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.

The desired condition for pinyon/juniper in the Vernon Ecosystem Management Plan for Vegetation (USDA 1996) is to maintain greater than 85 percent of potential ground cover on pinyon-juniper sites and to remove pinyon-juniper on sites with less than 30 percent slope.  This desired condition for pinyon-juniper was developed to mimic conditions created by past fire regimes and is within the range of natural variability for the Vernon Ecosystem. 
 Project area occurs within the sagebrush steppe type, one of the key habitats identified in the WAP. This area supports mule deer (Tier III) and Greater sage grouse (Tier II) and numerous other species of concern (Tier III) including neotropical birds and raptors.

Treatments lie within Central Region UWRI focus areas.

Treatments address strategies outlined in the WDARM sage grouse conservation plan; reduce pinyon/juniper stands from sage-grouse use areas.  Increase brood-rearing habitat quality in the Resource Area.
a)	Reduce pinyon/juniper stands from sage-grouse use areas.
b)	Remove pinyon/juniper trees from priority areas where action is warranted.
c)	Revisit and retreat pinyon/juniper removal sites, as needed.
d)	Maintain or increase distribution and quality of mesic sites available to sage-grouse during summer months.
e)	Maintain or improve breeding habitat quality in the Resource Area.
f)	Minimize weed concerns

This plan addresses the removal of PJ which will welcome the SG to utilize the forage and open water that crosses portions of this property.  Reseeding disturbed areas will mitigate weedy species concerns, and expand habitat for this population.
http://utahcbcp.org/files/uploads/westdesert/WDARMSAGRPlanFinal.pdf

http://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/plans/deer_19.pdf

http://utahcbcp.org/files/uploads/westdesert/WDARMSAGRPlanFinal.pdf

Mule Deer Unit 19b Mgt Plan

Objectives/Strategies: 
a)	Reduce expansion of Pinyon-Juniper woodlands into sagebrush habitats and improve habitats dominated by Pinyon-Juniper woodlands by completing habitat restoration projects like lop & scatter, bullhog and chaining.
b)	Condition of winter ranges is a long-term problem.
c)	Fire and encroachment by pinyon and juniper trees results in the loss of forage production, diversity and quality.
d)	Cooperate with federal land management agencies and private landowners in carrying out habitat improvement projects.
e)	The primary concern on the studies within the subunit is the abundance of weedy annual grass species (cheatgrass), particularly on the lower elevation sites.

This plan addresses the condition of winter range in the project area by dealing with PJ expansion, condition of winter range by planting browse species, reducing fuel loads, coordinating with Federal land management agencies, and mitigating weedy annual grass species.
http://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/plans/deer_19.pdf

The Vernon Management Area as defined by the 2003 Land and Resource Management Plan for the Uinta NF has the following sub-goals of the Forest Plan:

Sub-goal 2-8: Ecosystem resilience is maintained by providing for a full range of seral stages and age classes (by cover type) that achieve a mosaic of habitat conditions.

Sub-goal-2-23 Areas identified as being of special concern for habitat such as big game winter range, big game natal areas,.... and greater sage grouse breeding areas in the Vernon Management Areas are maintained and, where potential exists, improved or expanded.

Sub-goal-2-25(G-2-25)Maintain stable and upward conditions in big game winter range and improve downward trend sites

Utah Greater Sage grouse Management Plan, 2009 Publication 09-17, State of Utah, DNR, DWR, - Specifically the plan addresses goals outlined in part B-1.3 Public land habitat objectives; A Veg. Mgt, D Fire Mgt, and E Conifer Encroachment - 1. Reduce conifers that are encroaching on sagebrush habitats using appropriate methods, which may include: masticators, chains, chain saws, prescribed fire, etc (pp45-48). In addition it addresses goals in section B-2.3 Public land habitat restoration objectives (p 49-50).

Utah Conservation Strategy (Utah Wildlife Action Plan), 2005 Publication Number 05-19, State of Utah, DNR, DWR, Effective 2015-2025 - The threat of Greater Sage-grouse  habitat loss due to Pinyon -Juniper succession in sagebrush habitats should be addressed by the conservation actions of enhancing fragmented and degraded  habitats [Juniper removal] (11.1). Habitat problems and conservation actions (7.1 & 7.3) by addressing fire cycle alteration with methods to disturb decadent [Pinion-Juniper] vegetation.
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.
https://wildlife.utah.gov/learn-more/wap2015.html

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 mesic areas.
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.
This 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

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

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.

Fuels have been accumulating over the years due to human cultural practices and changing climatic conditions. The 2007 Northern Utah Regional Wildfire Protection Plan designates this area as a Moderate-High Risk area for wildfire (Utah Division of Fire, Forestry and State Lands 2007).  Hazardous fuels reduction treatments would help minimize the risks to private land, structures, and natural resources, from potential wildland fires.The nearby communities of Vernon and Lofgren are listed as two of Utah's Communities at Risk (Utah Division of Fire, Forestry and State Lands 2013).  The implementation of this project would help minimize the risks to private land, structures, and natural resources, from potential wildland fires by: 1) altering fire behavior from a crown fire to a surface fire, 2) increasing native plant populations and their resiliency, 3) reducing the risk of weed expansion, and 4) protecting critical mule deer habitat from unwanted fire effects. The current fuel load and arrangement is likely to support a relatively severe crown fire due to continuous, dense canopies of juniper and oakbrush. The proposed treatment would alter fire behavior from a crown fire to a more controllable surface fire by breaking up the continuity of aerial fuels. This alteration in fire behavior not only enhances firefighter and Forest visitor safety, but increases the ability of the plant community to recover post-fire by reducing the fire severity.

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.