CLEARFIELD, Utah, April 10, 2026 – The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) continues its long-term investment in the future of Utah’s mule deer habitat through its ongoing financial support of the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI), a statewide partnership focused on large-scale habitat improvement. WRI is managed by the Utah Department of Natural Resources which unites state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, and private landowners to enhance wildlife habitats, restore ecosystems, and mitigate wildfire risks through strategic landscape restoration.
As the largest contributing organization, MDF committed $2.4 million across 63 different projects. This accounted for over one-third of the more than $6 million pledged collectively by Utah’s leading conservation groups. For example, MDF supported upcoming habitat work on more than 3,100 acres along the Twelve Mile Canyon Watershed near Mayfield, UT to improve mule deer habitat, and a new southeast Utah study to identify the best locations and mitigation measures for reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions along highways with high deer mortality.
“The projects the Mule Deer Foundation supports and leads align with our core mission to ensure the conservation of mule deer and their habitat,” said Greg Sheehan, President and CEO of the Mule Deer Foundation. “While our focus is on efforts that can benefit Utah’s mule deer, these conservation efforts help other wildlife such as turkey, pronghorn, elk, and bighorn sheep that share these same landscapes.”
Since it began, WRI has improved millions of acres, targeting key conservation needs such as conifer removal, forest fuels reduction, invasive species treatment, reseeding native plants, and riparian restoration. These efforts improve forage availability for mule deer while also providing for the needs of other wildlife species.
“Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative is one of the most impactful programs we have for improving mule deer habitat at a meaningful scale,” said Tyler Meservy, the Mule Deer Foundation’s Habitat Partnership Coordinator for Utah. “These unifying efforts across boundaries in critical watersheds increases the quality of forage and water resources that can support mule deer and other wildlife for decades to come.”
Over the last 20 years, MDF has supplied WRI with more than $20 million that has gone directly into the ground while also leading projects in recent years. This work contributed to MDF’s 2025 overallimpact, which benefitted 537,195 acres and 129 mule deer herds across the West. This investment enables MDF to sustain momentum and further support the growth of mule deer populations across the state.
About the Mule Deer Foundation
The Mule Deer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer, and their habitat. Through science-based management, partnerships, and community engagement, MDF works to enhance wildlife populations and maintain healthy, connected landscapes for future generations.
Media Contact: Karina Puikkonen, 385-449-7060, karinap@muledeer.org
