Like every other chapter in BHA, our Utah members have spent a good chunk of the fall hitting the mountains hard during hunting season. We managed to slip in a few events before the hunting season ramped up. In early August, we teamed up with our Utah friends from Klymit, a Utah brand dedicated to providing lightweight sleeping gear for a pint night at Fisher Brewing in Salt Lake City. Klymit donated some awesome sleep system giveaways and raffle prizes. Every attendee went home with an inflatable glassing pad from Klymit to put to the test in the wild places we go! Thanks to Klymit for partnering with BHA and contributing to the public lands mission.
Right before the archery season, we were also able to collaborate with our local Patagonia outlet on a panel discussion event. Outdoor recreationists from a multitude of user groups (some hunters, some not) joined us at the Patagonia outlet store for an open panel discussion with BHA board members on hunting, ethics and policy. This was a fantastic opportunity to engage with a different community and help provide BHA’s perspective on hunting and public lands issues. Thank you to Patagonia for opening its doors to us, and we look forward to future opportunities to work together.
Lastly, at the end of August and beginning of September we partnered with Trout Unlimited and the Wild Utah Project on a stream and riparian area restoration project involving the installation of beaver dam analogs on Chalk Creek. Beaver dam analogs are man-made beaver dams that can support stream restoration by reconnecting floodplains, increasing water storage and can provide habitat for threatened species. Our chapter hopes to continue work in these areas and continue to monitor the effectiveness of the BDA’s next year.
With the hunting season at its peak, our next events will be held in the winter months. Hopefully, we have a strong harvest to report! As we work our way into 2020, the board will be entering its strategic planning phase. If you have feedback for the board on things you would like to see in 2020, don’t be afraid to reach out to us at [email protected]!