Project Details

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 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.

West Box Elder CRMP
Objectives/Strategies: 
a)	Vegetation cover is managed to promote infiltration and recharge. Continue On-going Public and Private Pinyon/Juniper Treatments. 
b)	To maintain momentum, continue on-going treatment efforts, using mechanical means as well as fire to remove encroaching pinyon/juniper and reseeding areas with shrubs, grasses, and forbs, and ensure maintenance of areas treated in the past. 
c)	Recognize and publicize successful treatments in maps, on websites, and in end-of-season press releases. 
d)	Winter Rangeland Improvement. Implement Forage Improvements. Based on the results of the forage assessment, seek funding for recommended improvements. Start with projects on private land to avoid extended timeframes associated with NEPA review and other agency procedures. 
This project addresses reseeding for improving species diversity of understory species and browsing species in sage-steppe.  This is a cooperative effort involving a CWMU, and four private landowners within important sagebrush habitat.
http://www.utahcbcp.org/htm/groups/boxelder

UDWR Mule Deer Unit #1 Mgt. Plan
Objectives/Strategies: 
a)	Pinyon-juniper encroachment on summer and winter range in Unit 1A is increasing resulting in less forage and increased fire risk.
b)	Additional threats and losses to deer summer and winter range in the West Box Elder area is the reduction in habitat quality due to the loss of critical browse species (sagebrush, bitterbrush etc). 
c)	To address habitat quality and degradation, habitat improvement projects have been, and will continue to be planned throughout the unit. Through annual grass control and shrub plantings, and pinyon-juniper thinning/removal on summer, winter, and transitional range in West Box Elder.
d)	In critical winter range habitat, Pinyon-Juniper expansion is a crucial aspect of winter browse species loss. Projects that address the removal of P/J from these areas are of high importance and should be addressed whenever possible.
e)	These projects should be done on public and private lands when the opportunity is available. Addressing these needs on private land is crucial as a large majority of winter range falls on private lands. All tools that are available should be considered, such as chaining, lop and scatter, bullhog removal, and chemical removal as well. In accomplishing the removal of P/J on private land, private landowners' needs should also be considered.
f)    Raft River range should be focused on removal of encroaching pinyon-juniper, and reestablishing understory with summer and winter browse species as well as species of plants that can be used in the spring by wintering deer.
This project addresses removal of PJ and reseeding for improving species diversity of understory species and browsing species in sage-steppe.  This is a cooperative effort involving a CWMU, and four private landowners within important mule deer winter range.
http://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/plans/deer_01.pdf
 
Utah Greater Sage grouse Mgt. Plan 2013
Objectives/Strategies: 
a)	Enhance an average of 25,000 acres of sage-grouse habitat in Sage-grouse Management Areas annually.
b)	Increase the total amount of sage-grouse habitat acreage within Sage-grouse Management Areas by an average of 50,000 acres per year, through management actions targeting Opportunity Areas.
c)	Removal of encroaching conifers may create new habitat or increase the carrying
capacity of habitat and thereby expand grouse populations, or the distribution of water into wet meadow areas may improve seasonal brood-rearing range and enhance greater sage-grouse recruitment.
d)	Aggressively remove encroaching conifers and other plant species to expand greater sage grouse habitat where possible.
e)	Livestock grazing is a major resource use in most SGMAs, and can be an effective tool to improve habitat quality and seasonal nutrition, and thereby enhance local populations. 
f)	Removal of trees to less than 5% cover and 
g)	maintenance of at least 10% sage brush cover;
h)	Maintain forb cover greater than 10% and grass cover greater than 10% during nesting/brood-rearing season;
i)	Maintain or improve wet meadows, when present; and
j)	Installation of green-strips or firebreaks to protect existing habitat.
k)	An improvement to existing habitat that does not result in an acreage gain. For example: Removal of pinon-juniper conifer trees in young open canopy stands still used by sage grouse.
This plan will help toward the acreage goals for enhancement and increased Sage grouse habitat by removal of PJ in existing use areas, opening up new habitat and providing a diversity of seeded species for livestock and wildlife.  Part of the plan is to enhance wet meadows through seeding. 
https://wildlife.utah.gov/uplandgame/sage-grouse/pdf/greater_sage_grouse_plan.pdf

Utah's Comprehensive Wildlife Management Strategy or Wildlife Action Plan (WAP)
Objectives/Strategies: 
Mountain Sagebrush and Lowland Shrub
a)	Funding restoration that reduces older age classes and stimulate younger age classes...treat non-native invasive species and...invading pinyon/juniper trees.
b)	Continue the development of new restoration techniques suited to this habitat.
c)	Deploying techniques to diversify the understory species composition and age classes of decadent even-aged sagebrush stands.
d)	Deploying techniques to diversify specie composition in monoculture or near monoculture stands of seeded non-native plants (e.g. crested wheatgrass).
e)	Promoting management that includes seeding a diversity of grasses, forbs, and shrubs that will lead to increased resiliency and resistance in the plant community.
This plan addresses invading PJ, mitigation of non-native invasive species, new restoration techniques, and diversification of understory species composition in mountain and lowland sagebrush steppe.
http://wildlife.utah.gov/cwcs/

Governor's Executive Order
Objectives/Strategies: 
The Order ensures state agencies will conform to the Conservation Plan and make management and policy decisions that "maintain, improve and enhance Greater Sage-Grouse habitat." State agencies will continue to work with federal agencies to assure the conservation needs of the bird.
The purpose of this plan is to improve and enhance Sage grouse habitat.

http://www.rules.utah.gov/execdocs/2015/ExecDoc156045.htm

NRCS SGI 2.0
Objectives/Strategies:

a)	Reduce threats...by grazing sustainably ...re-vegetating disturbed areas and combatting noxious weeds. Avoid further loss of sagebrush grazing lands to wildfire by reducing annual grass threat.
b)	Accelerate removal of conifer trees.
c)	Avoid further loss of riparian edges, wet meadows, restore and enhance degraded mesic areas to help increase (Sage grouse) populations."
d)	Reduce sage grouse fence collisions.
This plan will support this initiative by removing conifers (PJ) revegetating disturbed areas and enhancing degraded wet meadows.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0ahUKEwjcn47rzK_KAhWLaz4KHVyACisQFggiMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nrcs.usda.gov%2Fwps%2FPA_NRCSConsumption%2Fdownload%3Fcid%3Dnrcseprd391816%26ext%3Dpdf&usg=AFQjCNHWGtF7AMa-Zb9dz3eZ82IG9FdBbQ

Utah DWR Statewide Management Plan for Mule Deer
Objectives/Strategies:

a)	Programs that provide incentives to private landowners to manage their properties for mule deer and other wildlife are critical to the success of the state's deer management program.
b)	Conserve, improve, and restore mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges.
c)	Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts.
d)	Work with local, state and federal land management agencies via land management plans and with private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer habitats, especially fawning, wintering and migration areas.

e)	Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2019. 
f)	Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that have been taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats, ensuring that seed mixes contain sufficient forbs and browse species.
g)	Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah.
His plan addresses improving and restoring Mule deer habitat, by working in cooperation with partners, mitigating invasive annual species, ensuring that seed mixes contain sufficient forbs, and browse species, and improving sagebrush-steppe.

https://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/pdf/mule_deer_plan.pdf

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.