Program adds 10 bird sites

The Utah Important Bird Areas (IBA) program, which operates under the auspices of the National Audubon Society, recently added 10 new sites in Utah.

They include the five major bays on the Great Salt Lake — Farmington, Ogden, Bear River, Gilbert (or South Arm), Gunnison (or North Arm); Provo and Goshen Bay on Utah Lake; Cutler Marsh-Amalga Barrens in Cache County; the Upper Strawberry Watershed in Wasatch County; and Lytle Preserve in Washington County.

These 10 new sites add to the five sites recognized last year at this time: Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, Deseret Land and Livestock Ranch, Fremont River (within Capitol Reef National Park), and Clear Lake Waterfowl Management Area.

Important Bird Areas are sites that provide essential habitat for one or more species of birds, and meet criteria established by Utah's IBA Technical Team, which includes many of the state's leading ornithologists.

"The IBA program is an excellent way to identify critical areas for birds across the world and in Utah," said Val Grant, president of the Bridgerland Audubon Society and chair of Utah's IBA Technical Team. "The inclusion of specific properties grants no management authority nor enables any landowner restrictions from the IBA program. But by working cooperatively with landowners, the hope is that the areas can continue to be monitored and conserved for the future."

For more information, go to www.wasatchaudubon.org.