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West Desert District Cheatgrass Control
Region: Central
ID: 5126
Project Status: Cancelled
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Project Details
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Need for Project
Disturbance, whether from fire or mechanical methods, often promotes cheatgrass expansion and dominance. Mastication has been used extensively throughout the West Desert to expand, improve, and protect sagebrush habitat by removing juniper. This disturbance has lead to increased cheatgrass in some areas. The purpose of this project is to control cheatgrass in previously treated areas by using impazapic, a pre-emergent herbicide, which is effective at preventing cheatgrass seed germination and growth. Areas where perennial vegetation is lacking will be seeded.
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.
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Objectives
1. Reduce cheatgrass cover to less than 5% in previously treatment areas. 2. Seed perennial grasses and forbs where lacking; increase perennial grass and forb cover to >10% cover by three years post-seeding.
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.
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Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?)
Removal of cheatgrass will help promote perennial grasses and forbs which in turn helps promote ecological resiliency.
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.
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Relation to Management Plans
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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.
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Fire/Fuels
Reducing cheatgrass and promoting the growth of perennial grasses and forbs will help decrease fire risk.
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.
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Water Quality/Quantity
This project will have little to no impact on water quantity or quality.
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.
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Compliance
The Greater Sheeprocks Sage-grouse Habitat Restoration and Hazardous Fuels Treatment EA completed in August 2017 authorizes the use of imazapic for cheatgrass control.
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.
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Methods
Aerially apply the granular form of imazapic (Open Range G) at a rate of 11-14 pounds per acre (6-8 ounces liquid equivalent) or liquid Plateau at 6-8 ounces per acre. Application will occur prior to fall germination in four treatment areas: Cherry Creek, Eagle Mountain, Furner Valley, and Stockton. The Eagle Mountain portion is a greenstrip and will be aerially seeded following herbicide. Portions of Stockton will be drill-seeded following herbicide application. Seeding my be delayed for one growing season to allow herbicide to break down and minimize potential impacts to seedlings.
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.
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Monitoring
Because we will be working in previous treatment areas we will use previously established monitoring plots. Cheatgrass cover and frequency will be recorded 1, 3 and potentially 5 years post-treatment. Photos will also be taken.
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.
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Partners
UDWR
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.
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Future Management
This area will be maintained as sagebrush habitat. Potential threats include noxious weed invasion, cross country OHV use, and reinvasion of cheatgrass. Periodic visual inspection, photo points, and vegetation monitoring will occur to assess current conditions and track trends over time. The longevity of the treatment will be maintained by retreating with herbicide and seeding if necessary.
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.
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Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources
These treatments will help decrease fire potential and support recreation and hunting by maintaining healthy sagebrush ecosystems which are critical to wildlife such as mule deer and other sagebrush dependent species.
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.
Title Page
Project Details
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Project Summary Report