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.

If left untreated, the trees in the younglodgepole stands will continue the self-pruning process, growth rates of trees will gradually become slower,and the understory vegetation will decline. This would make the area less desirable to most wildlife species.If left untreated, these trees will develop structurally weak form and their resiliency and adaptive capacity will
decline. At the present time, many of these trees are at an ideal stage for thinning. If treatment is delayed,stands may become more stagnant and less likely to produce the desired response.Many thousands of acres on the Ashley National Forest have been impacted by mountain pine beetle in recent years. Most or all of the large lodgepole pines have been killed in these areas. Large tree development in the project area will be delayed, and may even be impossible without incorporating some form of density management treatment into the overall management strategy of these areas. Without intervention, the area will continue to decline in value for most wildlife species. Overall forage values will remain minimal, and the density of the stands will not allow for most wildlife passage and use. The current state of the treatment area posses a high risk for high intensity stand replacing fires.
The areas where group selection (clear-cuts) will occur are areas overrun with dwarf mistletoe. The treatment will hopefully eliminate, but definitely inhibit spread of the disease.
Also the group selection areas contain some aspen. Aspen will be cut to encourage aspen regeneration in these areas.
The wetland meadow located in the project area is already beginning to lose vegetation and the hydrologic connectivity has been lost. Historical images show that Alma Taylor Lake was larger, it is assumed that the compacted soils in the meadow are preventing full hydrologic connectivity decreasing the overall water supply to the lake. This may lead to the desiccation of the lake which is a vital source for wildlife, livestock, and recreation. The project will also rehabilitate the damaged meadow.

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.

This project will assist in accomplishing the following goals, objectives, and strategies as outlined in the following management plans and assessments. Note: mule deer, elk, and northern goshawk are all Forest management indicator species and the northern goshawk is listed as a Forest sensitive species.
ASHLEY NATIONAL FOREST PLAN (pg IV-28, IV-30) Wildlife and Fish
-Goal 1: Manage fish and wildlife habitat to maintain or improve diversity and productivity. (reduce sediment runoff)
-Objective 1: Develop and Implement habitat management plan that will include key ecosystems and maintain habitat for supporting T&E or sensitive plants and animal species and management indicator species.
(increasing stand structure)
-Objective 3: Manage the habitat of all T&E or sensitive plant and animal species to maintain or enhance their status. (increasing stand structure)
ASHLEY NATIONAL FOREST PLAN AMENDMENT -- Utah Northern Goshawk Project (page cc-1)
- Goal 3: Restore or maintain forested landscapes in a properly functioning condition. (reducing stand densities) Functioning forested landscapes provide habitat for the northern goshawk and its prey to support a viable population of goshawks in. (Providing habitat for pray)
Utah CONSERVATION STRATEGY AND AGREEMENT FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF NORTHERN GOSHAWK HABITAT IN UTAH (page 6)
-Goal: Provide habitat capable of sustaining viable populations of goshawk in the state of Utah. (increasing diversity in stand structure across the treatment area)
-Objective 1: Design a proactive approach to habitat management that will result in the long term conservation and management of habitat for goshawk, its prey and other associated species. ( Thinned stands will develop into large mature trees providing nesting trees)
Desired Habitat Condition (DHC)
- 1) Diverse forest cover types with strong representation of early seral tree species dominate the landscape. (Thinning will reduce competition for resources favoring seral species)
- 3) Forested landscapes have 40% of the area dominated by large trees, well distributed. (Thinning is necessary to reduce stand densities to achieve larger diameter trees) 
UTAH STATEWIDE ELK MANAGEMENT PLAN (Sec. VI Pages 12-13)
-Population Management Goal: Maintain healthy elk populations throughout the state that are managed within habitat capabilities and in consideration of other land uses. (enhancing habitat)
-Population Objective 1: Seek opportunities to increase population objectives in individual elk unit management plans to attain a total statewide population objective of 80,000 elk, ensuring that any increases will be subject to an analysis of the impacts to habitat, landowners, livestock operators, and/or mule deer populations.
Strategies:
- c) Support objectives and strategies in this plan to protect elk habitat and mitigate losses.
- d) Support habitat improvement projects that increase forage for both big game and livestock.
UTAH STATEWIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR MULE DEER (Sec. VI Pages 10-11)
- Population Management Goal: Expand and improve mule deer populations throughout the state within the carrying capacity of available habitats and in consideration of other land uses.
- Population Objective: By 2013, increase the statewide mule deer population by 50,000 to an estimated postseason herd size of 350,000.
Strategies:
- b) Support all habitat objectives and strategies in this plan to protect and improve mule deer habitat including energy development mitigation in crucial mule deer habitat. NORTH AMERICAN MULE DEER CONSERVATION
PLAN (Pages 6-7) Habitat Goal: - Mule deer habitat potential is optimized for quality and quantity across mule deer range. Objective 2: Restore or improve mule deer habitat function throughout mule deer range.
Strategy a: Proactively manage shrub communities to maintain mosaics of uneven aged stands to enhance habitat conditions for mule deer.
BOREAL TOAD CONSERVATION PLAN
   3.9.3 Create, restore, and maintain new habitats through water management.
   3.9.3.b Deepen impoundments to maintain sufficient water levels through
   metamorphosis.
The Alma Taylor area appears to occur in "substantial value habitat" Accessed https://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search/Map.asp?Id=111 .
Golden Eagle 
Utah WAP states" Northern Great Basin and Book Cliffs nesting areas in Utah have been monitored for many years,
with apparent breeding declines associated with fire, shrub loss and jackrabbit declines in the
Great Basin area" 
According to https://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search/Map.asp?Id=154 this habitat is either Critical or High value for Golden Eagle.
Uintah County Resource Management Plan
Use active and adaptive forest management to improve forest health and support multiple use and sustained yield with emphasis on employment, forest product production, open space, wildlife habitat, forage, recreation,and other social and economic benefits.
Manage forest resources to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, which cause unacceptable harm to resources and assets valued by society, including ecosystem and community health and resilience.
State of Utah Resource Management Plan
Forest
 Encourage timber harvesting to prevent fuel load and biomass buildup.
Fire
 The State will advocate for forest management practices that promote species diversity and overall ecosystem health.
Wetlands
 The State supports using a combination of active water management where necessary
(e.g., Great Salt Lake) and maintaining or restoring natural hydrology when possible to
support wildlife habitat and healthy functioning of aquatic ecosystems.

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.

The project includes the mechanical thinning treatment of lodgepole pine stands to increase long-term forest health and improve wildlife habitat of the area. Implementation of the treatments will be accomplished with a contract crew using chainsaws to cut unwanted trees and to buck and lop the slash. This proposal includes precommercial thinning of up to 1000 acres in young lodgepole pine stands; approximately 300 to 360 trees per
acre would be maintained. This is roughly 11 to 12 foot spacing. Slash will be lopped and scattered. 
The project also includes the cutting, skidding, and decking of 70 to 150 acres of timber which would be sold to the public.
The wet meadow restoration would include obliteration of compacted soils to restore hydrologic connectivity. If possible sedge plugs will be harvest and planted the obliterated soil to increase vegetation response time. Temporary electric fencing may be utilized if grazing proves detrimental to restoration.
After meadow restoration has been completed barrier rock will be placed at the end of the authorized route to prevent damage any future damage.

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.