Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	70.92
Liaison	Amy Brunvand
Submission Date	Sept. 12, 2023

STARS v2.2

University of Utah
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 2.00 This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following: Legally protected areas (e.g., IUCN Category I-VI) Internationally recognized areas (e.g., World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000) Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g., Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites) Regions of conservation importance (e.g., Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas) 2 points are available for this credit if the institution owns or manages land that includes or is adjacent to any of the above. 1 point is available for this credit for all other institutions. Close	Amy Brunvand Librarian Office of Sustainability

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:

Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

Red Butte Canyon Research Natural Area (RNA), 5,370 acres
A complete, intact watershed land montane ecosystem located in the Wasatch Mountain foothills east of the University of Utah. In 1969, the U.S. Forest Service designated Red Butte Canyon Research Natural Area, one of the last remaining undisturbed basins in the Great Basin. In accordance with Forest Service regulations, the RNA is closed to public entry. Research and education within the Red Butte Canyon RNA are allowed, but there are a number of restrictions. Permits are required for all activities within the RNA, including one-time field trips.
URL: https://environment.utah.edu/rbcrna/

Red Butte Creek
Red Butte Creek watershed basin encompasses 11 square miles in the Wasatch Mountains foothills and feeds 10.5 miles of stream that flows through the Red Butte Canyon RNA, Red Butte Garden and the University of Utah campus on its way to the Jordan River. In 2014, the Board of Trustees voted to establish a 100 ft. riparian corridor buffer zone around Red Butte Creek. The creek is part of a protected watershed managed by Salt Lake County.
URL: https://redbuttecreek.utah.edu/

University of Utah Heritage Preserve, 496 acre
In 2002, University of Utah and Utah Open Lands signed a conservation easement to preserve undeveloped land bordering the eastern edge of the University of Utah and Research Park. Under the agreement, the University and the general public will have access to the Heritage Preserve for hiking, non-motorized biking, photography, and nature study. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail passes through the Preserve. In 2021 almost 5 additional acres were added.
URL: https://www.utahopenlands.org/u-of-u-heritage

Bonneville Shoreline Trail, 3.3 miles adjacent to University of Utah campus
The Bonneville Shoreline Trail concept began in 1990 as an effort to preserve a heavily used mountain biking, jogging, and walking pathway along the urban/wild interface in the Wasatch Mountain foothills. By 1992 the University of Utah agreed to a recreation corridor to connect through Research Park and the University Medical Center area to Dry Creek Canyon to the North. University of Utah trailheads include, Dry Creek Trailhead, Red Butte Creek Road Trailhead, and Emigration Canyon Trailhead.
URL: https://www.bonnevilleshorelinetrail.org/

Bonderman Field Station at Rio Mesa, 380 acres
Established in 2008. Located along almost three miles of Dolores River in southeastern Utah, supports field-based interdisciplinary research, education, and other academic pursuits that emphasize ecology and the environment, human-environment interaction, or sustainable living on the Colorado Plateau.
URL: https://bonderman-station.utah.edu/

Taft Nicholson Center for Environmental Humanities, 16 acres
The Center in Montana’s Centennial Valley was established in 2013 to provide an opportunity to with intact ecological systems in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
URL: https://taft-nicholson.utah.edu/

Range Creek Field Station, 3,027 acres
An outdoor museum located in Utah’s West Tavaputs Plateau, with over 500 archeological sites dating from A.D.900-A.D. 1200. Range creek represents an exceptional intact mid-elevation watershed. Access to the Range Creek Field Station is administered by the Natural History Museum of Utah and is limited to pedestrian and horse traffic.
URL: https://nhmu.utah.edu/range-creek-field-station

State Arboretum of Utah/ Red Butte Garden and Arboretum , 1,647 acres
The University of Utah campus, including Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, is part of the State Arboretum of Utah which covers 1,500 acres to the east of the University of Utah campus, plus an additional 147 acres that includes the Red Butte Garden and Arboretum. The Arboretum was established in 1961 and includes over 8,000 trees of 300 different species. Red Butte Garden and Arboretum (100 acres) is part of the University of Utah. About 75 acres of the garden are natural lands, and 25 acres are designated for gardens and facilities.
URL: https://www.redbuttegarden.org/

ADJACENT
Matheson Nature Preserve and Governors Groves (14 acres)
Adjacent to Research Park, managed by Scott M. Matheson Park Foundation. This urban nature preserve contains trees and vegetation present in the Salt Lake Valley when the pioneers arrived in 1847. Along the extensive walking paths, visitors encounter native vegetation such as Big Sagebrush, Pinyon Pine, Hawthorn, Wild Roses, Rabbitbrush, and Chokecherry trees.

