Project Details

The Parowan Front  project area is dominated by stands of pinyon and juniper trees with a high percentage of young trees encroaching areas of remaining sagebrush, bitterbrush, cliffrose, and other deciduous shrubs causing a downward trend in herbaceous cover. The project area serves as an important winter and transition range for mule deer. The I-15 corridor severly diminishes the amount of winter range accessible to the Panguitch Lake deer herd (unit 28). This project will help address these limiting factors by improving and adding critical high quality transitional and winter range for mule deer and other sage brush steppe species. The Panguitch Lake (unit 28) deer herd is currently above objective. The main limiting factor being winter range (doe tags and expensive re-location projects are being used to address this problem). This treatment will help to expand critical high quality habitat, and in return will help bring mule deer populations within  healthy carrying capacities for long term improvements in rangeland health. Accordingly, the Parowan Front Wildlife Management Plan states" due to the extent of the encroachment an aggressive thinning policy is to be carried out on the Parowan Front WMA's to improve habitat for wintering deer." Habitat improvement is important to minimize wildlife depredation on surrounding agricultural lands and to counteract the loss of habitat in surrounding areas due to development.

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.

Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management plan (2008)
The encroachment of pinyon and juniper threatens to choke out understory grass, forbs, and shrubs. Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire. In order for mule deer herds to thrive in Utah, it is essential that extensive habitat treatments be completed. To address the decline in mule deer habitat throughout Utah, restoration projects are being implemented to target habitat improvement on crucial mule deer ranges that have shifted in dominance to less desirable types or have degraded and provide little productivity.
 Panguitch lake Deer Herd Unit Mangement Plan (#28) 2015
The mid elevation upland site supports a pinyon-Utah juniper community and is generally considered to be in very poor condition for deer winter range. This community is prone to infilling from pinyon-juniper trees which can reduce understory shrub and herbaceous cover if not addressed. It is recommended that work to reduce the pinyon-juniper cover (e.g. bullhog, chaining, lop and scatter, etc.) should continue in this community.
Parowon Front Wildlifre management plan
All of the units on the Parowan Front WMA have pinyon-juniper forests that are encroaching on the sagebrush flats and choking out many of the browse species important to wintering deer. Several thinning (lop and scatter) and chaining projects have been done in the past to remedy this problem. However, due to the extent of the encroachment an aggressive thinning policy needs to be carried out on the Parowan Front WMA to improve habitat for wintering deer.
Southern Utah Support Area Fire Mangement Plan 2004 which states: Mechanicallly treat to convert pinyon and juniper invasion (condition class 3) into sagebrush/perennial grass (condition class 1 or 2) vegetation types. .
Utah's Standards and Guidelines for Rangeland Health which address watersheds, ecological condition, water quality and habitat for special status species
National Fire Plan (2000)
Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 which state protecting forests, woodlands, shrub lands, and grasslands from unnaturally intensive and destructives fires 
Utah Wildlife conservation Strategy (2005)

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.

The majority of the area is at moderate to extreme on the fire risk index. There is a large fuel load build up along the Parowan Front and an alteration in fuel types. Pinyon and juniper trees have expanded and moved into areas once dominated by shrubs, forbs, and grasses. Without this project, fuel conditions are such that a wildfire may be difficult to contain, leading to an increased risk to firefighter and public safety, suppression effectiveness and natural resource degradation. Fire Regime Condition Class within the project areas is predominately FRCC 3 which is where fire regimes have been extensiviely altered and risk of losing key ecosystem components from fire is high. Treatments identified within this proposal, including seeding with more fire resistant vegetation, would help reduce hazardous fuel loads, create fuel breaks, and reduce the overall threat of a catastrophic wildfire which could impact the communities of Cedar City, Summit and outlying residential properties and infrastructure. Treatments in and around the sagebrush areas would break up continuous fuels and reduce the risk of wildfire entering these sensitive areas. Removing pinyon and juniper in a mosaic pattern would also break up continuous fuels and reduce the risk of a high intensity wildfire. Because there is a geater risk of conversion of shrublands to annual grasslands under a high intensity fire, managed, pro-active treatments proposed would reduce the likelihood of cheatgrass invasion and help perennial grasses and forbs persist long-term.

