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Show Page 10 The Ogden Valley news Volume XXVII Issue I May 15, 2020 Changes Proposed for Upland Game & Turkey Hunting The DWR is proposing to slightly change the season dates for several upland game species. The proposed changes would include: • Starting the ptarmigan hunting season on Sept. 1 rather than the fourth Saturday in August • Extending the sandhill crane hunting season in the East Box Elder area from nine to 60 days (to reduce crop damage and encourage the birds to migrate sooner) • Holding the youth quail hunt on the last Saturday in October through the following Monday • Extending the youth pheasant season and having it run from the last Saturday in October through the following Thursday “The statewide youth quail and pheasant hunts have been underutilized for years,” DWR Upland Game Coordinator Heather Talley said. “The youth quail hunt has traditionally been held beginning on the Saturday closest to Oct. 13, and we hope that moving the season dates closer to the general-season opener will increase participation in these hunts. We are also proposing to extend the youth pheasant hunt through the first Thursday in November. Many youth hunt on areas where we release pen-reared pheasants, and we would like to give them the opportunity to harvest these birds throughout the week.” Another proposal includes a rule change to allow airguns as a legal method of hunting for turkeys in the fall season only, as well as for hunting rabbits and hares. The air rifle would be a firearm that fires a single projectile with compressed air released from a chamber, and would be required to be a .22 caliber or larger and could fire either a pellet or slug or a broadhead-tipped bolt or arrow. Other proposals for upland game and turkey hunting include: • Extending the Utah Wild Turkey Management Plan for three more years. Because it was originally approved as a sixyear plan, it is due for revision this year; however, no significant changes are needed at this time. • Allowing translocation of sage-grouse broods during the summer (between May 1 and July 31) or any time of the year. Previously, only spring translocations of adults have been approved, but this proposal would give DWR biologists a chance to finish their population counts during the spring when the birds are breeding. That would allow biologists to more accurately confirm population numbers and stability before birds are relocated from an area to augment a population in another part of the state. DWR biologists are also proposing that the sage grouse relocations can include adults and/or chicks to provide the best chance of success for augmenting populations. • Closing Wildlife Management Areas as needed for DWR-sponsored and co-sponsored public events, including for several youth pheasant hunts throughout the state. • Clarifying the rules for tagging harvested swans. The proposed clarification states that a hunter can retrieve the carcass prior to tagging it. Aquatic Invasive Species Proposals - This DWR proposal incorporates a new law passed during the 2020 legislative session to help prevent invasive quagga mussels from spreading throughout Utah. The new law, which takes effect July 1, includes a $20 fee for non-resident boaters who launch a watercraft on any waterbody in Utah. The law also requires all boat owners to complete an online education course about preventing the spread of quagga mussels, and to show proof of the course completion before they launch at a Utah waterbody. In addition, the new law requires anyone transporting a boat on a Utah highway, which includes any public road, street, bridge or other public-use structure, to remove all drain plugs from the boat and to drain all water from the live wells, bilges, ballast tanks or other similar compartments on the watercraft. Boats must be transported with all drain plugs removed. Anyone who fails to do so could be cited with a class C misdemeanor. Along with adding the new law to administrative rule, the DWR proposal also includes a rule clarification about watercraft with complex mechanical or water systems. Any watercraft with systems that cannot be fully drained at the boat launch are required to complete a mandatory 30-day dry time, even after receiving a professional hot-water decontamination, if DWR personnel determine that there is still a risk of quagga mussels remaining. The DWR is also proposing an administrative rule to prohibit the alteration of an attached seal or inspection sticker on a boat. Other Proposals - The DWR oversees a Walk-in Access program in Utah that provides hunters and anglers access to privately held lands and waters for the purpose of hunting, trapping, and fishing. The DWR is proposing some rule changes to simplify the program, update administrative procedures, clarify rule requirements and expectations and expand hunting and fishing opportunities. The electronic meeting for the Northern Region RAC meeting is May 13 at 6:00 p.m. Subscriptions available for out-of-area residents at $18 annually. Send payment with mailing address to: The Ogden Valley news PO BOX 130, EDEN UT 84310 What to Do If You Find a Baby Bird on the Ground SALT LAKE CITY — It’s a beautiful spring day so you decide to go for a nice social distancing walk around your neighborhood. You are strolling along the sidewalk when suddenly you hear loud chirping near your feet. You look over and see a baby bird lying on the ground near a tree trunk. What should you do? It is not unusual to find a baby bird on the ground during this time of year. Many birds are hatching and often leave their nests before they are able to fly. Some may also be blown out of nests during spring thunderstorms. “They usually chirp