This is the Place Heritage Park
Part of the Utah State Parks system, this park has over 50 historic buildings and historical interpreters, and trail rides. It is adjacent to Research Park and the Matheson Nature Preserve. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail follows the park boundary.
URL: https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/heritage-park/

Wasatch Mountain Foothills Open Space (U.S. Forest Service, Salt Lake Ranger District)
Vast acreage of U.S. National Forest Service (USFS) property lies to the east of Salt Lake City adjacent to the University of Utah. The USFS property is typically steep, mountainous terrain accessible only by foot trails. Wasatch Mountain Foothills provide an important habitat for wildlife and critical winter range for mule deer. Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County planning supports keeping this property in public ownership, undeveloped, with pedestrian access. The 216,000 acres comprising the Salt Lake Ranger District are often referred to as an "urban forest" due to their close proximity to Salt Lake City, the Intermountain west's largest and fastest growing metropolitan area. The mountainous terrain provides recreation opportunities for more than a million people in less than a 30 minute drive. 60% of the drinking water for Salt Lake City residents comes from land managed by the Salt Lake Ranger District under the "Wasatch-Cache National Forest Plan (2003).
URL: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/uwcnf/recarea/?recid=8982

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:

June sucker (Chasmistes liorus)
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered; ESA: Listed as Endangered in 1986.
Since 2004 Red Butte Reservoir has hosted a refuge population of June sucker, (Chasmistes liorus) a unique lake sucker native to Utah Lake. June suckers have been proposed for reclassification to Threatened; (84 FR 65080 (11/26/2019)- Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassification of the Endangered June Sucker to Threatened with a Section 4(d) Rule. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2019-11-26/2019-25549 )

Bonneville Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki utah),
A native western subspecies historically found in the Bonneville Basin, and designated as the state fish of Utah. Until February 28, 1996, Bonneville cutthroat trout were considered candidate species for Federal listing. They are managed under a Utah Division of Natural Resources “Range-wide conservation agreement and strategy for Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki utah), 2000 in order to “eliminate the threats to Bonneville cutthroat trout that: (1) warrant listing as a sensitive species by state and Federal agencies, and (2) may warrant listing as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.” After a 2010 oil spill, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources re-stocked Red Butte Creek with Bonneville cutthroat trout.

Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:

Yes

A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:

Salt Lake City Campus Habitats
• Wasatch Mountains: Gambel oak, sagebrush, grassland, urban habitats, riparian (Red Butte Creek)
• Gambel oak (Quercus gambeli), Old growth groves of Gambel oak grow in the University of Utah Heritage Preserve, Red Butte Canyon RNA, and Research Park.
• Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), The University of Utah campus includes winter range for the Red Butte Mule Deer population. Red Butte Garden and Arboretum is surrounded by a high fence designed to exclude mule deer.

Bonderman Field Station Habitats
• Colorado Plateau; Blackbrush/saltbrush, Pinyon-juniper, Grassland, Riparian (Dolores River)

Range Creek Field Station
• Tavaputs Plateau: sagebrush, grassland, Riparian (Range Creek)

Taft-Nicholson Center
• Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

Wasatch Environmental Observatory
The 2085 km2 Jordan River Basin, and its seven sub-catchments draining the Central Wasatch Range immediately east of Salt Lake City, UT, are home to an array of hydrologic, atmospheric, climatic and chemical research infrastructure that collectively forms the Wasatch Environmental Observatory (WEO). Current infrastructure supports both basic and applied research in atmospheric chemistry, biogeochemistry, climate, ecology, hydrology, meteorology, resource management and urban redesign that is augmented through strong partnerships with cooperating agencies.
URL: https://environment.utah.edu/weo/

