Woodruff Co‑op WMA plan emphasizes cooperative grazing, water improvements and seasonal closures

Brad Hunt, assistant habitat manager for the Northern Region, presented the Woodruff Co‑op Wildlife Management Area (WMA) habitat management plan update and explained why the parcel’s patchwork ownership (DWR, Bureau of Land Management, Trust Land Authority and private land) requires coordinated management.

Hunt described core habitat issues: limited water availability concentrates wildlife near water, invasive crested wheatgrass reduces forage diversity, and perimeter fencing sometimes restricts movement for pronghorn and other species. The WMA’s roughly 5,293 acres include DWR parcels, large BLM blocks and smaller Trust Land Authority parcels; staff plan additional range trend monitoring and possible new trend sites.

Planned steps include deploying more GPS collars to document use by mule deer and pronghorn, converting or removing hazardous fencing in coordination with partners, targeted sagebrush plantings (1,300 saplings recently planted were cited), seasonal access restrictions (December 1 to the second Saturday in April closed to all access; foot traffic only until May 15 then motorized access resumed) and habitat improvements such as solar pumps to support year‑round water at critical ponds.

Council members discussed options such as virtual fencing to support rotational grazing; staff said the local grazer is currently more comfortable with removable electric fencing. The council accepted the presentation and offered two weeks for additional comments to inform final plan text.