Report on Utah’s Wildlife Resource Management Framework and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Commitment to Accessibility and Inclusive Governance (SDG 10, SDG 16)

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) demonstrates a commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by ensuring public access to transparent and comprehensive legal information. To promote inclusivity and reduce inequalities (SDG 10), these resources are provided in multiple formats and languages.

• Digital Access: The Utah Hunting and Fishing mobile application provides on-demand access to all guidebooks, ensuring information is current and readily available.
• Physical Distribution: Free printed guidebooks are distributed at DWR offices and licensing agent locations.
• Multilingual Support: Key documents, such as the Fishing Guidebook, are available in Spanish to serve a broader community.

Fishing Guidebook: Managing Aquatic Life (SDG 14)

Regulatory Framework for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems

The Utah Fishing Guidebook establishes the legal framework for the responsible consumption and management of aquatic resources. It directly supports SDG 14 (Life Below Water) by outlining rules that ensure the long-term health and sustainability of fish populations and their habitats.

Adaptive Management Actions and Regulatory Updates

The DWR employs an adaptive management strategy, making regulatory adjustments in response to changing environmental conditions to protect vulnerable ecosystems. These actions are critical for achieving the targets of SDG 14.

1. Emergency Change for Crouse Reservoir:
   • Issue: Critically low water levels are impacting fish survival due to downstream water rights obligations.
   • Action: The daily trout limit was increased to 8 to allow anglers to harvest fish that would otherwise perish, reducing waste and mitigating stress on the remaining population.
   • SDG Alignment: This is a direct response to water scarcity challenges (related to SDG 6) and aims to preserve the long-term viability of the fishery (SDG 14).
2. Regulatory Clarifications:
   • Updates to spearfishing locations and specific rules for six waterbodies (Causey, Lost Creek, Panguitch Lake, Scofield, Stateline, and Strawberry Reservoirs) were implemented.
   • SDG Alignment: These clarifications enhance the effectiveness and transparency of the regulatory system, strengthening the institution’s capacity for sustainable resource management (SDG 16).

Big Game Guidebooks: Conserving Life on Land (SDG 15)

Framework for Sustainable Terrestrial Wildlife Management

The Big Game Application and Field Regulations Guidebooks are foundational documents for implementing SDG 15 (Life on Land). They provide a science-based, regulated system for hunting that ensures the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable management of big game populations.

Regulatory Corrections for Effective Governance (SDG 16)

Maintaining accurate and clear regulations is essential for effective governance. The following corrections were issued to uphold the integrity of the management framework.

• Big Game Application Guidebook Corrections:
  • Correction of hunt dates for the limited-entry buck deer muzzleloader hunt.
  • Correction of application timeline dates.
  • Removal of an erroneous CWMU buck deer hunt listing.
  • Correction of permit availability information for a Mountain Goat hunt.
• Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook Corrections:
  • Correction of interchanged dates for restricted muzzleloader and rifle deer hunts.

Antlerless Application: Population Management for Ecosystem Balance

The Antlerless Application process is a key tool for achieving SDG 15. By managing the harvest of female animals, the DWR can regulate population densities to prevent habitat degradation and promote healthy, resilient ecosystems.

Specialized Guidebooks: Targeted Conservation Efforts (SDG 12, SDG 15)

Waterfowl and Migratory Game Birds Guidebook

This guidebook supports the conservation of migratory species and the protection of vital wetland habitats, contributing to both SDG 14 and SDG 15. An update to swan harvest reporting procedures was made to improve data collection, which is critical for the scientific management and international cooperation required to protect these species (SDG 17).

Black Bear and Cougar Guidebook

This document outlines the framework for managing large predator populations. This management is essential for maintaining predator-prey balance, a cornerstone of biodiversity conservation under SDG 15. Corrections to pursuit season dates ensure that management actions are precise and effective.

Cougar Guidebook

This guidebook provides species-specific regulations for managing cougar populations, contributing to human-wildlife coexistence and the goals of SDG 15. Recent updates reflect an evolving policy framework for responsible resource use (SDG 12), including:

• Allowing the use of rimfire cartridges for humanely dispatching trapped cougars.
• Permitting the sale of legally harvested green cougar pelts and claws attached to the hide, supporting regulated use of wildlife resources.

Furbearer Guidebook

This guide regulates the trapping and use of furbearing animals, ensuring that these activities are sustainable and do not threaten wildlife populations, aligning with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 15. Recent updates enhance species protection:

• A correction was issued to increase the restricted trapping distance near certain waterbodies to 600 yards to better protect river otters.
• Updates were made regarding cougar trapping to align with new policies on humane dispatch and pelt sales.

