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Show JViM 18 - UINTAH BASIN STANDARD. June 23. 1998 URRWP- - For example, in 1997 UDOT reduced mowing by 10 percent along Improving roadside habitat for wildlife Ai farmland and open apace continue their rapid decline throughout Utah, grassland habitats along road (ROWS) are becoming increasing important to many wildlife species. A recent program Utah's Rural Roadsides for Wildlife Program is now in place, with a goal of improving and managing roadside habitats fin- meadowlarks, sage grouse, swallows, goldfinch, sparrows and many other wildlife species. pheasants an also a wildlife species that utilises roadside habitats. Their popularity as a game bird is among reasons researchers have focused on pheasants aa a wildlife species that can indicate the quality ofhabitat found on various roadside sections. Introduced to Utah in the late 1800s, pheasants are They generally live their entire e radilives within a one to us, making them an excellent indicator species for roadside studies. If pheasants are willing to remain in a particular area, thats a good indication the area has quality right-of-wa- ya - - - Ring-neck- two-mil- habitat The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has available about 1,500 lineal miles of rural roadside, where wildlife habitat can be preserved or enhanced. This vast iawsHRiss' JUST MISSED batter fouls off the baseball and it heads toward the screen during a Little League game. Ball games wen; mostly flooded out Wednesday, but players returned to action, Thursday. IT--- A its roadsides. UDOT also is identifying exist- habitat potential along Utah roadsides has been recognised by individuals from Utah State University, the Division ofWildlife Resources and UDOT. Inspired by programs developed in some Midwestern states, these individuals joined forces to begin the Utah Rural Roadsides for Wildlife Program (URRWP). The first step in this cooperative effort was creating a roadside vegetation technical manual for habitat managers. Topics covered in the manual include: Benefits ofa roadside vegetation management program; the ecology ofroadsides; roadside vegetation inventories; prepaid ing a vegetation management plan; and specific revegetation prescriptions. A public awareness brochure highlighting the program also has been developed, and is being dis- tributed at Utah rest areas and agency offices. The program's next step is a se- ries of seminars teaching both and county maintenance personnel how to use the technical manual to evaluate and maintain rural ROWS. Seminars begin this fall. As a result ofthe technical manual, UDOT has already adopted many of the ideas included in the UDOT ing roadside vegetation and using Global Positioning System as a mapping tool. Mapping will aid the department in identifying areas with the greatest habitat potential, and will help determine areas where vegetation needs to be enhanced. Using the manual, vegetation mapping, and insights gained from the seminars, a prototypical habitat restoration project will be developed and implemented. Items specifically encouraged in the URRWP are: 1) Interdepartmental cooperation in roadside vegetation management 2) Effective management of existing patches of high quality roadside vegetation 3) Applying delineation mowing (about 10 percent ofthe ROW width). 4) Mowing the entire ROW once every three to five years, to stimulate plant vigor. No more than 14 mile per one mile section should be mowed in any on year. 5) Scheduling renovation mowing after the nesting season (generally after Aug 1.) 6) Setting mowers high enough .to leave 12 inches of residual cover for early nesting species. noxious weeds 7) to minimize damage to adjacent Spot-sprayi- ng cover. 8) Eliminating unplanned road- side burning, a common practice throughout Utah. 9) Discouraging snowmobiling vehicle riding on and roadsides. 10) Seeding new highway projects with vegetation that provides hiding, nesting and winter in Transportation act spells success for fishers, and wildlife refuges BASE HIT HOPE A send the ball into orbit. The millions of dollars anglers . and boaters spend for fishing equipment and boating fuel now will provide better protection for natural resources, create more recreation opportunities, and will continue to improve boating safety, thanks to a maj or transportation act signed into law, by President Clinton. Thousands of miles of crumbling roads within the National Wildlife Refuge System also will be repaired under the new laws provisions. Through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21), President Clinton and Congress have created an even greater legacy of care for the Nations aquatic natural resources and the people who eqjoy them, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Jamie Rappaport Clark. In addition, the act now places the National Wildlife Refuge System on a par with other mqjor landmanaging agencies by providing significant support for refuge road repair. I applaud Congress efforts to address the maintenance needs of and under softball player gets ready to the National Wildlife Refuge Sys- tem, said Director Clark. 1 also want to recognize the tremendous leadership ofSenators John Chafee and Max Baucus in making sure this legislation addressed these - needs. Receiving this funding under the Federal Lands Highways Program will help us ensure safe and accessible roads for the 30 million Americans who visit national wildlife refuges each year. It will also allow the Fish and Wildlife Service to target limited resources toward vital wildlife conservation programs on refuges.1' Sport fishing, boating, and refuge system benefits from the new law include: Repairing Refuge Roads: Hie acts Federal Lands Highways Program includes $20 million in new funding for wildlife refuge roads each year from 1999 to 2003. According to Federal Highway Administration (FHA) studies, refuge roads are used more intensively by the public than all national forest roads and Department of Defense roads combined. Currently, the refuge system, consisting of 612 wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts, suffers from a road maintenance backlog for its 4,250 miles of public roads and 424 bridges. Based on an FHA analysis, 70 percent of refuge roads are in poor condition 25 percent are in fair condition, and only 5 percent are considered in good condition. In addition, 90 percent of refuge bridges need safety