Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project Phase 5
Region: Southern
ID: 5198

Project Status: Completed

Project Details

Currently on this project during (Phases 1-4) there has been ~27,200 total acres treated across Monroe Mountain.  This proposal is for Phase 5 of this project and will consist of treating ~5,629-6,629 total acres depending on prescribed fire burning windows. The plan is to treat an estimated ~35,000+ acres during future phases of the project.  Continuing project treatments at an increased pace and scale of restoration across Monroe Mountain is needed to not only address the significant aspen decline across the mountain, but also to mitigate the consistent ungulate pressure on aspen saplings within completed treatments that threaten the projects overall success.  This mitigation will be accomplished by maximizing overall size of treatments in an attempt to overwhelm the ungulates using the areas with an abundant supply of aspen sprouts.

Aspen canopy cover on Monroe Mountain has decreased by over 70%, or 40,000 acres, in the last 200 years. Restoring aspen ecosystems on Monroe Mountain is critically important and will have lasting beneficial effects. Aspen restoration at this scale on Monroe Mountain will help improve and maintain population viability for a variety of wildlife species (elk, deer, raptors, neo-tropical migratory birds, small game, insects, etc., along with promoting a fire resilient ecosystem across the Monroe Mountain. The project will also enhance watershed integrity. The purpose of this project is to restore aspen ecosystems on Monroe Mountain by achieving the desired conditions described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). To help accomplish this purpose, the Richfield District has identified a need to (1) address the conifer encroachment that occurs due to the reduced occurrence of wildland fire primarily due to an increase in wildland fire suppression, and (2) address aspen over browsing by domestic and wild ungulates. These are two of the primary underlying causes for aspen decline on Monroe Mountain. Restoring aspen ecosystems on Monroe Mountain will result in multiple benefits, which include but are not limited to: 1. Improving and increasing the amount of habitat for wildlife species dependent upon aspen ecosystems (i.e., Mule deer, elk, and Northern goshawk); 2. Improving and increasing the amount of habitat and forage for domestic ungulates (i.e., cattle and sheep); 3. Improving native species diversity; 4. Reducing hazardous fuel accumulations; 5. Reducing the risk for large-scale, intense wildland fires. This results in lower risk to the safety of the public and firefighters. This also results in lower risk to sensitive wildlife species (i.e. Northern goshawk, Greater Sage grouse, Western Boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas), and Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki utah)). Boreal toads are also benefited as aspen regeneration provides food for beavers who in turn create more boreal toad breeding habitat; and, 6. Increasing the probability that future naturally caused fires can be managed (if possible, not suppressed) and allowed to play the greatest feasible natural role in the aspen ecosystems on Monroe Mountain.

Test plots using "Root Ripping" late fall of 2017 proved to be highly successful to encourage sprouting of aspen from the root system. We intend to select areas that would benefit from this process as to encourage a higher rate of aspen regeneration.

With the Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project being selected by the Joint Chiefs Partnership with NRCS and USFS, mechanical treatments are also occurring on private lands located on Monroe Mountain in conjunction with treatments occurring on National Forest System lands managed by the Richfield Ranger District. This will have multiple benefits that include across boundary landscape level aspen restoration, reducing risk of fire on both private and USFS lands, and reducing risk of future prescribed fire activities to private property.

Through implementation of this project, the amount of forage available to livestock is expected to increase significantly as a result. With the removal of conifer, the amount of usable grasses and forbs in the aspen understory is also expected to increase significantly. With increased forage livestock distribution and management is expected to improve.

This project will help introduce species diversity back into the Monroe Mountain area. A mosaic design is part of the implementation strategy to create a pattern of treated and untreated acres that will create an increase of biodiversity. Habitat fragmentation should not be an issue for wildlife as care has been taken to have leave areas, old growth areas, and treatment areas in good juxtaposition across the landscape to promote species diversity. -Species (elk and deer) that favor early serial communities and early serial vegetation species will benefit from this project. This project will provide increases in forage and habitat effectiveness that benefit species such as ungulates. Distribution of ungulate pressure will be increased with the increase in useable, effective habitat. Mosaic patterns created by the project will distribute ungulate herbivory across the landscape minimizing overuse to current key areas and allow newly treated areas to have favorable responses to treatments. There will be some short-term (3-5 years) temporary impacts to plant and animal uses of these areas during the implementation phase of the project; however, the overall outcome will provide much needed plant species diversity across the landscape that will last well into the future. -Small game and upland game will ultimately see an increased benefit over time as the project areas develop into a maturing forest. . Mosaic patterns will be beneficial for most all other wildlife species across the ecosystem.

Large infrequent fires are known to extirpate trout populations and habitats as the effects of fire increase ash loads, flood occurrence, and erosion.  Bonneville cutthroat trout will likely benefit in the long-term from this project as the risk of catastrophic fire is reduced through fuels reduction in Bonneville cutthroat trout-bearing streams, although project treatments may lead to short term population declines. A conservation population of Bonneville cutthroat trout occupy the Manning Creek drainage including Manning Creek, Barney Creek and Vale Creek. This population will continued to be monitored along with other aquatic species to Monitoring will assess project impacts and ensure they are at levels conducive to population recovery. Monitoring will assess project impacts and ensure they are at levels conducive to population recovery.

Monitoring will also provide information to improve design of future large scale treatments to reduce aquatic impacts. Literature on the potential benefits and negative impacts of fire on boreal toads is mixed (Loeffler 2001). For this reason, a study of toads before, during, and after the project is being undertaken. Areas close to streamsides and known breeding areas and hibernacula are protected by design features, but use of upland and riparian habitats further away from breeding sites is not well documented. The boreal toad study aims to reduce project implementation risks to toads by determining habitat use areas prior to treatment and develop baseline information on populations in areas being treated and not yet being treated for comparison. This should reduce the risk of treating large subwatershed areas to toads and allow for direct measure of population trends in treated and untreated areas. Following treatments near streams, any aspen regeneration within 300m of streams should benefit potential beaver expansion and/or future beaver reintroduction which should increase the amount of boreal toad breeding habitat.

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.