and call from the nest, waiting for their parents to bring food to them,” Blair Stringham, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources migratory game bird program coordinator, said. “Sometimes, that results in them falling from their perch.” The most common baby birds that people find are robins (which nest in trees) and swallows (which build their mud nests in eaves and on the sides of houses). If you find a baby bird on the ground, there are a few things you should do: Put It Back in the Nest If It Doesn’t Have Feathers - If the bird is very small and still featherless, you should place it back in its nest. If you can’t find the nest, put the bird on a branch safely out of reach of dogs and cats. “The baby will squawk, and its parents will find it,” Stringham said. Don’t be concerned about leaving your scent on the bird. Most birds do not have a good sense of smell so if you pick a baby bird up, its parents won’t even know you’ve handled it. Never take a baby bird home. Most birds are protected by state and federal laws, and it is against the law in Utah to possess wild animals without special permits. Don’t Feed the Bird - While it’s fine for its parents to feed the baby bird, you shouldn’t attempt to give it food. Birds have a very specific diet and feeding them something that’s not part of their diet can kill them. “For example, many people are surprised to learn that robins are among only a handful of birds that can safely eat worms. Most birds can’t,” Stringham said. Just place the bird back on its branch or in its nest, and let its parents feed it. Leave it Alone If It Has Feathers - If the baby bird is hopping around, you’ve found a bird that almost isn’t a “baby” anymore. These young birds are called fledglings. They have most of their flight feathers and are very close to taking their first flight. If the bird isn’t in danger, leave it where you found it. This awkward “hopping” stage typically lasts two to five days; it’s part of the natural process a baby bird goes through before taking its first flight. Its parents are watching the baby bird and are still feeding it. If you think the fledgling is in immediate danger, then move it carefully to a safer spot nearby. However, if you can’t catch the bird, just leave it be. Additional information about how to help baby birds is also available on the Wild Aware Utah website. What to Do With Baby Ducks - If you find a duckling on the ground that looks like it’s been separated from its parents, don’t move it or try to put it in water. Baby ducks should be left alone, unless they are trapped in a storm drain or somewhere else dangerous like in a swimming pool. If you do discover a duckling in a storm drain, you can contact the nearest DWR office to report it or contact your city officials. Study: Every $1 Spent on Buying Flood Lands Could Save U.S. $5 in Future Damages W h i c h would cost American taxpayers more: Paying now to protect undeveloped areas that are likely to flood in the coming decades, or allowing development to proceed based on current projections and paying for subsequent flood damages when they inevitably occur? A new study set out to answer that question by comparing floodplain protection today to predicted flood losses. Its authors say they found that every $1 invested to protect floodplains saves at least $5 in potential future flood damages. The study—A Benefit–Cost Analysis of Floodplain Land Acquisition for U.S. Flood Damage Reduction—was conducted by The Nature Conservancy, the University of Bristol (United Kingdom), and flood analytics company Fathom. Published in Nature Sustainability Dec. 9, the study identifies more than 104,000 square miles—an area roughly the size of Colorado— in “100-year” floodplains where conservation would be an economically sound way to avoid future flood damages. “For just over 21,000 square miles of this area, the benefits are at least five times the cost, meaning that a dollar invested in floodplain protection today returns least $5 in savings from avoided flood damages in the future,” said Kris Johnson, who is The nature Conservancy’s deputy director of agriculture for North America and who co-authored the paper. “Not only would investing now to conserve undeveloped lands in floodplains likely save tens of billions of dollars in avoided flood damages, but protecting these lands would also provide a host of additional benefits for habitat, wildlife, water quality and recreation, further strengthening the economic rationale for floodplain conservation.” While the conservation of undeveloped, flood-prone areas would be broadly effective across the nation, it is likely to be particularly beneficial in the Southwest, the eastern Great Lakes, the Appalachians, and areas where population growth is anticipated in areas at risk of flooding, added Oliver Wing, a flood risk scientist and researcher at the University of Bristol and a co-author. Flooding is among the most common of natural disasters, and it is the costliest, with average flood losses in the U.S increasing steadily to nearly $10 billion annually. The taxpayer-subsidized National Flood Insurance Program is in record debt at nearly $25 billion. The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving lands and waters, working in 79 countries and territories. Fathom was formed out of the University of Bristol Hydrology Research Group, which has a focus on flood risk modeling. The company works with (re)insurers, international development agencies, conservation agencies, emergency responders and multi-national corporations on a global basis. Sources: The Nature Conservancy and Fathom PreserVaTiOn. PrOTecTiOn. sTewardshiP. Join today to preserve Ogden Valley’s grace. www.OgdenValleyLandTrust.org |