Salt Lake City, Utah: Today the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) announced that it was providing over $1.1 million for habitat projects and mule deer research in Utah. The funding is generated from the sale of Utah Conservation Permits (Governor’s Tags) and money raised from the 200 Big Game Tag drawing held at the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City in February. The $1.1 million sets a record for the amount of money a wildlife conservation group has contributed to the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative since its inception in 2005 in a single year.“MDF is proud to contribute to the continued success of Utah’s Conservation Permit program, and we are seeing many successes from the dollars that have been dedicated toward habitat restoration,” commented MDF President & CEO, Miles Moretti. “Utah’s mule deer population is the highest it has been in over 20 years, and that is a direct result of the investments made through this program.”
A variety of projects were funded that will benefit mule deer, elk, antelope, moose, turkeys and sage grouse throughout the five Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) administrative regions. Specific habitat improvement projects will include the removal of encroaching pinyon pines and juniper; development of water resources and guzzlers; fencing freeways to eliminate deer/vehicle collisions; and continuation of the successful urban deer transplant program. Funding will also be used for research on survival rates of mule deer fawns and adults, as well as the effects of habitat treatments on mule deer. In addition to the habitat and research projects, continued funding for the joint MDF/DWR habitat stewardship position.
“This $1.1 million was raised in Utah and had to be spent in Utah, but MDF is committed to raise funds for mule deer and black-tailed deer habitat restoration projects throughout the West,” Moretti continued. “We have already spent a record amount for these projects this year and will continue to find ways to invest in the future of these icons of the West.”