Project Goals: 
1) Implement a landscape level aspen ecosystem restoration project with an increased pace and scale of implementation to treat at least 62,000 acres on USFS lands over a 10 year period. 
2) Implement treatments with a cross boundary landscape level approach while reducing risk of fire and promoting a fire resilient aspen ecosystems. 
3) Promote treatment efforts onto private lands located on Monroe Mountain collaborating with private land owners, NRCS, UFFSL, and UDWR. 
4) Minimize project costs by promoting cost effective treatments along with increased scale and size of treatments that will reduce overall cost per acre. 
5) Implement a landscape level ecosystem restoration project that will reduce hazardous fuels and reduce risk of catastrophic fire.
6) Manage forest cover types to provide variety in stand sizes shape, crown closure, edge contrast, age structure and interspersion.

-Goals will be met by applying prescribed fire and using mechanical treatments in conjunction with traditional timber sales to remove encroaching conifers from aspen areas and thinning within mixed conifer areas.

Project Objectives: 
1) Improve seral and stable aspen stands by reintroducing disturbances; prescribed fire and mechanical treatments to reduce conifer invasion and stimulate new aspen regeneration.

2) Within the mechanical areas, merchantable timber will be sold and conifers will be cut, and piled or utilized for wildlife fencing. 80%-100% of cut and cured slash piles will be burned. To access the conifer, some incidental cutting of aspen may occur.

3) Reduce hazardous fuels while maintaining and improving fire resilient landscapes by improving the fire regime condition class to FRCC 1 and FRCC 2.

4) Increase overall forage production, habitat quality, and species diversity by treating in a mosaic pattern of 60% treated and 40% untreated that will create biodiversity across the landscape.

5) Monitoring Objective: In response to aspen over browsing, aspen in the project area is and will continue to be monitored. Browse thresholds have been established. Adaptive management response options have been developed. Short-term temporary adjustments in livestock/wildlife management may be needed to ensure new aspen regeneration successfully recruits (reaches greater than 6 feet height).

8) Wildlife Benefit Objective: Create age class diversity in the aspen ecosystems on Monroe Mountain and create a more sustainable aspen landscape over time.  Diversity will be created that will benefit multiple species helping to maintain a wide array of viable wildlife and avian populations across Monroe Mt.

9) Aquatic Species Benefit Objective: Over the course of the project aquatics monitoring will provide information about the effects of landscape scale vegetation treatments on boreal toads and their habitat use, breeding, distribution, population size, mortality, and hibernaculas.

-Currently this phase of the project is estimated to treat ~5,629" to ~6,629 acres. Overall total estimated cost/acre is $292-$344/acre for this phase of implementation. WRI funding only cost/acre for investment into this project is estimated at $117-$137/acre which is only roughly 1/3 of total funding required.

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.

Aspen dominated forests on Monroe Mountain have already experienced a 71% decline compared to historical conditions. With increasing shade from conifers and a decline in aspen dominated cover, ungulate browsing pressure across the mountain increases as ungulates concentrate browse pressure in fewer areas of high forage, causing negative ecological impacts across a wide range of vegetation types on Monroe Mountain. Without treatment, the amount of usable forage for ungulates will decrease and distribution of ungulates will continue to concentrate. If left untreated, a continued loss of seral aspen is expected due to the level of conifer infilling and low rate of aspen sprouts recruiting without the introduction of disturbance.

A good majority of the seral aspen stands during this phase of treatment are fir dominant with  fading live aspen.  Observations of recent treatment during previous phases of this project suggest that treatments that occur in seral stands that have a higher component of aspen still remaining, will produce more aspen sprouts overall post treatment.  Every year left untreated there are more and more aspen dying as fir infilling continues.  This observation has also suggested that treating these stands in future will become less cost effective.  More fir infilling will occur, less aspen will be remaining and as a result when treated less aspen sprout recruitment will be expected threatening overall success of the project.  Stable aspen ecosystems are also expected to decline without treatment - which distributes browse pressure from recruiting aspen sprouts within these stands. Some stable aspen stands are composed almost exclusively with older trees near the maximum life expectancy for quaking aspen.

This entire Monroe Mountain is at risk of large catastrophic wildfires that could adversely affect entire watersheds.  Completed treatments along with planned and future treatments reduce the risk of fire at a landscape level to multiple watershed.  As conifers continue to expand and infill, the risk for large uncharacteristic/catastrophic wildfires will also continue to increase. Wildfire suppression costs are extremely high especially when suppressing fires in similar fuel types and loadings as present on this project. When wildfires occur, this could result in damage to private property and numerous structures, increased erosion, greater opportunities for noxious weed establishment, impacts to available short-term forage, stream sedimentation, and possible mud slides/flooding events.

This project reduces risks to multiple communities and watersheds across the Monroe Mountain along with multiple Municipal watersheds of Sevier Valley Communities. A majority of the project is in Fire Regime Condition Class 3 (FRCC 3). Risk of loss of key ecosystem components are high within Condition Class 3. High departure from the natural (historical) regime of vegetation characteristics; fuel composition; fire frequency, severity and pattern; and other associated disturbances. Fire behavior, effects, and other associated disturbances are highly departed. Composition and structure of vegetation and fuel are highly altered. Uncharacteristic conditions range from moderate to high. Treatments would improve the Fire Regime Condition Class to FRCC 1 and FRCC 2.

Habitat for sensitive species such as the northern goshawk, greater sagegrouse and flammulated owl are currently at risk from catastrophic high severity wildfire. Implementation of this project reduces the risk of wildfires impacting these sensitive species. Design criteria are also included to help minimize short-term impacts to these species.

