SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is proposing some updates to wildlife and waterfowl management area rules to align with recent legislative changes. The DWR is also proposing to allow an experimental introduction of white sturgeon into two waterbodies, as well as some other proposals, and is seeking the public's feedback on the recommendations.
Proposed rule changes for division land use
A law passed by the Utah Legislature in 2025 required anyone 18 years old or older to possess a hunting, fishing or combination license to access a wildlife management area or waterfowl management area in Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber counties. Under new legislation passed during the 2026 legislative session, individuals who do not have a hunting, fishing or combination license can instead watch an educational video about wildlife management areas and can obtain a free digital access permit to access WMAs in Utah. The new law will apply to all counties in Utah over a three-year period.
The previous exemptions for needing a license or digital access permit will still be in effect, along with a few new exemptions. Under this new legislation, individuals will also have the option to donate funding toward conservation or habitat projects on a specific WMA in Utah.
"Wildlife management areas and waterfowl management areas are primarily funded by the sale of Utah hunting and fishing licenses and permits," DWR Wildlife Lands Coordinator Chelsea Duke said. "These properties are uniquely important because they are the only public state lands in Utah whose sole purpose is enhancing and protecting wildlife resources. These lands ensure that critical wildlife habitat is conserved, conflicts between wildlife and private landowners are reduced and Utahns have dedicated places to participate in hunting, fishing and other wildlife-based recreation."
The new legislation will take effect on July 1, 2026, but the WMA requirements will only apply to WMAs in class one and class two counties — Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber counties — in 2026. As of July 1, 2027, the WMA requirements will be in effect for first-, second-, third- and fourth-class counties. By July 1, 2028, the WMA requirements will be in effect for all WMAs in Utah.
The DWR is proposing some rule updates to align with the latest legislation, including:
- Clarifying specifics for the content and delivery of the new educational video about WMAs that people must watch to receive the free digital access permit.
- Providing additional guidance on the issuance of the new digital access permit.
- Clarifying trails that begin and end outside of a WMA.
- Identifying circumstances when the division director may exempt individuals from the requirements to access a WMA.
- Establishing a process for accepting contributions and donations.
- Adding additional clarifying language in rule.
Proposed white sturgeon introduction and regulations
The DWR is also proposing the introduction of white sturgeon — a new sport fish species in Utah — into two Utah waterbodies: Hobbs Reservoir in Davis County and Grantsville Reservoir in Tooele County.
"We are exploring the use of white sturgeon to increase species diversity in Utah's fisheries, thereby enhancing the fishing experience for anglers who prefer waterbodies with multiple fish species," DWR Aquatics Assistant Section Chief Craig Walker said. "These proposed introductions are part of an effort to find new ways to manage fisheries amid changing water conditions, while simultaneously creating new fishing opportunities in the state."
A total of 100 white sturgeon would be stocked, with approximately 50 of these fish being stocked into each of the proposed waterbodies. The fishing regulations would be catch-and-release only for white sturgeon at both Hobbs Reservoir and Grantsville Reservoir.
Recommendations for furbearer harvest and trapping
In 2023, the Utah Legislature passed a law allowing year-round hunting of cougars with just a hunting or combination license and also allowing trapping of cougars. The DWR is proposing an update for trapping rules, including:
- Restricting the use of lethal trap sets on public land by hunters for targeted cougar harvest. (This recommended change would still allow livestock producers and their agents to continue using lethal trapping methods to protect livestock.)
Proposals for upland game and turkey
The DWR is proposing a few updates for upland game and turkey hunting rules, as well. Those recommended changes include:
- Requiring mandatory harvest reporting for wild turkey, as well as the associated late fee and other penalties for noncompliance.
- Increasing the number of control permits for turkey from two to five permits.
- Removing language that prohibits selling vouchers or charging access fees for control permit vouchers.
- Allowing multiple landowners to hunt each other's adjacent properties with those control permits and vouchers.
- Offering "nuisance hunter pool hunts" for turkeys, in addition to the existing turkey depredation hunts.
- Removing the requirement for a .25-mile buffer between commercial hunting areas and wildlife/waterfowl management areas.
- Adding turkey to the urban deer rule to provide municipalities additional options for trapping nuisance turkeys in urban areas.
- Paying qualifying landowners monetary compensation for turkey damage to haystacks, silage and seed.
CWMU rule amendments
The DWR oversees the Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit program, which allocates hunting permits to private landowners who then provide hunting opportunities to public and private hunters for a variety of wildlife species. The CWMU program in Utah has opened more than 2 million acres of private land to the public for hunting.
For 2026, there were 23 applications from CWMUs requesting the inclusion of public land, and three CWMUs requested season variances. The DWR is proposing to approve all of the CWMU applications and variance requests. The DWR is also proposing a rule update for CWMUs on hunting units that exceed population objectives. The proposal would allow the DWR director to waive the requirement for a CWMU to report to the CWMU Advisory Committee if there are extenuating circumstances or if it is determined that the CWMU has made reasonable efforts to reach objectives.
Other rule updates
The DWR is proposing a few other rule updates, including:
- Clarifying and updating the compensation for damages resulting from depredation from mountain lions, bears, eagles or wolves
- Creating a new rule — in alignment with recent legislation — regarding the consultation process for utility-scale renewable energy facilities to decrease potential impacts on wildlife and wildlife habitats.
Give feedback
The public meetings for the recommendations can either be viewed virtually or attended in person. You can view the biologists' presentations before the meetings and share your feedback about them on the DWR website. The presentations are also available on the DWR YouTube channel, but comments can only be submitted through the forms on the DWR website.
The public comment period opened on April 29 for each of the five Regional Advisory Council meetings and for the Utah Wildlife Board meeting. Public comments submitted within the online-comment timeframes listed below will be shared with the RAC and wildlife board members at each respective meeting. Members of the public can choose to either watch the meetings online or attend them in person. If you wish to comment during the meeting, you must attend in person. Online comments will only be accepted until the deadlines listed below.
The meetings will be held on the following dates and times:
- Central Utah RAC meeting: May 12 at 6 p.m. at the DWR Springville office at 1115 N. Main St. in Springville. (Online comments must be submitted by May 7 at 11:59 p.m.)
- Northern Utah RAC meeting: May 13 at 6 p.m. at the Weber County Commission Chambers at 2380 Washington Blvd. #240 in Ogden. (Online comments must be submitted by May 7 at 11:59 p.m.)
- Southern Utah RAC meeting: May 19 at 6 p.m. in the 2nd floor conference room of the R6 Regional Council Building at 82 E. 600 North in Richfield. (Online comments must be submitted by May 14 at 11:59 p.m.)
- Southeastern Utah RAC meeting: May 20 at 6 p.m. at the John Wesley Powell Museum at 1765 E. Main St. in Green River. (Online comments must be submitted by May 14 at 11:59 p.m.)
- Northeastern Utah RAC meeting: May 21 at 6 p.m. at the DWR Vernal office at 318 N. Vernal Ave. (Online comments must be submitted by May 14 at 11:59 p.m.)
- Utah Wildlife Board meeting: June 11 at 9 a.m. at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center at 1157 South Waterfowl Way in Farmington. (Online comments must be submitted by June 4 at 11:59 p.m.)