DNR News

Division of Wildlife Resources to receive up to $37.2 million in federal grants for habitat improvement projects throughout Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (Jan. 23, 2025) — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has been awarded up to roughly $37.2 million in federal grants that would help benefit fish and wildlife in southeastern Utah through several habitat improvements projects. The awarded grants were announced Friday as part of the first round of funded projects from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Upper Basin Environmental

Gov. Cox swears in 140 officers in newly created DNR Division of Law Enforcement

SALT LAKE CITY (Jan. 13, 2025) – Gov. Spencer J. Cox administered the oath of office to 140 officers in the newly created Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement during a ceremony Monday morning at the Capitol Rotunda. “This unification will improve the delivery of law enforcement and public safety services while safeguarding the treasured cultural, natural and outdoor

Riley Peck named new Division of Wildlife Resources director

Salt Lake City (Jan. 9, 2025) — Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Joel Ferry named Riley Peck as the new director for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, effective Monday, Jan. 13. A resident of Eagle Mountain, Utah County, Peck started working for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in 2006 as a native aquatics technician. In 2009,

7 new Utah fishing records set in 2024

SALT LAKE CITY (Jan. 9, 2025) — Anyone who goes fishing knows how thrilling it is to catch a fish, especially if it is a large, potentially record-breaking one. And in 2024, anglers set a few new fishing records in Utah. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources began tracking records for harvested fish in the early 1900s. Since then, the

Interested in deciding how wildlife is managed in Utah? Apply for a position on the Utah Wildlife Board in 2025

SALT LAKE CITY (Jan. 6, 2025) — The group that makes the final decisions about hunting, fishing and how wildlife is managed in Utah has three positions to fill, and members of the public who have an interest in wildlife are encouraged to apply. The terms for the three positions on the Utah Wildlife Board will begin in August 2025, and will

Utah Receives $2.75 Million to Fund Two Forest Legacy Projects

SALT LAKE (December 18, 2024) — The USDA has announced that Utah will receive $2.75 million in Forest Legacy funding to preserve 379 acres of land in Kane County bordering Zion National Park. The funding is part of a larger announcement made by the USDA last week. The money for this round comes from the Inflation Reduction Act. “The Division commends the private

Utah Water Conditions Update

SALT LAKE CITY (Dec. 17, 2024) – Current snowpack is developing in a “stair-step” pattern, with storm-driven increases followed by plateaus. Statewide, our snowpack is 81% of normal. Despite this early variability, hopes remain for a near-normal snowpack accumulation by spring. Utah’s snowpack typically peaks in April. “We’ll be happy if we can see near-normal precipitation across the state,” Candice Hasenyager, director of

Division of Wildlife Resources stocks more than 12.8 million fish throughout Utah in 2024

SALT LAKE CITY (Dec. 10, 2024) — In an effort to enhance fishing and boost native fish populations, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources stocks a variety of fish species throughout Utah every year, and in 2024, over 12.8 million fish were stocked into waterbodies across the state. A whopping 12,831,218 fish — totaling a combined 1,238,903 pounds — were stocked

Over 168,000 acres restored through Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative in 2023-24

SALT LAKE CITY (Dec. 3, 2024) — Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative works to improve and restore high-priority watersheds and habitats throughout the state. During this past fiscal year — between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 — a whopping total of 168,882 acres were improved across Utah through this unique and innovative program. Created in 2006, this Utah Department

Great Salt Lake receives $50 million from the Bureau of Reclamation

SALT LAKE CITY (Dec. 2, 2024) – The Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner and the Department of Natural Resources have received $50 million from the Bureau of Reclamation through the Inflation Reduction Act to implement a water delivery program designed to lease water and then deliver conserved water to the lake. “This program helps deliver conserved water to