The greatest threat/risk to this project's success is domestic and wild ungulate browse pressure on aspen saplings. One of the critical elements to reduce the risk of browse pressure is to increase pace and scale of project treatments. As all past phases of this project are still within browse height of ungulates, continued treatments at a significant pace and scale are necessary to assure that browsing pressure is dispersed across all treatments.  The risk involved with increased pace and scale is having capacity and continuous funding to continue to concentrate large acres of treatments to disperse this browse pressure. To aid attainment of at least 1,000 to 2,000 aspen saplings per acre and 400 to 600 aspen recruits per acre in areas where mechanical and/or prescribed fire treatments are to occur, browse thresholds and adaptive management response options have collaboratively been developed and if needed, will be implemented. For more information about browse thresholds and response options, please see page 20-26 of the attached Final Record of Decision. The browse thresholds and response options are supported by UDWR and the Utah Wildlife Board. Annual encroachment of conifers is occurring at an exponential rate and now is the time to treat acres on a "grand scale" to allow the aspen ecosystem a chance to recover and restore lost acres. Understory forage will become valuable for existing wild and domestic ungulate animals. Tension between livestockmen and sportsmen should decrease over time as more forage is created through vegetation treatments.

This project has numerous perennial water bodies/riparian systems and watersheds located across Monroe Mountain. Manning Meadows Reservoir, Manning Creek, Barney Lake, Lower Box Creek Reservoir, Box Creek, Greenwich Creek and the portion of Otter Creek from Koosharem Creek to Otter Creek Reservoir are all TMDL's and 303d listed. Project treatments may result in short to moderate term impacts to water quality, but project design features will prevent long-term degradation. Restoring uplands will reduce potential risks from future high severity wildfires by reducing impacts to these water source sand reducing risks of future impairment.

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.

I. This action responds to the goals and objectives outlined in the Fishlake Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP). The desired conditions described in the EIS and the purpose and need for this project are consistent with the Forest's goals, the objectives found in chapter IV of the LRMP, and the Utah Fire Amendment (USFS 2001). The proposed treatment units are within management areas 2B -- Rural and Roaded Natural Recreation; 4A -- Fish Habitat Improvement; 4B -- Habitat for Management Indicator Species; 5A -- Big Game Winter Range - Non-forested; 6B -- Intensive Livestock Management; 7B -- Wood-Fiber Production - Genetics; and 9F-- Improved Watershed. The relevant goals and objectives are listed below: 1. Ecosystems are restored and maintained, consistent with land uses and historic fire regimes, through wildland fire use and prescribed fire (Utah Fire Amendment, pg. A-40).
2. Manage forest cover types to provide variety in stand sizes shape, crown closure, edge contrast, age structure and interspersion (LRMP p. IV-99). 
3. Prescribed fire is authorized forest-wide (Utah Fire Amendment, pg. A-41). 
4. Use prescribed fire to reduce fuel buildup and meet resource objectives (LRMP p. IV-5). 
5. Reduce hazardous fuels; the full range of reduction methods is authorized, consistent with forest and MA emphasis and direction (Utah Fire Amendment, pg. A-41). 
6. Identify and improve habitat for sensitive, threatened, and endangered species including participation in recovery efforts for both plants and animals (LRMP IV-4). 
7. Improve or maintain the quality of habitat on big game winter ranges (LRMP IV-4). 
8. Maintain structural diversity of vegetation on management areas dominated by forested ecosystems (LRMP IV-11). 
9. Manage aspen for retention where needed for wildlife, watershed, or esthetic purposes (LRMP IV-11). 
10. Manage seral aspen stands for a diversity of age classes (LRMP IV-11). 
11. Manage aspen to perpetuate the species and improve quality (LRMP IV-4). 
12. Provide wood fiber while maintaining or improving other resource values LRMP IV-4). 
13. Improve timber age class distribution and maintain species diversity (LRMP IV-4). 
14. Manage tree stands using both commercial and noncommercial methods. Enhance visual quality, diversity, and insect and disease control (LRMP IV-62 and IV-84d). 
15. Maintain and manage forested inclusions to provide a high level of forage production, wildlife habitat, and diversity (LRMP IV-112). 
16. The area would have a mosaic of fully stocked stands that follow natural patterns and avoid straight lines nd geometric shapes (LRMP IV-113). 
17. Prevent and control insect infestation and disease (LRMP IV-5) 
18. Move toward historic fire regimes in these vegetation types on Monroe Mountain.

II. The decision is consistent with the Fishlake National Forest Fire Management Plan in restoring fire adapted ecosystems.

III. This project is also consistent with the "Guidelines for Aspen Restoration on the National Forests in Utah" publication developed by the Utah Forest Restoration Working Group. Treatments were developed in line with the four major steps of the aspen restoration decision process (p. 16) and project actions are in line with appropriate response options as laid out by the guidelines document. Step 1: Assess the condition of aspen a) Assess the condition of aspen in the landscape/area including the determination of the aspen types b) Assess the extent, and significance of aspen, (aspen's aerial coverage, stand structure, stand composition, over-story/understory coverage, etc.) in the project area, and the relationship of the project area to the landscape setting or watershed. Step 2: Identify problematic aspen conditions and their agents/causes a) Identify through data collection the condition(s) considered potentially problematic b) Identify through data collection the likely agents/causes of problematic conditions, as observed in the stand and surrounding area. Step 3: Select from among appropriate response options that address the potentially problematic conditions. Step 4: Monitor to assess aspen stand conditions and management/restoration Response options from Guidelines for Aspen Restoration on National Forests in Utah authorized on MMAERP (p.28-29). 1. Cut subdominant conifers. 3. Burn aspen and conifers. 4. Selectively cut overstory conifers. 5. Hinge trees as an effort to impede ungulate access (this has had variable results). 6. Girdle conifer. 7. Root separation. 8. Change livestock grazing management (e.g., length and/or timing of grazing, class of livestock, or number of livestock, placement of salt and nutritional supplements). 9. Fence/temporarily fence for livestock and/or wild ungulates, dependent on prior determination of type of ungulate pressure. In situations where the relative impact of domestic livestock versus wildlife has not been determined, a livestock exclusion fence alone (followed with monitoring) may be a reasonable first choice. 10. Rest the pasture or allotment of excessively-browsed aspen stands, when options 8 and 9 are not sufficient or feasible or when actions are needed across a landscape. 11. Improve/increase the availability of native vegetation for wildlife nutritional opportunities outside of the aspen stands of concern. 12. Work within the existing framework for wildlife management to set specific herd objectives that match other resource conditions within the area. 13. Explore evolving technology and methods to mitigate wild ungulate impacts on aspen regeneration and recruitment. Explore the issue of scale to success ratio. 14. Prevent/reduce dispersed camping within aspen. 16. Restore natural fire regimes.

