Project Details

Boreal Toad (Western Toad, Anaxyrus boreas boreas) populations have declined significantly throughout their range, as a result in 2011 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service received a petition requesting the agency list either the Eastern population or Southern Rocky Mountain population of the Boreal Toad as a threatened or endangered distinct population segment under the Endangered Species Act. In Utah, the Boreal Toad was listed as a state sensitive species in 1995 at which time the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) began conducting surveys to determine the status of existing populations. Boreal Toad populations in Utah's Southeast Region have significantly declined; previous reports even suggested Boreal Toad may be extirpated from all historical sites (Breidinger 2009).  However, in July 2015 UDWR discovered three adult Boreal Toads on East Mountain in Emery County.  We also identified a large number of Boreal Toad tadpoles in a shallow wetland nearby the spring where adults were found.

Prior to the finding on East Mountain, surveys were focused on North Horn Mountain where four adult toads have been encountered since 2000; however, egg masses, tadpoles, and metamorphs have not yet been discovered on North Horn Mountain.  Finding tadpoles and metamorphs on East Mountain was the first known documentation of successful breeding and recruitment of Boreal Toad in UDWR's Southeastern Region.

Precipitation from rain events or snow melt causes water to run over the road grade and pool up in a depression on the road. This creates two issues, first vehicles have been traveling around the bog to avoid getting stuck, second we found toad egg strands in the road, these eggs did hatch, however all tadpoles were eventually ran over or dried up (we moved as many as we could back into the pond).  Installing a stand pipe drain made of 6" pvc (or culvert) will drain the overflow water under the road and supply a complex of wet meadows down the valley.  The berms needed to hold water (east side of road below breeding pond) only need to be 12-18" tall to mimic the shallow wet meadow on the west side of the road that is being impounded by the road grade. This will fix the drainage problem on the road and create additional breeding habitat.

Additionally, we have observed tadpoles drying up due to lack of summer rain in previous years, making yearly recruitment of toads very dependent on infrequent and variable summer storms. This small site is the only known breeding habitat on the Manti-La Sal National Forest, if we can increase the available breading habitat and survival of this small population we can reasonably expect to see expansion to nearby areas.  We need ~480' of pipe to connect the spring to the breeding site, and 1,100 feet of poly-pipe to run to the proposed livestock trough areas.

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.

WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN (WAP):
Boreal Toad (Western Toad) is included in the WAP, this project as proposed directly addresses threats associated with the Wildlife Action Plan. Boreal Toad population threats addressed by this proposal include: Drought, and Improper Livestock Ranching (Page 341). Projects proposed under the future management section (controlled burns for aspen regeneration)  relate to the threat of "Fire and Fire Suppression".  The WAP also identifies the following conservation actions to achieve these objectives: 1) Adjust grazing practices per the grazing principles of timing, duration and intensity to improve conditions of habitat, water and wildlife. 2) Restore aquatic habitat complexity.

Boreal Toad Conservation Plan for the State of Utah: 
The goal of the Boreal toad Conservation Plan is to "maintain or restore multiple, viable breeding populations in nine of the 14 mountain ranges or geologic areas in Utah where boreal toad historically occurred ." The Plan identifies seven key Conservation Strategies including: "Identify and reduce threats from habitat loss and degradation (Habitat Management)," and "Restore populations in suitable historic and potential habitats." The proposed project will work to improve current breeding habitat on East Mountain and to expand breeding habitat to other portions of the drainage.  Taking actions to protect and increase Boreal Toad breading sites directly relates to the goal of creating self sustaining  populations.  A population can be considered self sustaining when breeding, recruitment, and multiple age classes have been observed at a minimum of three breeding sites per mountain range or geologic area in three of the past five years.  This project is intended to increase breeding site habitat and survival of all life-stages at our only known breeding site so they can expand to new areas.

