2
3
4
5
6 Cosponsor:
7 Joel Ferry
8
9 LONG TITLE
10 General Description:
11 This bill creates and provides for the use of the Willard Spur Waterfowl Management
12 Area.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This bill:
15 ▸ addresses definitions;
16 ▸ creates the management area and describes the land included in the management
17 area;
18 ▸ requires a memorandum of understanding with the Division of Forestry, Fire, and
19 State Lands;
20 ▸ provides for management of the management area by the Division of Wildlife
21 Resources in accordance with specified purposes and a management plan;
22 ▸ permits the division to restrict public access or recreational opportunity under
23 certain circumstances; and
24 ▸ makes technical changes.
25 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
26 None
27 Other Special Clauses:
28 None
29 Utah Code Sections Affected:
30 AMENDS:
31 23-21-.5, as enacted by Laws of Utah 1998, Chapter 218
32 23-21-5, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1975, Chapter 60
33
34 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
35 Section 1. Section 23-21-.5 is amended to read:
36 23-21-.5. Definitions.
37 As used in this chapter:
38 (1) "General plan" means a document that a municipality or county adopts that sets
39 forth general guidelines for proposed future development of the land within the municipality or
40 county and includes what is commonly referred to as a "master plan."
41 (2) "Management plan" means a document prepared in accordance with this chapter
42 that describes how one or more tracts of land owned or managed by the Division of Wildlife
43 Resources are to be used.
44 (3) "Regional advisory council" means a council created pursuant to Section 23-14-2.6.
45 (4) "Wildlife management area" means:
46 (a) a single tract of land owned or managed by the division; or
47 (b) two or more tracts of land owned or managed by the division that are within close
48 proximity of each other and managed as a single unit.
49 Section 2. Section 23-21-5 is amended to read:
50 23-21-5. State-owned lands authorized for use as wildlife management areas,
51 fishing waters and for other recreational activities.
52 (1) The Wildlife Board is authorized to use any and all unsurveyed state-owned lands
53 below the 1855 meander line of the Great Salt Lake within the following townships for the
54 creation, operation, maintenance and management of wildlife management areas, fishing
55 waters and other recreational activities[
56 Township 2 South, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2 South, Range 4 West,
57 S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 4
58 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 North,
59 Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2
60 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.;
61 Township 2 North, Range 1 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 3 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B.
62 and M.; Township 3 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 3 North, Range 1 West,
63 S.L.B. and M.; Township 4 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 4 North, Range 2
64 West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, and 24, Township 4 North, Range 4
65 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 5 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 5 North,
66 Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, and 12, Township 5 North, Range 5
67 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North,
68 Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7
69 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.;
70 Township 7 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B.
71 and M.; Township 8 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 4 West,
72 S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 2
73 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 9 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 9 North,
74 Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 11 North, Range 11 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township
75 11 North, Range 10 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 11 North, Range 9 West, S.L.B. and M.;
76 Township 11 North, Range 8 West, S.L.B. and M.; North 1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 10
77 West, S.L.B. and M.; North 1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 9 West, S.L.B. and M.; North
78 1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 8 West, S.L.B. and M.
79 (2) (a) The Wildlife Board shall establish a wildlife management area known as the
80 "Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area" on the unsurveyed state-owned lands below the
81 1855 meander line of the Great Salt Lake in Sections 26, 35, 36 of Township 8 North, Range 4
82 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 11, 12 of
83 Township 7 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B.
84 and M.; Sections 20, 21, 29, 30, 31 of Township 8 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.;
85 excepting the following:
86 (i) lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of the Bear River Migratory Bird
87 Refuge;
88 (ii) lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of Harold Crane Waterfowl
89 Management Area;
90 (iii) lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of Willard Bay Reservoir; and
91 (iv) lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of state mineral leases.
92 (b) The division shall execute a memorandum of understanding with the Division of
93 Forestry, Fire, and State Lands recognizing the division's use of the state-owned lands
94 described in Subsection (2)(a) as a wildlife management area.
95 (c) The division shall manage the state-owned lands described in Subsection (2)(a) as a
96 wildlife management area and consistent with:
97 (i) the beneficial purposes identified in Subsection (2)(d); and
98 (ii) a management plan created consistent with the procedures in this chapter for a
99 management plan.
100 (d) The division shall manage the Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area for the
101 following beneficial purposes:
102 (i) propagating and sustaining waterfowl, upland gamebirds, desirable mammals,
103 shorebirds, and other migratory and nonmigratory birds that use the Great Salt Lake ecosystem
104 and the Great Salt Lake ecosystem's surrounding wetlands;
105 (ii) preserving and enhancing the natural function, vegetation, and water flows under
106 existing or acquired water rights to provide productive habitat for the species listed in
107 Subsection (2)(d)(i);
108 (iii) providing recreational opportunity for traditional marsh-related activities,
109 including hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing; and
110 (iv) providing public access in the management area for purposes of hunting, fishing,
111 trapping, and wildlife viewing, including access with airboats and other small watercraft.
112 (e) The division shall provide the habitat, recreational opportunities, and public access
113 described in Subsection (2)(d) without construction or use of an impounding dike, impounding
114 levee, or other impounding structure.
115 (f) Notwithstanding the purposes identified in Subsection (2)(d), the division may not
116 prohibit year-round public airboat and small watercraft access in the management area except
117 in selected areas during limited periods of time to protect habitat, nesting birds, or vulnerable
118 wildlife.