IV. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Elk Management Plan. This project will help introduce species diversity back into the Monroe Mountain area. A mosaic design is part of the implementation strategy to create a pattern of treated and un-treated acres that will create an increase of biodiversity. Habitat fragmentation should not be an issue for wildlife as care has been taken to have leave areas, old growth areas, and treatment areas in good juxtaposition across the landscape to promote species diversity. Implementation of this project will benefit those species that favor early serial communities and early serial vegetation (elk). This project will provide increases in habitat effectiveness and benefit species such as ungulates. Mosaic patterns created by the project will distribute ungulate herbivory across the landscape minimizing overuse to current key areas and allow newly treated areas to have favorable responses to treatments. There will be some short-term (3-5 years) temporary impacts to plant and animal uses of these areas during the implementation phase of the project; however, the overall outcome will provide much needed plant species diversity across the landscape that will last well into the future. Increased vegetation through implementation of this project that will be created through primary succession methods will greatly benefit elk. B. Habitat Management Goal: Conserve and improve elk habitat throughout the state. Habitat Objective 1: Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. C. Watershed Restoration Initiative a) Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat. b) Coordinate with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize elk habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration. i) Identify habitat projects on summer ranges (aspen communities) to improve calving habitat. ii) Encourage land managers to manage portions of forests in early succession stages through the use controlled burning and logging. Controlled burning should only be used in areas with minimal invasive weed and/or safety concerns. iii) Promote let-burn policies in appropriate areas that will benefit elk, and conduct reseeding efforts post wildlife. This project will help maintain a viable elk herd on the Monroe Unit, Fishlake Unit and Mt. Dutton units.  The Greater Plateau Elk Complex Elk Management Plan (2016) lists range improvements in the habitat objectives section. This project specifically addresses the components listed under range improvements in that it enhances forage production and habitat quality through direct range improvements on winter range within the unit. The Greater Plateau Elk Complex goes on to mention that "focus will be on high use areas especially where we can entice animals away from agricultural areas."  Agricultural areas on top of Monroe Mountain would consist of private lands that run private bands of sheep or cattle for profit.  Other private landowners may or may not enjoy elk use on their private parcels.  This project will help distribute ungulate foraging pressure across the mountain.

V.  Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Mule Deer Management Plan This project will help introduce species diversity back into the Monroe Mountain area. A mosaic design is part of the implementation strategy to create a pattern of treated and un-treated acres that will create an increase of biodiversity. Habitat fragmentation should not be an issue for wildlife as care has been taken to have leave areas, old growth areas, and treatment areas in good juxtaposition across the landscape to promote species diversity. Implementation of this project will benefit those species that favor early serial communities and early serial vegetation (deer). This project will provide increases in habitat effectiveness and benefit species such as ungulates. Mosaic patterns created by the project will distribute ungulate herbivory across the landscape minimizing overuse to current key areas and allow newly treated areas to have favorable responses to treatments. There will be some short-term (3-5 years) temporary impacts to plant and animal uses of these areas during the implementation phase of the project; however, the overall outcome will provide much needed plant species diversity across the landscape that will last well into the future. Increased vegetation through implementation of this project that will be created through primary succession methods will greatly benefit mule deer. Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2019. (p. 19) d. 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. e. Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah. f. Seek opportunities through the Watershed Restoration Initiative to improve aspen communities that provide crucial summer habitat for mule deer. g. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages using various methods including timber harvest and managed fire. . Mule deer population numbers are at lower numbers (see Monitoring section) on the Monroe Unit at this time.  Environmental factors such as drought, harsh winters, poor precipitation on summer range, predators and moderate acres of winter range habitat are factors that play into the sustainability of a viable deer herd.  Habitat improvement from this project will help provide quality habitat to improve the viability of local Mule Deer populations.

The northern goshawk in Utah: habitat assessment and management recommendations In Forest Plan direction for the Northern goshawk, forest vegetation structural stage classes are discussed and how they relate to preference by goshawk for nesting, post fledgling family areas, or rearing and teaching of young and foraging. Careful consideration has been given to Northern goshawk territories found within the project boundaries. Territories will be part of the mosaic pattern designed as "leave" areas from prescribed burn and mechanical treatments. Creating age class diversity through the implementation of this project will ensure future habitat as well as habitat for prey used by goshawk is maintained. "The forests and woodlands of Utah are dominated by unstable stands of late seral species. Early and midseral species should be increased using both mechanical means and fire" (p. 38) "Numbers and distribution of large trees in the landscape should be increased. Policies should be adopted to manage for the production of large early seral species through cleanings, thinnings, and weedings, using mechanical means or fire." (p. 39) Potential Vegetation Type Recommendations "Subalpine Fir--The subalpine fir potential vegetation type is capable of providing high quality goshawk and prey habitat. It is currently dominated by late seral species throughout the State. Habitat should be improved by promoting early seral species such as quaking aspen, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine in a forest mosaic with Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir. These mixed forest cover types (especially mixes with quaking aspen) would be highly used by the goshawk and would have lower risk of epidemics of insects and diseases, and stand-replacing fire. Fire or mechanical treatments or both should be used to create conditions favorable to lodgepole pine and quaking aspen." (pg. 39)  There are over 20 goshawk territories on Monroe Mountain.  They are scattered across the upper elevations and in mixed aspen-conifer.  All known territories have been mapped and monitored on a regular basis.  Management practices are in place to put forth efforts to follow goshawk habitat guidelines found within the Utah Northern Goshawk Amendment.

