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 Deer Management Plan for Unit (01) Box Elder County, March, 2013.  This plan specifically mentions the problems associated with winter and transitional for mule deer in this part of the county:  "Subunit 1 B- East Box Elder - This area reached and exceeded the 8,000 deer objective in 1999.A severe winter range fire on the Promontory peninsula occurred in 2001 and has reduced carrying capacity by approximately 1,000 animals. Consequently, the short-term objective is reduced to 7,000 deer."  The plan address that and disturbance that could be beneficial to a browse enhancement project should be taken advantage of for the benefit on wintering mule deer along with identifying Promontory Mountain as a site for winter range enhancement. The biggest objective of the landowners is to address these kinds of issues for mule deer.  Aside from an objective to restore winter range (i.e. sagebrush, four-wing saltbush, and forage kochia), a diverse suite of grasses and forbs are being established as well.

Utah Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (Utah Wildlife Action Plan), 2005 Publication Number 05-19, State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources, Effective 2005-2015.  Sharp-tailed Grouse are listed as a Tier II species and are considered to be present in only 4% of their historic range in Utah.  On page 6-33 several aspects of habitat loss are considered to be significant: exotic weed infestation of habitats; lack of herbaceous understory in sagebrush habitats; and wildfire return intervals.  This project is located within current sharp-tailed grouse occupied habitat, all three of these problems are present within the property in question, and all three are being addressed as a part of the proposed project. This project also seeks to restore shrubsteppe habitat which is listed as one of the 10 highest priority habitat types in Utah.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule Deer, December 2014.  Under "Issues and Concerns, G. Private Land/ Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit Issues" the importance of private lands and habitat quality on private lands is stressed.  This project takes place entirely on private lands, and is within a CWMU. Habitat Objective 2 improve quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on crucial range. This project will help to reach the statewide goal.
The Utah Strategic Plan for Managing Noxious and Invasive Weeds, Utah Weed Advisory Council and The Utah Weed Control Association, December 2004.  Under Section IV, 'Utah Priorities', the plan mentions restoration actions as a priority for areas that have been invaded by noxious and invasive species.  This project constitutes just such an effort in relation to species such as cheatgrass, bulbous bluegrass, rip-gut three-awn, and redstem filaree.

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.