and maintenance repairs. Additional Assets for Aquatic Resource Conservation: Hie act will generate a projected increase of) 135 million in transfers of revenues to the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, which fuels the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program. The fund now receives 11.5 cents of every 18.3 cents in Federal tax collected on every gallon of gasoline used by boaters. This figure will rise to 13 cents on October 1, 2001, and to 13.5 cents on October 1, 2003. Hu mechanism that provides for these increases in transfers also will apfuel taxes, which ply to small-ergin- e will be usee, for vretiuida restoration. Continuing Clean Vessel Program Successes: Hu new law makes $10 million available annually from 1999 to 2003 under the highly suc $158-milli- This little check mark could be a key to organizing your monthly budget. A simple check on your gas So when can you sign up? takes the guesswork out of monthly fuel costs. bill Questar Gas calls it the This month's for the Equal Payment Plan. How does it work? Instead of small gas bills in the summer and larger bills in the winter, the divides your yearly fuel costs into 2 equal monthly payments.You know exactly how much to budget for fuel, because your Questar Gas bill is the same every month. your chance to registen Equal Payment Plan. In fact, making that check mark on your June bill ensures the lowest possible fuel payment for the rest of the Equal Payment Plan bill is year. Electronic Funds Transfer makes budgeting even easier. Electronic Funds Transfer automatically withdraws the amount of your fuel bill from your checking or savings account each month. It's an easy way to keep track of extra Without the Equal Payment Plan Fuel use and fuel costs change with the seasons. L-t- Jl 32 fh cover. 11) Educating the public about cessful clean vessel program. Hu funds provide for marine sanitation pumpout facilities that help minimize the dumping of human waste into waters. Better Boating Access and Infrastructure: The new act increases from 12.5 percent to 15 percent the amount of money each state must spend on boating access from its Federal Aid in Sprat Fish Restoration Program apportionment In addition, the act provides $8 million annually from 2000 to 2003 to meet the special needs of recreational boats that are not trail ered. The new program will provide funds to states to pay up to 75 percent ofthe coats ofbuild-inrenovating, or maintaining public marine facilities such aa slips, mooring buoys, day docks, and navigational aids. Education and Outreach Emphasis: A new national outreach and communications program for sport fishing and boating is funded at $5 million in 1999, and funding increases progressively each year until it reaches $10 million in 2003. The program is expected to increase interest in sport fishing and boating and in the conservation ethic these activities instill in participants. The Fish and Wildlife Service also is authorised to spend up to $2.5 million a year ofFederal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration administrative funds for outreach and communications programs. In addition, the amount of Federal Aid in Sport Fiah Restoration money states may spend on aquatic resource education efforts increases from 10 to 15 percent of each states Sport Fish Restoration apportionment. Boating Safety Funding Stability: TEA 21 also provides additional support and a more stable source of binding for grants to states fin boating safety programs. TEA 21 is the successor to the Intermodal S urface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), which expired September 30, 1997. Congress extended ISTEA through March 31; funds from the set were available through the end of May. The US. Senate voted 88 to 5 and the U.S. House ofRepresentatives voted 297 to 86 to approve the TEA 21 conference report. Hie bill was approved for the Presidents signature May Service-administer- ed g, 22. the value ofUtah's Rural Roadsides for Wildlife Program. The program s manuals will be available for $20, after UDOTs training workshops this foil. Fund, provided for within ISTFA and TEA 21, makes funding available for the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program and Recreational Boating Safety Pregram. The programs are funded through excise taxes on fishing tackle, electric trolling motors, flasher-typsonar fish finders, motorboat and e fuels, and import duties on fishing tackle and pleasure boats. Considered a model user-pays- , program the Sport Fish Restoration Program provides grants to states for sport fish restoration and management, aquatic education and boating access. Deposits in the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, which is comprised of the Sport Fish Restoration Account and the Boating Safety Account will exceed $334 million for Fiscal Year 1998. States will receive $272 million from the Sport Fish Restoration Account this year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible fra conserving, protecting, and enhancing fiah and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages more than 94 million acres of land and water consisting of 512 national wildlife refe small-engin- user-benefi- ts Service-administer- uges, 78 ecological services field sta- tions, 65 national fish hatcheries, 50 wildlife coordination areas, and 38 wetland management districts with waterfowl production areas. The agency also enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat, such as wetland administers the Endangered Species A4 and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes Federal excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. This program is a cornerstone of the Nations wildlife man- agement efforts, funding fish and wildlife restoration, boating access, hunter education, shooting ranges, and related prqjects across The Aquatic Resources Trust billing, and you even save an cents every month on postage. RE-ELE- CT For more information on the Equal Payment Plan or to sign up for Electronic Funds Transfer, call Questar Gas at ummiui With the Equal Payment Plan Fuel use changes but your monthly payment stays the same. Duchesne County Two reviews a year ensure youre not paying extra. Twice a year, Questar Gas makes sure you're not paying for gas you havent used. ATTORNEY i Adjustments will be made if usage is higher or lower than expected. 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