VII. Grazing Allotment Plans for 10 different allotments within the overall project boundaries. The amount of forage available to livestock is expected to increase significantly as a result of this project. With the removal of conifer the amount of grasses and forbs in the aspen understory is expected to increase significantly. With increased forage ungulate distribution is expected to improve. Many areas that are currently unproductive due to overgrowth will soon become desirable for future uses by ungulates. Browse pressure from both domestic livestock and wild ungulates is a concern with the implementation of this project. The District will ensure, if needed, that temporary resting of treatment areas, herding, and electric fences are incorporated into Annual Operating Instructions. These actions will help ensure that permittees are in the communication loop and will give them enough time to plan for the resources they need to continue their operations. Impacts to permittees will be minimized by the use of herding and temporary electric fences so that treatment areas and/or stable aspen stands can be rested while non-treatment areas can continue to be grazed. Continued livestock grazing in the non-treatment areas is subject to the Fishlake National Forest forage utilization standards and guidelines. Annual monitoring and enforcement of these standards and guidelines will continue.

VIII. Utah Wild Turkey Management Plan Newly treated areas through fire or mechanical means will attract use by wild turkey which are abundant on Monroe Mountain. Insects and new growth will be readily available to support turkey populations. Objective 2. Increase wild turkey habitat, quality and quantity, by 40,000 acres statewide by 2020. (p.16)

IX. UDWR Wildlife Action Plan This project is geared toward meeting the goals found within this plan for a variety of wildlife species from large to small. The entire proposed project area is found within a UWRI conservation focus area. The project is in line with the State's Wildlife Action Plan in that it directly benefits lentic water, lotic water, mountain riparian, and wet meadow habitats. It further directly benefits Bonneville cutthroat trout and boreal toad. Threat - Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity: Objective #1 for Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity Fire is excluded from habitats in which potential burns now would be frequent, large, and destructive to soils and native vegetation; the habitats are being actively managed (treated) to reduce components or factors that promote risk of catastrophic fire, such as cheatgrass, excessive conifer encroachment, or unnaturally large stands of mature Gambel oak. (pg. 103) Actions: 2.1.9 Establish or enhance fuel breaks in locations that are susceptible to large or intense fires. (pg. 104) 2.3.14 Conduct upland vegetation treatments to restore characteristic upland vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. (pg. 104) 2.3.20 Conduct post-fire rehabilitation. (pg. 104) Objective #2 for Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity Fire is returned to habitats from which it had been unnaturally excluded; the fire regime (frequency and intensity) in these habitats generally approximates a natural, pre-settlement regime. (pg. 105) 2.3.14 Conduct upland vegetation treatments to restore characteristic upland vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. (pg. 106) 2.3.17 Apply or allow more fire in habitats/locations where fire was historically more frequent or intense. (pg. 106) 7.3.4 Increase the use of stewardship contracting on BLM and National Forest lands.(pg. 106)

X. National Cohesive Strategy By means of prescribed fire and mechanical thinning at a landscape scale, the resulting mosaic of early and late successional forests will work toward the goal of restoring and maintaining resilient landscapes, one of the three goals described in the National Cohesive Strategy. 1. Resilient Landscapes General guidance regarding vegetation and fuels management include * Use and expand fuel treatments involving mechanical, biological, or chemical methods where economically feasible and sustainable, and where they align with landowner objectives. (pg. 58)

XI. State of Utah Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy The Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project aligns with the mission of the State of Utah's Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy. The project has developed a comprehensive and systematic approach toward reducing the size, intensity and frequency of catastrophic wildland fires on Monroe Mountain through a collaborative process. The project reduces the risk of a catastrophic wildfire occurrence negatively affecting property, air quality and water systems. The Mission: Develop a collaborative process to protect the health and welfare of Utahns, and our lands by reducing the size and frequency of catastrophic fires. (pg. 4) 5. Adopt Key Recommendations from the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. (pg. 15) * Encourage federal land management agencies to expedite fuels treatments. (pg. 15) * Prioritize landscapes for treatment (irrespective of jurisdictional boundaries). (pg. 15)

XII. Monroe Mountain Cove Mountain CWPP Goal 1: Minimize the potential wildland fire threat to life safety (Monroe Mountain Cove Mountain CWPP). This project works to achieve Goal 1 of the Monroe Mountain Cove Mountain CWPP by reducing fuel loading and lowering the potential of wildland fire spread across Monroe Mountain. XIII. State of Utah Forest Action Plan The Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project addresses all three of the key goals laid out in the Forest Action Plan: conserve and manage working forest landscapes for multiple values and uses, protect forests from threats and enhance public benefits from trees and forests. Wood products will be available through firewood permits, timber sales and stewardship contracts in accordance with the Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration NEPA documentation and the Fishlake National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. All actions called for in the Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project work together to reduce wildfire and forest health threats to the surrounding forests and reduce the potential for long-term degradation of forested watersheds on Monroe Mountain. Conserve and Manage Working Forest Landscapes for Multiple Values and Uses (pg. 3) Protect Forests from Threats (pg. 3) Enhance Public Benefits from Trees and Forests (pg. 3)

