Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative

The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) continues its long-term investment in the future of Utah’s mule deer habitat through its ongoing financial support of the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative. As the largest contributing organization, MDF committed $2.4 million across 63 different projects. This accounted for over one-third of the more than $6 million pledged collectively by Utah’s leading conservation groups.
This is a great way MDF puts your financial support back into the ground to help grow our mule deer populations. Thank you!
Read more here: https://bit.ly/4c1d6bx

🌱 Aerial Seeding Begins Across the Monroe Canyon Fire Area 🌱

If you notice a low flying plane in the Monroe Canyon Fire area over the next few days, here’s what’s happening:

The Fishlake National Forest, in partnership with Utah’s Department of Natural Resources and the Watershed Restoration Initiative, has launched a major post fire restoration effort following the Monroe Canyon Fire. Over the next couple of weeks, a contractor will be aerially seeding 27,000 acres to help stabilize soils, reduce erosion, and support the return of healthy native vegetation.

To make this happen, several loads of seed will be dispersed, including:
• 26 bags of low elevation seed
• 121 bags of high elevation seed
Each bag weighs 1,750 lbs., and the aircraft can carry 1.5 bags per load—meaning many trips back and forth to cover such a large area.

This seeding effort is a critical step in helping wildlife habitat recover, reducing the spread of invasive plants, and supporting the long term health of the Fishlake. It also helps protect downstream communities from runoff and erosion.

If you see aircraft in the area, know that this activity is part of rebuilding a more resilient forest for the future. Thank you for your support as we work to restore the land we all depend on. 💚

This is the way!! https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4cb1a54ad71c413c9c8f392d20f3b736

🔥 Fuels Management Impacts on the Monroe Canyon Fire🔥
The Monroe Canyon Fire was a large fire that experienced several red flag days with hot and dry conditions. This resulted in several days with large fire growth. Thanks to decades of active fuels management work, impacts were far less severe than they could have been. Treatments helped firefighters save homes, improve safety, and slow fire progression.

✅ Partnerships and funding from Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative have made Monroe Mountain one of Utah’s most actively managed landscapes.
👉 Read the full report and see the map here:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/media/263366

Your continued support for fuels and active vegetation management makes a difference!

UWRI is proud to be a partner on this awesome effort!

Utah is showing what’s possible when local governments invest before disaster strikes.

Through the Utah Resilience Fund, partners are accelerating cross‑boundary wildfire treatments, improving evacuation safety, and protecting headwater forests that supply drinking water to 700,000+ residents.

Learn how they do it: bit.ly/UTFire

Measures of Snow The Nature Conservancy explores how forest thinning and prescribed burning affects western snowpack, water supply and forest resilience.

WRI has for many years worked hand in hand with our federal partners in Utah to implement active management projects across the state. This agreement will only serve to strengthen that relationship and lead to even more work on the ground.