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.

In the mastication process much of the bare soil will be covered by small pieces of woody debris which will aid in the establishment of vegetative cover, which will reduce water runoff and decrease soil erosion into Cedar Valley and Little Salt Lake Valley. Implementation of this project will also greatly increase water infiltration into the soil, recharging groundwater systems in the area.
 Recent research Roundy, et. al.(2014) has shown that mechanical treatments to remove pinyon and juniper increase time that soil water is available. Even four yhears after treatment, treated areas showed from 8.6 days to 18 days additional water availability at high elevation sites. Additional research by Young, et. al. (2013) also showed a relationship between tree removal and soil climates and wet days on these sites, which while providing more available moisture for desired vegetation could also provide moisture for weeds. Numerous studies have shown that increased infiltration rates and less overland flow improve both water quality and quantity.

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.

The BLM portion of this project falls within two authorized livestock (cattle) grazing allotments within the treatment area; Fiddlers Canyon and Webster Hill. Fiddlers Canyon is divided into 6 pastures that are grazed from 10/01-6/30 on a deferred rest rotation. A portion of this project will be in Pasture 3&4 where grazing occurs in the spring (either 4/15-5/31, 05/15-6/30 or rest.) Webster Hill is divided into two pastures that are grazed from 05/01-06/15. All areas seeded will be rested for a minimum of two growing seasons to ensure adequate rest and seedling establishment. Vegetation will continue to be monitored for utilization, cover and trend. Future maintenance projects to protect investments made by UWRI/BLM have been addressed and allowed through the project planning document (NEPA) planning process to allow other methods in the future. 
Parowan Front WMA's will be managed primarily for the benefit of wildlife. Grazing of cattle will be used on the WMA properties to reduce grasses and promote the growth of browse if deemed necessary by habitat management staff. Grazing will only be administered through a high intensity short-term period strategy, from early may to early June. Regional UDWR personnel will evaluate each unit for habitat quality on a yearly basis. At that time it will be decided what units, if any will be grazed by livestock (primarily cattle) the following year. 
Current grazing plans on private lands are different because of the operations size, number of livestock and available property. Currently on the farthest north property, previously listed, the producer is grazing 40 head of cattle for 60 days in late summer (August 1- September 30).  Because of the treatment type and condition of the range, NRCS Prescribed grazing tool indicate that's the producer could increase their stocking rate for the same time period, but they have decided not to.  
The property in Summit canyon is currently grazed for 90 days with 25 head of cattle.  Due to the understory and number of trees per acre (phase III) mastication has been recommended for the treatment.  Following NRCS practice 314 Brush Management (mastication), and 550 Range Planting (seeding), practice 645 Upland Wildlife Habitat Management will be scheduled that requires that the property be rested for two years and that low intensity monitoring takes place (trail camera, weed control and monitoring, and so on...).  There will also be a non-contractual prescribed grazing plan attached to this producers plan, providing technical assistance concerning the grazing management on the property.  This will be provide information is non-binding and will not require the producer to follow it, but will provide the producer with important information for future management.
The property that lies above the town Parowan is not under NRCS contract.  Currently no grazing of domestic livestock is taking place on the property, nor does the owner have future plans of grazing, and solely has the land for wildlife.  This property boarders the P Hill WMA along the south west.

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.

Rangeland conditions are expected to improve following implementation of the proposed vegetation project. The health, vigor, recruitment and production of perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs would improve which would provide a more palatable and nutritional source of forage for both livestock and wildlife. Implementation of this project would eventually improve overall livestock performance (e.g. increased cow weights, increased calf crops, increased weaning weights, etc) and improve the economic stability of the permittees due to an
increase in the quantity and quality of grasses and other herbaceous forage which are important to livestock grazing.
The private landowners should increases in available forage, and areas that will be used by livestock.  Thick woodlands have deter use by livestock, simply because there is easier and more desired areas to feed.  Opening these areas and increasing the amount of forage through planting will allow for livestock to disperse, potential providing relief to other areas that have been utilized historically.

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.