XIV. State of Utah Boreal Toad Conservation Plan. Boreal toad monitoring that will take place in connection with the Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystem Restoration Project aligns with conservation actions listed in the State of Utah Boreal Toad Conservation Plan. Applicable actions from the plan are outlined as follows: Conservation Actions -- the conservation monitoring actions listed below are incorporated into the monitoring plan. 1. Define current distribution and status (Surveys). 1.3.3 Determine the availability of dispersal corridors among habitats. 2. Monitor distribution, population, and habitat trends (Monitoring). 2.1.2 Document age class structure during breeding surveys. 2.2.1 Record habitat parameters during population monitoring. 2.2.2 Identify general threats during population monitoring. 2.3.3 Evaluate general habitat responses to conservation actions and/or threats. 3. Identify and reduce threats from habitat loss and degradation (Habitat Management). 3.1 Fire Management -- design features were incorporated into the project to prevent stand attributes near breeding sites by burning in mosaics, not treating all areas, and using fall burns where feasible. 3.1.1 Protect habitats in forest stands adjacent to and within 2.5 miles of breeding sites. 3.1.2 Restrict burns to late fall through early spring during which time boreal toads are inactive in known occupied areas. 3.1.3 Determine impacts of fire through monitoring of known breeding sites. 3.7 Roads -- overall the project has relatively few temporary roads. Design features were incorporated to reduce impacts where they do occur by construction during dormant seasons or after biologist clearance of the area. 3.7.1.b Avoid developing new roads that bisect occupied toad habitat. 3.8 Timber Harvest -- design features were incorporated to reduce impacts from timber harvest. Logistic considerations limit the ability to conduct winter logging on Monroe Mountain. For both fire and timber harvest, consistency with the state Boreal Toad plan and the PARC guidelines was discussed at length in the aquatics specialist report. There is some variation between these sources, with the need to allow forest cycles and resetting of succession to operate. 3.8.1 Protect habitats in forest stands adjacent to and within 4.0 km of breeding sites. 3.8.2 Restrict timber harvest to late fall through early spring during which boreal toads are inactive in known occupied areas. 5. Increase understanding of boreal toad ecology, life history, and threats in Utah (Research) -- these attributes are incorporated into the monitoring plan. 5.2 Characterize population structure and toad movements. 5.2.1 Estimate population size. 5.2.1a Conduct mark-recapture studies at selected breeding sites throughout Utah to estimate population sizes. 5.2.2 Track boreal toad movements. 5.2.2a Track toad movements to characterize upland habitat use and movement among breeding sites. 5.2.2.b Document colonization of new habitats. 5.2.2.c Document re-colonization of habitats after extirpation or disturbance (e.g. fire, flood).

XV. Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Bonneville Cutthroat Trout This project aligns with conservation actions listed in the Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Bonneville Cutthroat Trout. Southern Bonneville Management Unit management actions: "Fires and floods are a threat to small, isolated BCT populations. These threats are usually associated with fragmented habitat. Small populations potentially are subject to random events that threaten their existence. Such threats decrease with increasing populations, population size, habitat complexity and connectedness." Implementation of this project will reduce the threat of catastrophic fire and the associated negative impacts to Bonneville cutthroat trout on Monroe Mountain. CONSERVATION ACTIONS (all from pg. 6) 5) Monitor Populations 8) Monitor Habitat Quantity and Quality 10) Control and prevent the spread of whirling disease

XVI. Sevier County Resource Management Plan; This project is congruent with the policies and desired management practices found in Sevier County's Resource Management Plan. Policies (all from pages 6-7) 1. Support the removal of conifers and manage land to promote the establishment of aspen cover and attendant grass, brush, and forbs. 3. Encourage timber harvesting to prevent fuel load and biomass buildup. 5. The county supports prescribed burns as a fuels reduction management tool for resource enhancement, when used in conjunction with forest thinning and post-treatment salvage or in areas that physically cannot be mechanically thinned, when such burns comply with air quality regulations. 12. Support managing forest cover types to perpetuate tree cover and provide healthy stands, high water quality, and wildlife and fish habitat. 14. Support the management of forests and woodlands for healthy conditions that contribute to healthy habitat for animal and plant species, proper watershed functioning conditions, and riparian restoration and enhancement. 16. Support agencies in prioritizing fuel reduction treatment in high-value/high-risk areas (e.g., wildland-urban interface, developed recreation facilities including campgrounds). Desired management Practices 1. Encourage the commercial and non-commercial harvesting of forests and woodlands, to the maximum extent possible, through federal agencies' plans and policies. 4. Agencies should support a broad range of reforestation and timber stand improvement tools and timber harvesting practices consistent with prudent resource protection practices.

XVII. Central Utah Fire Management Plan (FMP):
 *Greater use of vegetation management to meet resource management objectives
 *Hazardous fuels treatments will be used to restore ecosystems; protect human, natural and cultural resources; and reduce the threat of wildfire to communities
 sagebrush steppe communities will be a high priority for ESR and fuel reduction to avoid catastrophic fires in these areas

XVIII. The burn plans are reviewed and each ignition is approved through the Utah State Smoke Management Plan, as described in Utah Rule 307-204. This decision will meet the Utah State Smoke Management Plan requirements.

XIX.Sage Grouse Management:  The Parker Mountain-Emery Sage Grouse Management Area is located one mile east of the project area. This project aligns with the Parker Mountain Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Local Conservation Plan, October 1, 2006. Specifically, the project corresponds with section 2.5. in the plan, which states as follows: "Action: Treat areas where undesirable vegetation has become, or is at risk of becoming a factor in sage-grouse habitat loss or fragmentation." It also follows the Conservation Plan for Greater Sagegrouse in Utah, February 14, 2013. Specifically section 5.4.1: "Aggressively remove encroaching conifers and other plant species to expand greater sage-grouse habitat where possible." There is a documented lek (Hell's Hole) on the south end of Monroe Mountain and telemetry studies show migration from collared birds to sage brush at lower elevations on the east side of the mountain. As stated above in the Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse this project will reduce numbers of acres of conifers encroaching into sage habitats, therefor meeting opportunities to enhance sage grouse habitat.

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.

The Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project is being implemented to effectively restore resilient, fire-adapted aspen ecosystems on a landscape-scale and across boundaries by moving the stands toward properly functioning condition in terms of composition (species diversity) and density (crown spacing and fuel loading). In addition the treatments will improve structural diversity, promote aspen regeneration and recruitment, reduce the hazardous fuel loading and reduce the continuity of fuels across the Monroe Mountain landscape; thus mitigating the risks and damage associated with a high intensity, high severity, uncharacteristic/catastrophic wildfire.  Where appropriate, this project will expand opportunities to manage fire for resource benefits and meet Fishlake Land and Resource Management Plan objectives.  Over the past decades, spruce dominated stands within this project have been significantly beetle killed.  A majority of the large mature spruce have been killed leaving an increased fire hazard in these areas.  Timber sales are occurring and continuing to be planned to help mitigate this hazard by targeting the dead standing spruce for commercial sale and preserving the live spruce regeneration in the understory.

This upper elevation project compliments completed and future planned treatments located in the mid to lower elevations as part of the Pine Canyon to Koosharem Creek/Bell Rock Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project and the Burrville Collaborative Ecosystem Restoration Project. It also compliments completed BLM treatment located in the valley bottoms at the base of the Monroe Mountain. All these projects combined reduce the risk of fire at a landscape level to multiple communities and watersheds across Monroe Mountain while promoting resilient landscapes.