Comprehensive Administrative Rules for Biodiversity

Governance Framework for All Species (SDG 15, SDG 16)

The DWR maintains a comprehensive set of administrative rules that govern the interaction with a wide array of species, demonstrating a robust institutional framework (SDG 16) for the holistic protection of life on land (SDG 15). These include regulations for:

• Falconry (Rule R657-20)
• Collection, importation, and possession of amphibians and reptiles.
• Collection, importation, and possession of fish, mollusks, and crustaceans.
• A general rule for the collection, importation, transportation, and possession of animals (Rule R657-3a).

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  The article touches upon water resource management, a key component of SDG 6. The emergency change for Crouse Reservoir is a direct response to “low water levels” and the legal obligation to “send water downstream to meet senior water rights,” highlighting issues of water scarcity and the need for integrated water management.

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  This goal is central to the article, which focuses on the sustainable management of inland freshwater ecosystems and aquatic species. The “Fishing Guidebook” section details regulations, limits, and specific rules for various waterbodies to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of fish populations.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The article extensively covers the management of terrestrial wildlife through various hunting guidebooks (Big Game, Black Bear, Cougar, etc.). It outlines regulations designed to ensure the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and protect biodiversity by managing animal populations and their habitats.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article is a product of a state institution, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR), demonstrating its role in developing and enforcing regulations. The provision of detailed, accessible guidebooks, updates, and justifications for rule changes reflects institutional transparency, accountability, and responsiveness.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.

     The article provides an example of this target in action. The DWR’s decision to change fishing limits at Crouse Reservoir is a direct result of managing a water resource (“low water levels”) while respecting other legal frameworks (“senior water rights in the Pot Creek drainage”). This demonstrates an integrated approach to managing water for both ecological and human needs.

2. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.

     While focused on freshwater, the principle of this target is directly applicable. The DWR’s management actions, such as the emergency change at Crouse Reservoir “to improve the survival of the remaining fish,” are direct actions to manage and protect an inland aquatic ecosystem to avoid adverse impacts from environmental stressors like drought.

   • Target 14.4: By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics.

     The entire “Fishing Guidebook” is an instrument for this target. It details specific, science-based regulations such as “Limit 4 trout or kokanee salmon” at Lost Creek Reservoir, with further rules on size (“No more than 3 trout may be under 15 inches”). These rules are designed to regulate harvesting and maintain sustainable fish stocks.

3. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

     The detailed regulations for specific species and locations, such as the distinct limits for cutthroat, tiger, and lake trout at Panguitch Lake and Strawberry Reservoir, demonstrate actions to manage and protect specific populations, thereby contributing to the preservation of biodiversity.

   • Target 15.7: Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products.

     The regulations mentioned in the guidebooks are the legal framework to combat poaching. A specific example is the rule for cougars, which allows the sale of pelts only if they “have a permanent tag issued by the DWR within 48 hours of harvest.” This is a direct measure to regulate the trade of wildlife products and prevent illegal trafficking.

4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

     The DWR demonstrates this by publishing comprehensive guidebooks and, crucially, providing detailed updates and corrections. The “View guidebook updates” sections explicitly list changes and corrections made after printing, showing accountability and transparency in its operations.

   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

     The institution shows responsiveness by making “emergency changes” to rules based on current environmental conditions, such as the low water levels at Crouse Reservoir. Inclusivity is addressed by providing key documents in Spanish, such as the “Guía en español” for the Fishing Guidebook, making information accessible to a wider audience. The mention of the “Utah Wildlife Board” approving changes points to a participatory decision-making process.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

• Specific harvest limits: The article provides numerous quantifiable rules that serve as direct indicators of regulated harvesting. Examples include “Increasing limit to 8 trout, any species” at Crouse Reservoir and “Limit 4 trout (a combined total)” at Scofield Reservoir. These numbers are direct measures used to manage wildlife populations (Indicator for Target 14.4 and 15.5).
• Regulations on wildlife product trade: The requirement that a cougar pelt “must have a permanent tag issued by the DWR within 48 hours of harvest” is a specific, measurable action. The existence and enforcement of this rule is an indicator of a system designed to prevent illegal trade (Indicator for Target 15.7).
• Adaptive management actions: The implementation of an “emergency change” in response to “low water levels” is a clear indicator of an adaptive management strategy. This action directly reflects the institution’s response to environmental stress on water resources (Indicator for Target 6.5).
• Public information accessibility: The availability of guidebooks in multiple formats (mobile app, PDF, print) and languages (“Guía en español”) serves as an indicator of institutional transparency and inclusivity. The number of documents translated or available on digital platforms can be measured to track progress (Indicator for Target 16.6 and 16.7).

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wildlife.utah.gov