Completion Form

2021

The USFS in partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the NRCS worked together to identify treatment areas where pinyon and juniper were encroaching on the understory vegetation.  Once project areas were identified the UDWR hired a contractor that was supervised by USFS staff. The lop and scatter started on 09/03/2020 and was completed on 10/9/21.  2,238 acres were completed. As part of this project we also planned to build BDAs in Harker Canyon, but upon further review it seemed that water levels were low; in addition,  the DWR Biologists who was leading this BDA effort, left the agency and so we did not get those BDAs done. We also planned to do a lot of cultural surveys for shrub planting on the west side of the Stansbury's but there was the Big Springs Fire that occurred within this area and our DWR archeologist was able to utilize previous surveys that had been done and saved a lot of money. There were bullhog acres originally planned as part of this project but we did not receive funding for this portion of the project.

The USFS in partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the NRCS worked together to identify treatment areas where pinyon and juniper were encroaching on the understory vegetation along the Stansbury Mountain range. The Stansbury Mountains have had limited watershed restoration activities conducted, primarily on Forest Service System lands, with some work conducted by BLM, NRCS and the State of Utah.  A watershed assessment conducted by the Forest Service in 2016 showed the need to improve watershed conditions in several areas, including but not limited to; fuels management, restoration of rangelands and wildlife habitat, improved soil conditions by increasing cover of grass, forb and shrub species on lands encroached on by Juniper, improved water quality by managing road systems, dispersed camping and motorized routes to comply with the agency's approved travel management plan, and treatment of noxious weeds.  The need was also identified to work with adjacent ownerships and partner agencies to improve these same conditions across all ownership types within the Stansbury Range. 
To address these concerns we planned this project. There will be future phases of this project as well and this was a great first step.

Robert Edgel

08/27/2021 12:37:05