Wildfires in this mixed conifer fuel type are very hard to contain and suppression costs are extremely high especially when suppressing fires in similar fuel types and loadings present on this project. When wildfires occur, this could result in damage to private property and numerous structures, increased erosion, greater opportunities for noxious weed establishment, impacts to available short-term forage, stream sedimentation, and possible mud slides.

This project reduces risks to multiple municipal watersheds. These watersheds include:  Greenwich, Koosharem, and Burrville (Box Greenwich, Koosharem, and Little Creek Watersheds); Monroe and Annabella (Monroe and Cottonwood Creek Watersheds).The risk for catastrophic wildfire would be reduced adding a layer of protection from such events to adjacent landowners, homes/structures and Forest Service owned improvements. High value areas including Manning Meadows, Monroe Meadows, Long Flat, Bagley Ranch and Maglby Reservoir communities with numerous homes and structures are in close proximity to the planned prescribed fire and mechanical portions of this phase of implementation. Monroe Meadows subdivision is located directly adjacent to a portion of the planned mechanical thinning/timber sale area located near Monkey Flat Ridge. Long Flat, and the community near Maglby Reservoir also includes a portion of the private land thinning planned during this phase.  Once mechanical treatments are completed, large scale prescribed fire treatments will commence further reducing risk of fire to these subdivisions. UFFSL will provide employees to help carry these projects over to the private side to help provide safety for fire and prescribed burning operations.

Mechanical thinning will also be occurring on private property in the Magelby, Monroe Meadows and Long Flat areas. This treatment in conjunction with future planned prescribed fire and mechanical treatments on adjacent USFS lands will reduce risk of fire to this private property with numerous homes and structures.

The dominant southwest wind flow in conjunction with associated fire behavior and long range spotting expected from the mixed conifer/aspen fuel type pose significant wildland fire risk to these areas and values.  A majority of the planned treatments will be occurring on the southwest side of these values that will create a large treated buffer that will significantly reduce the risk of fire to these values.

Crossboundary hazardous fuels treatments in high priority areas are occurring in conjunction with the NRCS and Utah Forestry, Fire & State Lands (UFFSL) to reduce the likelihood of adverse fire impacts to communities located on Monroe Mountain. Values at risk and resource concerns: * WUI involving Private Property with structures directly adjacent to the project area and scattered across the Monroe Mountain. * Priority wildlife habitat: Goshawks, Flammulated owls, and Boreal toad within and adjacent to project areas identified high crown fire potentials due to crown connectivity. * If untreated- continued decline in aspen. * If untreated- uncharacteristic high intensity/severity fire effects.

The majority of this project is within fire regime III -- 35-100+ year frequency and mixed severity (less than 75% of the dominant overstory vegetation replaced); and fire regime IV -- 35-100+ year frequency and high (stand replacement) severity (greater than 75% of the dominant overstory vegetation replaced). The Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) is estimated to be both moderate (FRCC 2) and high (FRCC 3) departure from the central tendency of the natural (historical) regime. The central tendency is a composite estimate of vegetation characteristics (species composition, structural stages, stand age, canopy closure, and mosaic pattern); fuel composition; fire frequency, severity, and pattern; and other associated natural disturbances. The majority of this project is in FRCC 3. This project will improve the fire regime condition class to FRCC 1 and FRCC 2.

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.

Project treatments will result in short to moderate term impacts to water quality, but project design features will prevent long-term degradation. Project treatments will considerably lessen the risk of catastrophic large scale high severity fires that could result in long-term watershed degradation. When wildfires occur, increased erosion, greater opportunities for stream sedimentation, and possible mud slides. This project reduces risks to multiple municipal watersheds and culinary water systems that include:  Greenwich, Koosharem, and Burrville (Box Greenwich, Koosharem, and Little Creek Watersheds); Monroe , Annabella, and Washburnville (Monroe and Cottonwood Creek Watersheds).

This project reduces risks to multiple watersheds across the Monroe Mountain by maintaining watershed function. Long-term water quality and watershed health will be maintained or enhanced. By removing conifer via prescribed fire and or mechanical it is anticipated that watershed resilience, Hydologic storage capacity in the regenerated aspen, and water quantity will be enhanced (seeps, springs, bogs--improved).

Due to concerns for high value/sensitive aquatic species, aquatic monitoring is incorporated into the project design. This will document baseline conditions and help assess project effects and watershed recovery, ensuring aquatic species are maintained and enhancing the ability to plan future large-scale watershed restoration programs. As documented in the Final Record of Decision, this project is compliant with the Clean Water Act.

Fire behavior over the last 2 decades have illustrated the potential for large uncontrollable fires across Monroe Mountain with current fuel loadings and conifer stand densities. A large wildfire would likely lead to large flood events. Water quantity could increase but most increase would be associated with storm events or early snow melt. This would likely lead to channel instability and down-cutting.  Ash, erosion from the fire, and erosion from channel adjustments would decrease water quality by increasing water turbidity and sediment loads. These effects could lead to extirpation of fish populations if the area burned was large enough. Water quantity (and quality) would return to near baseline levels as vegetation recovered over time, but channel adjustments such as down-cutting post-fire would likely have long-term consequences such as reduced areas of riparian habitat and wet meadows.

This project has numerous perennial water bodies/riparian systems and watersheds located across Monroe Mountain. Manning Meadows Reservoir, Manning Creek, Barney Lake, Lower Box Creek Reservoir, Box Creek, and Greenwich Creek are all TMDL's and 303d listed due to phosphorus levels from sedimentation and erosion. Treatments during this phase are located adjacent to all these perennial water systems.  Project treatments will increase ground cover by promoting increased grasses and forbs.  Treatments that improve ground cover will likely reduce sediment transfer into the lower watershed system.  Project treatments may result in short to moderate term impacts to water quality, but project design features will prevent long-term degradation. Treatments on this project will be occurring in spruce, mixed conifer/aspen and mountain sagebrush ecological communities. Restoring uplands within all of these ecological communities will reduce impacts from future wildfires along with reducing risks of future impairment to the watersheds.

