Section R657-37-4 - Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit Management Plan(1)(a) A landowner association shall manage the CWMU in compliance with a CWMU Management Plan approved by the division.(b) The CWMU Management Plan shall be consistent with statewide and unit management objectives for the respective species hunted on the CWMU.(c) CWMUs that occur within a general season unit may be managed for higher buck to doe ratios and older age class animals, consistent within a limited entry unit.(2)(a) The CWMU Management Plan shall be completed as part of the certificate of registration application and renewal processes.(b) If approved by the Wildlife Board, the CWMU Management Plan is incorporated into the CWMU's certificate of registration.(c) Amendments to the CWMU Management Plan may be requested by the Wildlife Board, the division, or the CWMU landowner association operator or president, and may result in an amendment to the certificate of registration, consistent with Section R657-37-5.5.(3)(a) The CWMU Management Plan must include: (i) species management objectives for the CWMU that are consistent with statewide and unit management objectives for the respective big game or turkey management unit;(ii) antlerless harvest objectives;(iii) dates that the general public with buck or bull CWMU permits will be allowed to hunt;(iv) a detailed explanation of how comparable hunting opportunities will be provided to both the private and public permit holders on the CWMU including an equal ability to use atvs/utvs, horses, track machines, or other means of transportation;(v) an explanation of the purpose for including public land within the CWMU boundaries, if public land is included;(vi) an explanation of how the public is compensated by the CWMU when public land is included;(vii) rules and guidelines used to regulate a permit holder's conduct as a guest on the CWMU;(viii) submission of a digital geospatial boundary file depicting parcel boundaries and ownership information for each parcel of real property included within the CWMU; (A) parcel data should be sourced from the most recent County Recorders Plat records; (B) if the CWMU requires tradelands, an additional geospatial file should be submitted depicting each additional parcel of real property to be considered in trade for public land included with the CWMU boundary;(ix) submission of a digital geospatial boundary file that accurately depicts an enforceable interior and exterior boundary of the CWMU. (A) any sections of the CWMU unit closed to hunting for both public and private hunters should be clearly identified and excluded from the mapped boundary;(B) geospatial boundary files must be submitted to the division for approval at the time of initial application and again with any renewal or variance applications;(x) strategies and methods that avoid, mitigate, and if necessary compensate for adverse impacts to adjacent landowners and lessees resulting from the operation of the CWMU;(xi) strategies and methods that avoid, mitigate, and if necessary compensate for adverse impacts to agricultural lessees within and adjacent to the CWMU;(xii) identification of areas within the CWMU that are closed to hunting by both public and private hunters;(xiii) any request for reciprocal agreements. (b) Noncontiguous lands can be added to the CWMU if: (i) there are at least 640 contiguous acres;(ii) it is owned by a landowner already in the CWMU; and(iii) it is within four miles of the contiguous minimum acreage;(c) A CWMU cannot incorporate noncontiguous lands containing any public land into the CWMU.(d) The division shall review each CWMU Management Plan and make recommendations to the Wildlife Board. (4)(a) CWMU operators are required to complete a CWMU training session provided by the division on an annual basis.(b) Failure to complete the CWMU training session may result in the CWMU operator being referred to the CWMU Advisory Committee described in Section R657-37-17 or may result in administrative action taken against a certificate of registration as described in Section R657-37-15.Utah Admin. Code R657-37-4
Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2016-5, effective 2/8/2016Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2019-16, effective 7/22/2019Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2020-13, effective 6/22/2020Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2024-17, effective 8/21/2024