The Book Cliffs have long been recognized as important wildlife country. It's open, rugged and remote, and yet it holds some of Utah's most prized games - elk, bear, deer, cougars.
Someday there will likely be moose and bighorn sheep.That became more of a reality last month when the second part of a wildlife puzzle was put into place by cooperating agencies. A 3,720 acre ranch was purchase adjacent to properties already owned and controlled by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Negotiations are currently underway with the owner of another adjoining ranch and still another rancher is interested in working with the DWR in a wildlife management program.
Planning turned into a project last year when three owners of property in the roadless area of the Book Cliffs expressed interest in selling their lands to the DWR and the Bureau of Land Management.
Support to the project came from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.
The goals of those involved, called the Book Cliffs Conservation Initiative, are: to acquire key privately owned lands; to consolidate management and protect critical habitat for wildlife; to enhance watershed and riparian areas; and to assure future public access for recreational opportunities.
Current management plans are focused on increasing the wildlife density and diversity in the area. At the top of the list is the reintroduction of the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep into the area.
Two weeks ago, the Utah Wildlife Federation Foundation donated $30,000 toward the purchase of the latest acquisition, the Graham Ranch.
Merrill Miller, UWFF chairman, presented the check.
The money, he said, was left over from the Emergency Big Game Feeding Fund set up by the foundation. The money came into the foundation from donations both inside and outside of Utah.
Money left over from the program was to be used to rehabilitate or purchase habitat for big game animals.