Project Details

This is the second phase of a multi phase project to improve sagebrush habitat on the western foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains.  Healthy sagebrush ecosystems should consist of a diverse array of plants and support a wide variety of wildlife species.  However, sagebrush habitat on the western foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains is becoming degraded due to juniper encroachment.  Where junipers dominate they out compete understory species for light, moisture, and nutrients eventually resulting in nearly complete removal of the understory.  Without understory vegetation the native seed bank is depleted and the site becomes susceptible to soil erosion and invasion by cheatgrass.  Excessive fuel buildup can eventually lead to catastrophic wildfire which may threaten private property and further degrade the ecosystem by promoting the growth and expansion of cheatgrass.  Once established, cheatgrass becomes a major obstacle preventing the recolonization and growth of native perennial vegetation.  In order to curb this process of degradation it is essential that action be taken.  Degraded sagebrush habitat can be improved by removing junipers and reseeding with perennial species.  This proactive approach reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfire and possible cheatgrass encroachment by decreasing fuel loads and replenishing the seedbank with desirable species.  The Salt Lake Field Office of the BLM will treat the encroaching juniper to decrease the risk of high severity wildfire, restore ecosystem function, and improve wildlife habitat.  The bullhog contract cost for the BLM partnership is Fuels Management funding.

1, 561 acres were treated in phase 1 and multiple non-designated routes were obliterated and reseeded to discourage cross country OHV use.

Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.

Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.

LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.

TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.

Stockton Bullhog Phase II – Relation to Management Plans

The proposed action and alternatives are consistent with federal, state and local laws, regulations, and plans to the maximum extent possible.

1)Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule deer. Section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This plan will address Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2013 (p11-12). Strategy C. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that are being taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. Strategy f. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages.

2)Oquirrh-Stansbury Deer Herd Management Plan, Deer Herd Unit # 18 (2006) - Habitat -. Encroachment by juniper trees and the resultant loss of forage production, diversity and quality is very widespread. Habitat Management Strategies; Continue to restore and improve sagebrush steppe habitats critical to deer according to DWR’s
Habitat Initiative, Cooperate with federal land management agencies and private landowners in carrying out habitat improvements such as reseedings, controlled burns, [mechanical juniper removal], and water developments on public lands.

3)The Utah Smoke Management Plan (1999, 2006 revision). By using mechanical mastication this plan will accomplish Goal #5, Use of alternative methods to burning for disposing of or reducing the amount of wildland fuels on lands in the State (p3).

4)State of Utah Hazard Mitigation Plan (March 2011) this plan accomplishes statewide goals including 1) Protection of natural resources and the environment, when considering mitigation measures and 2) Minimize the risk of wildfire (p12). http://publicsafety.utah.gov/emergencymanagement/documents/IntroductionMarch2011.pdf

5)The Fire Management Planning (FMP) for the Salt Lake District Office (SLDO) 1998 EA UT-020-1998-0008 as amended by the interim implementation guidance (FMP 2004). This project is within the Fire Management Units B06 28 and A10 10. Within this Unit vegetation management would include a wide variety of management activities including mechanical manipulation, seeding to less flammable and more desirable species, fuel break establishment, and other strategies which will improve the fire regime condition class.

6)BLM Land Management Plan, Pony Express-EIS (1988) proposed decision 12 (p 31), Objectives - To improve crucial habitats by implementing vegetation treatments such as prescribed fire, seeding, and other mechanical manipulations.

List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.

If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.

Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.

Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.

Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.

Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.

List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.

Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.

Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.