SALT LAKE CITY — During an emergency meeting on Friday morning, the Utah Wildlife Board approved a few options for hunters whose hunts may be impacted by the Monroe Canyon Fire. Two new board members were also sworn in during the meeting and began their 6-year terms serving on the Utah Wildlife Board.
The Monroe Canyon Fire was reported on July 13, and as of Aug. 1, it has burned over 55,000 acres with only 7% containment. It is currently the most active and largest wildfire in Utah. As a result, land-management agencies have issued area closures.
The current closure order is in effect until Oct. 31. Currently, the fire closures are impacting access to:
- 67% of mule deer habitat in the area: During the archery and muzzleloader seasons, 80% of deer typically remain in the areas that are now closed because of the fire, with 60-70% remaining in those same areas during the general-season rifle hunts.
- 72% of elk habitat: During the archery, early rifle, muzzleloader and midseason rifle hunts, 80% of elk typically remain in the areas that are now closed because of the fire.
- 50-60% of the entire Monroe hunting unit
Road access to the open areas is currently limited to four U.S. Forest Service roads, some of which include rough terrain. The other five access routes in the area are currently closed, which further impacts hunting access.
In total, roughly 1,200 hunters have permits for hunts that will be impacted by the wildfire on this specific hunting unit area, which include:
- General-season deer archery: Aug. 16 to Sept. 12
- General-season deer muzzleloader: Sept. 24 to Oct. 2
- Limited-entry multiseason bull elk: All seasons
- Limited-entry bulk elk archery: Aug. 16 to Sept. 16
- Limited-entry bull elk early any-legal weapon: Sept. 17-21
- Limited-entry bull elk muzzleloader: Sept. 22 to Oct. 3
- Limited-entry bull elk mid any-legal weapon: Oct. 4-16
- Limited-entry fall black bear: Aug. 1-31 and Nov. 3-9
Because of the uniqueness and intensity of this wildfire and the associated closures, the Utah Wildlife Board approved the following options for hunters during Friday's meeting:
- Hunters can keep their permit and hunt any open accessible areas not closed by the wildfire.
- Hunters can surrender their permit up to the day before their hunt starts, which would allow DWR to reinstate their bonus or preference points (including a point for the current year), waive the waiting period, if applicable, and provide a refund (minus a $25 handling fee).
- Hunters can extend their hunt to the 2026 hunting season. To qualify for this option, the hunter must respond to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' email notice by the day before their hunt starts and must also surrender their permit to DWR by the day before their hunt starts, in order to be eligible to extend their hunt to next year.
These options include hunts (and any related vouchers and permits) in the landowner, Conservation Permit and Landowner Association programs.
"We wanted to provide some relief options for hunters whose hunts would be severely impacted by the current wildlife and associated closures," Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Licensing Coordinator Lindy Varney said. "While wildfires occur in Utah almost every summer and fall, this particular fire closed a significant portion of this hunting unit. And because the closure will be in effect past when the majority of the hunts are over, we wanted to offer some emergency options for hunters on this unit."
Options were also approved for those enrolled in the Dedicated Hunter program with permits in the Monroe hunting unit:
- First year in the program: They can surrender out of the program and receive full preference points and a refund (minus a $25 handling fee) or extend a year.
- Second year: They can surrender out of the program and receive 2/3 preference points and a refund (minus a $25 handling fee), or extend a year.
- Third year: They can surrender out of the program and receive 1/3 preference points and a refund (minus a $25 handling fee) or extend a year.
If the Monroe Canyon Fire conditions and closure areas do not improve, the Utah Wildlife Board approved extending the same options for hunters on later hunts in the same area, as well, including:
- General-season buck deer any legal weapon: Oct. 18-26
- Limited-entry buck deer muzzleloader hunt on general-season unit: Oct. 29 to Nov. 6
- Limited-entry bull elk late any legal weapon: Nov. 8-16
- Limited-entry bull elk late archery: Nov. 29 to Dec. 14
- General-season antlerless elk: Oct. 4-16
- General-season antlerless deer: Sept. 1-30
New board members
Four individuals were also recently confirmed to the seven-person Utah Wildlife Board and two of them were sworn in and began their service during Friday's meeting. The four new board members are:
- Bob Christensen of Altamont
- Ryan Foutz of North Salt Lake
- Justin Oliver of West Haven
- Christopher Robinson of Park City
All four men were nominated by Gov. Spencer Cox to serve on the Utah Wildlife Board and were confirmed by the Utah Senate on June 18. They will each serve a six-year term, beginning Aug. 1. They replace four outgoing board members: Randy Dearth, Wade Heaton, Bret Selman and Bryce Thurgood.
Christensen has worked as a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Forest Service for nearly 25 years. He also served on the Northeast Regional Advisory Council for eight years, two of which he served as the RAC chair. He also served on the statewide elk committee.
Foutz has over 36 years of experience working in the wholesale and retail industry, currently as the vice president of Kings Camo. He has also been the operator of the Woodruff Creek South CWMU for 25 years. In addition, Foutz served seven years on the Northern Regional Advisory Council, and also served as the Utah Wild Sheep Foundation president for seven years.
Oliver has worked in construction for nearly 30 years. He also served on the Northern Region RAC for eight years — four years of which included serving as chair — and also served on the CWMU rules committee. Oliver has also served as a board member for charitable organization Hunts for the Brave.
Robinson is the CEO and co-owner of The Ensign Group, L.C., which owns, operates, and manages over 1 million acres of private and public lands located in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming under the Ensign Ranches name. He is the president of four CWMUs and the president of one Landowner Association. Robinson also serves as the chair of The Nature Conservancy of Utah and is currently serving on the CWMU advisory committee and on the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Domesticated Elk Advisory Council.
The Utah Wildlife Board approves the rules and regulations regarding hunting, fishing and wildlife management in the state. During their time serving on the wildlife board, its members will attend the public Wildlife Regional Advisory Council meetings in their respective regions and will also attend roughly six public wildlife board meetings in Farmington each year. The positions are unpaid, and members of the board do not become employees of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
You can watch the full meeting on the Utah Department of Natural Resources YouTube channel.