Red Butte Canyon RNA
The University of Utah offers courses in Biology, Ecology, Geology, and Meteorology with lab experiences involving the Red Butte Canyon RNA. These courses have generated flora and fauna lists, weather stations, hydrological data, GIS shape files.
URL: https://redbuttecanyon.net/

Bonderman Field Station, Bird Banding
The bird banding operation at Bonderman Field Station at Rio Mesa is an ongoing partnership with the Sekercioglu Lab since 2011. Researchers capture and band birds to gain valuable insights into population size, community structure, the timing of migration, and how avian groups are responding to anthropogenic threats
URL: https://bonderman-station.utah.edu/research/bird_banding.php

Range Creek Field Station
Researchers associated with the Garrett Herbarium (Natural History Museum of Utah) and Records of Environment and Disturbance Lab (Dept. of Geography) are using multiple lines of inquiry to reconstruct the climatic history of Range Creek Canyon including stratigraphic profiles, sediment cores and pack rat middens. In 2009, the Range Creek Research Project installed a permanent commercial-grade weather station. Beginning in 2011, the Field Station has coordinated monitoring studies designed to provide quantitative baseline data to better manage its conservation values.
URL: https://nhmu.utah.edu/range-creek/research

State Arboretum of Utah/ Red Butte Garden and Arboretum
Conducts conservation research focusing on the flora of the Intermountain West, with a particular focus on two ecoregions in Utah - the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin. The Red Butte Garden Plant Conservation and Research Department focuses on conserving rare plants, developing useful plants and improving wild land development.
URL: https://www.redbuttegarden.org/conservation-research/

A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):

Wasatch Environmental Observatory -- Ongoing
Red Butte Canyon NRA/Red Butte Creek -- Ongoing
Bonderman Field Station Bird Banding -- Ongoing
Tracking Environmental change in Range Creek -- Ongoing

A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:

Red Butte Creek Strategic Vision, Fall 2015
The final draft of the Strategic Vision was completed in fall 2015 and was granted preliminary University administration approval.
URL: https://redbuttecreek.utah.edu/strategic-vision/

U.S. Forest Service Research Natural Area Network
RNA designation is used by federal land management agencies to preserve a representative array of significant natural ecosystems.

University of Utah Heritage Preserve
on 4/18/2002 the University of Utah signed an agreement with Utah Open Lands giving the general public access to the Heritage Preserve for hiking, non-motorized biking, photography, and nature study. In 2021 almost 5 additional acres were added.

Salt Lake County Watershed Planning and Restoration Program
Salt Lake County Government is designated as the regional water quality planning authority, including Red Butte Creek.
URL: https://slco.org/watershed/

Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :

Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:

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Additional documentation to support the submission:

2021_annual_banding_report.pdf

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

ATTACHMENT

Bonderman Field Station at Rio Mesa 2021 Bird Banding Report

REFERENCES

Follstad Shah, Jennifer J., Ryan Bares, Brenda B. Bowen, Gabriel J. Bowen, David R. Bowling, David P. Eiriksson, Benjamin Fasoli et al. "The Wasatch Environmental Observatory: A mountain to urban research network in the semi‐arid western US." Hydrological Processes 35, no. 9 (2021): e14352.

Brooks, Paul D., James R. Ehleringer, Brenda B. Bowen, Gabriel J. Bowen, David R. Bowling, Steven J. Burian, Philip E. Dennison et al. "Red Butte Creek and the Wasatch Environmental Observatory: A Mountain to Urban Research Facility in the Semi-arid Western US." In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, vol. 2019, pp. PA13B-1004. 2019.

2003 Wasatch-Cache Revised Forest Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement
URL: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/uwcnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5076923&width=full

Kittelberger, Kyle D. "New regional record of Brechmorhoga mendax (Pale-faced Clubskimmer) in eastern Utah, with notes on the species’ status in Utah and known northern distribution boundaries." Journal of Odonatology 16 (2021): 327-350. (observation of a dragonfly species at Bonderman Field Station)

Data source(s) and notes about the submission