UTAH MULE DEER STATEWIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN:
The project meets Habitat Objective 2 to improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer habitat (p. 19).  Shrubs will be planted around the fringes of the meadows to create browse for mule deer.  High quality browse species such as  true mountain mahogany, cliffrose, serviceberry, and bitterbrush will be used (depending on availability).

UTAH ELK STATEWIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN
This project meets Habitat Objective 2 to improve the quality and quantity of forage and cover of elk habitat (pp. 14-15). Creating wet meadows will result in additional forage for elk.

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.

Installing a stand pipe or open bottom culvert will drain the overflow water under the road and supply a complex of wet meadows down the valley.  The berms needed to hold water (east side of road below breeding pond) will be 12-18" tall to mimic the shallow wet meadow on the west side of the road that is being impounded by the road grade.  Additionally we are looking at designing a open bottom culvert to pass water used the road.  This method is beneficial as adult toads can move under the road reducing the threat of road mortality.

During the joint UDWR / USFS field day  berms will be constructed using hand tools (picks, shovels, tampers, etc). A skid-steer or small backhoe attachment might also be used for rocky or difficult  to dig areas.

An elevation survey from the spring to the breeding pond will establish the best route for the pipe and determine how much of the hill will need to be cut.  A trenching attachment or excavator will likely be needed for this effort.  Running water from the spring to the breeding site will allow us to control the amount of water flowing through the lower complex of wet meadows.  A locking valve box will be buried in a hidden location near the spring to control the flow rate.

Vegetation and Grazing Management:
Cattle troughs will be installed to the North and South (see attachment) of the project area and supplied with fresh water from the main spring.  This will draw cows away from the breeding site and provide a water source if the breeding site is fenced in the future.

Seeding disturbed areas and planting shrubs around the edges of the meadows will increase forage for deer and elk.  For the shrubs, bareroot or containerized planting stock will be used to shorten the period of seedling vulnerability.  Meadow sedge and beaked sedge will be seeded around the new wet-meadows. Both sedge species are typically found in areas of shallow water or immediately adjacent to water. These include swamps, wet meadows, pond or lake shores, streams, old riverbanks. Water sedge is grazed by many ungulates, is high in nutrition and also has high protein content. Beaked sedge grows in Utah up to 10,500 ft (our site is a 10,200') Animal preference for beaked sedge varies seasonally. Beaked sedge provides good forage in the spring but becomes tough during the summer; however, palatability in riparian areas is higher late in the growing season. Elk consume beaked sedge late in the season (USU Extension).

Native bunch grasses will also be in the seed mix that will do well above standing water in the meadow bottoms. Streambank wheatgrass (or thickspike wheatgrass) is found at elevation from 4,000-11,000 feet. It is found on dry hillsides, exposed flat ridges, well-drained meadows, along roadsides and other disturbed sites. It can withstand moderate flooding, but will not tolerate long periods of inundation. Streambank wheatgrass's low stature and fine herbage make it a good source of forage for cattle, horses and deer (USU Extension).  All planting will be done by hand in the fall after all ground disturbance is complete. Seeding will be in and adjacent to the meadows below the springs.

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.

Now that a breeding site has been discovered we plan to conduct additional water quality and habitat data that will provide insight into breeding habitat selection and conduct inventory of suitable habitat in the surrounding area.  Due to the sensitive status of Boreal Toad, the USFS is cooperating with UDWR to determine if a self sustaining population of Boreal Toads persists on East Mountain. A population can be considered self sustaining when breeding, recruitment, and multiple age classes have been observed at a minimum of three breeding sites per mountain range or geologic area in three of the past five years (Hogrefe et. al. 2005).

In the future UDWR would like to work with the USFS to create a long term plan to improve grazing practices (add rotational pastures) as well as implement aspen & range regeneration project (controlled burns, forb planting) to improve wildlife habitat.  Boreal Toad and other sensitive species will also be considered in future big game projects so that multiple game and conservation species will benefit.

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.