something, but I can’t really say I agree with this sentiment. The Pine (all the birds in this post) and Yellow-rumped Warblers have started singing pretty hard the last week or so. Today while I was doing yoga, I witnessed two black vultures getting it on in […]