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Show Report^ show that from 1962 to 1971 Utah County has annually provided an average of 15.2 percent of the Statewide harvest of pheasants and received an average of 16.9 percent of the hunting pressure. The marshes and thick cover around Utah Lake provide excellent winter and summer habitat. Provo Bay, and to a lesser extent, Goshen Bay and Benjamin Slough, constitute exceptionally good winter habitat. Birds are known to migrate several miles in order to winter in these bay areas. 1! 2 Provo Bay, especially, is one of the State's most important pheasant habitats primarily because of its high quality winter cover. On the basis of Statewide importance to the upland game bird resource, sage grouse rank fourth in total harvest and sixth in providing hunter- days of recreation. 69 Originally, the sage grouse population in the vicinity of Strawberry Reservoir was of Statewide significance but a substantial loss of habitat due to application of herbicides has resulted in a significant decline in abundance„ The existing population is the only one of importance in the Bonneville Unit area. The decline in the sage grouse population of this area is illustrated by harvest statistics for Wasatch County presented in the 1972 Utah Upland Game Annual Report. 69 in 1963 Wasatch County provided nearly 10 percent of the total Statewide harvest and satisfied about 8 percent of the hunting pressure on the species. Comparable statistics for 1971 are 1.1 and 2.5 percent, respectively. The total quantity and quality of Statewide sage grouse habitat has not yet been determined. 120 Non- game birds are receiving increasing attention from naturalists, educators and the general public and have achieved particular prominence on Utah Lake. The Timpanogos Chapter of the Utah Audubon Society has identified about 80 species that spend at least part of the year in the Provo Bay area alone. The rare greater sandhill crane has been observed nesting in the Strawberry Valley. The U. S. Forest Service Basic Resource Report for Rock Creek and the N^ rth Fork of the Duchesne River area72 reports the rare Prairie falcon to be a permanent resident of this area. Golden eagles are known to nest on the rocky slopes of the Diamond Fork area. Waterfowl in Utah constitute a major renewable natural resource of State, National, and international significance. Utah's vast marsh areas, particularly in the vicinity of the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, and other fresh water bod ies, and the larger rivers provide excellent habitat for migrating, nesting and wintering ducks and geese. Thousands of migrating birds from the Pacific and Central Flyways utilize the Unit area during their annual spring 140 |
