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Main Menu Search Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative
  • White Sage Habitat Restoration Project Phase 3
  • Region: Southern
  • ID: 7541
Project Status: Proposed
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Comments

Project

  • Clare Poulsen
    Feb 2, 2025, 2:16:53 PM
    Bryce in your write up you made several references to seeding, and the pictures showed very little understory. I did not see a seed mix attached under seed or see it in the costs. I would think that this would be part of the project. Was this an oversight or is it being handle in some other way. It it is being done in some other way I would address it better in the write up.
  • Bryce Monroe
    Feb 5, 2025, 5:30:44 PM
    Clare, thanks for your comment. With the seed/seeding the plan is using dribblers attached to the machines. The seed mix will consist of bitterbrush, cliffrose and small burnet. In the documents/images there are a couple pictures of the phase 2 of this project showing the native grasses already getting established and that phase was completed last fall of 23. Phase 2 had zero seed applied so we had a very good response after the treatment.
  • Danielle Finlayson
    Feb 3, 2025, 5:21:39 PM
    Hi Bryce - just wondering how this project will specifically benefit fringed myotis? I didn't see any wording in the write-up.
  • Kendall Bagley
    Feb 5, 2025, 4:09:30 PM
    Danielle, we have added some information associated with the Fringed Myotis as it pertains to this projects and past projects in the area that will also benefit them as well. Thanks for the comment
  • Judi Brawer
    Feb 5, 2025, 2:50:20 PM
    I echo Clare's comment - please provide a seed mix. Also, is Ensign Ranches providing anything financially? Pretty sure they can afford it.
  • Bryce Monroe
    Feb 5, 2025, 5:32:03 PM
    Judi with the seed/seeding the plan is using dribblers attached to the machines. The seed mix will consist of bitterbrush, cliffrose and small burnet. In the documents/images there are a couple pictures of the phase 2 of this project showing the native grasses already getting established and that phase was completed last fall of 23. Phase 2 had zero seed applied so we had a very good response after the treatment.
  • Kendall Bagley
    Feb 11, 2025, 5:48:19 PM
    The Ensign Ranches have benefited over ~15,000 acres to Wildlife Habitat improvements on USFS Grazing Allotments, Private Landownerships and Fire Rehab Projects within the Pahvant and Beaver WMU all of which is coming though in-kind services, equipment, labor, Federal (NRCS) and State Funding (UGIP). Ensign Ranches have also partnered with UDWR on Cooperative Agreements in the past providing "Cash" money towards Habitat Projects in the past. This year the Pahvant Ensign Ranches are working on installing several miles of new fence along with installing a pipeline and several water troughs that were damaged in the Silver King Fire of 2024. This project will require a lot of time, money and equipment along with labor to get this done this year, and is a priority for the ranch at this time.
  • Judi Brawer
    Feb 5, 2025, 2:59:07 PM
    I echo Clare's comment - please provide the seed mix. Also, is Ensign Ranches providing anything financially to this project? It looks like current livestock grazing is an issue. You mention that there will be a deferred rotation system put in place. Is this different than the current system? How will grazing management change to ensure the long-term success of this project?
  • Kendall Bagley
    Feb 11, 2025, 5:38:10 PM
    See Bryce Monroe's response 2/5/2025 for answers to the seeding question. The Ensign Ranches have benefited over ~15,000 acres to Wildlife Habitat improvements on USFS Grazing Allotments, Private Landownerships and Fire Rehab Projects within the Pahvant and Beaver WMU a lot of this coming though in-kind services, equipment, labor, Federal (NRCS) and State Funding (UGIP). As for the information pertaining to the grazing there are three (3) trend studies found within the pasture associated with the project dating back as far as 1968. Each study has elements of stable or upward trend with the exception one instance where there is a downward trend on ground cover due to Juniper encroachment and loss of understory. One of the studies that is within an area we finished treatment shows a strong upward trend on all elements. Utilization has been between 24% and 47%. The grazing system remains the same. We will continue to meet with grazing permittees yearly to discuss grazing management and strive for improvement through adaptive management.
  • Gary Bezzant
    Feb 19, 2025, 3:48:50 PM
    Great Project Bryce - The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources held an internal meeting with habitat and wildlife staff to rank value to high interest game species and this project was recognized as the #13 Deer and #2 turkey project.