Sevier County: In Sevier County's Water Quality and Hydrology section under Desired Management Practices the statement below supports these type of projects. 3. Where water resources on public lands have diminished because grasses have succeeded to pinyon-juniper and other woody vegetation, a vigorous program of mechanical treatments should be applied to promptly remove this woody vegetation and biomass, stimulate the return of the grasses to historic levels, and thereby provide a watershed that maximizes water yield and water quality for livestock, wildlife, and human uses. (pg. 24).

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.

Phase 5 of this project will involve improving aspen ecosystems on Monroe Mountain by:
1) Mechanically removing conifer (in house and via contract) ~902 acres of seral aspen stands on USFS land. (Summer/Fall of 2020)
2) Hand thinning conifer via contract ~1,468 acres of stable aspen stands on USFS land.. 
(Summer/Fall of 2020)
3) Mechanical thinning beetle killed spruce via contract 447 acres through a traditional timber sale on USFS land. (Summer/Fall of 2020)
4) Mechanically thinning conifer via contract 312 acres on private lands. 
(Summer/Fall of 2020)
5) Broadcast prescribed burning ~2,500-3,500 acres of aspen/mixed conifer on USFS Land. Variability in acres depends on availability of appropriate burn windows and weather conditions.
(Fall 2020 and Spring 2021)
6) Pile burning ~700 acres of activity fuels generated from phase 4 of this project. 
(Winter 2020/2021)
7) Aerial seeding ~2,500 acres of high intensity prescribed burned areas from phase 4 and phase 5 of this project.
(Spring 2021)
8) Continuing aquatics and aspen monitoring efforts. 
(Summer 2020)
9) 300 cruise plots completed by UFFSL for USFS.   During the summer/fall of 2020 a seasonal Forestry, Fire and State Land (FFSL) Timber Crew will complete timber surveys of aspen, mixed conifer and spruce/fir stands in preparation for a future timber sale/thinning contract to be awarded for the following summer of 2021

The mechanical thinning/piling treatment method on USFS lands will be accomplished primarily through a Good Neighbor Agreement with the UDWR and contract services utilizing forestry equipment. Phase 4 of mechanical thinning is currently already under contract.   Also 3 tracked bobcat skidsteer loaders with appropriate forestry attachments operated by force account will also be utilized. Due too ungulate browse thresholds being reached on some treated portions of this project, wildlife slash fences when feasible may also be constructed.

The mechanical thinning on private lands will be completed in conjunction with the NRCS, UFFSLs, and the private landowners though the Joint Chiefs Partnership. Due too ungulate browse thresholds being reached on some treated portions of this project, wildlife slash fences when feasible may also be constructed.

Some biomass fencing is currently under contract to be built during the thinning process. The biomass from the mechanical thinning will be utilized to build an approximate 8' tall fence. Biomass fencing will reduce future costs of constructing traditional wildlife net-wire fences and will reduce ungulate browse pressure on newly mechanically treated areas on both private and USFS lands.

Prescribed fire implementation will be accomplished utilizing both USFS and inter-agency fire suppression resources along with aerial helicopter contract services and a Good Neighbor Agreement with UFFSLs that will allow us to utilize and include local volunteer fire departments and state fire resources during implementation. Planning to utilize aerial ignition via PSD and helitorch with the helicopter to implement the prescribed fire. Prescribed fire treatments will be implemented utilizing aerial and/or hand ignition techniques targeting spruce/fir, mixed conifer, and seral aspen with mosaic burn patterns and mixed burn severities as an objective. To maintain Fishlake Land and Resource Management Plan(LRMP) compliance, prescribed fire will occur when 60 percent of the area will be expected to burn leaving 40 percent of the area unburned. Incidental burning of mountain brush and other vegetation types is expected and allowed during prescribed fire implementation.   Prescribed burn reseeding will generally occur after treatment and will be focused on high intensity burn areas.  Prescribed fire burn conditions during phase 4 of this project exceeded expectations and additional acres (that were not originally planned) were able to be treated this past fall.  We are requesting additional seed to re-seed last years additional completed acres treated by prescribed fire along with phase 5 planned treatments. We will utilize contract services to aerial seed.

Phase 4 piles are planned to be burned. This will be accomplished by force account seasonal firefighters.  If needed, burn pile scars will be reseeded to minimize establishment of noxious weeds.

As part of this project aspen monitoring is required and needed to determine if new aspen regeneration is successfully recruiting; a sufficient number of aspen sprouts are reaching 6 feet and taller. This aspen monitoring is also needed to determine if aspen browse thresholds are being exceeded and to determine if adaptive management response options need to be implemented. This aspen monitoring is being done by Dr. Sam St. Clair from Brigham Young University and will need to continue for the duration of this project. This aspen monitoring is already funded with prior year funds.

As a part of this project, the District will monitor boreal toads before, during, and after project implementation. Monitoring will be done to ensure project design features are implemented as designed, work as intended and are effective, and that site-specific findings of toad use areas, timing, etc. are incorporated into implementation actions. This monitoring will help ensure that boreal toad impacts are minimized. Monitoring will also include breeding site monitoring to document use and relative densities of populations. The Aquatics Final Monitoring Plan in the Aquatic Specialist Report for Sensitive and MIS Aquatic Species for the Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project (Whelan 2015a) discusses the monitoring plan in detail. The monitoring plan includes project objectives of determining changes in toad use areas, chytrid fungus infection rates/changes, finding key concentration areas such as breeding sites and hibernacula that will be buffered/protected, determining boreal toad use of areas planned for treatment, comparing toad use of treated versus untreated habitat, and (to the extent possible) determining population size and survival data. Aquatic Invasive Species control measures and annual reporting requirements are included as part of the monitoring plan. Some modifications have been necessary as radio tracking has been precluded due to low population numbers and UDWR direction. Additional survey work will be done to help determine toad use areas and habitat preferences without the radio tracking data. Due to extremely low Boreal toad population numbers, some historic breeding locations have been and/or will be fenced as part of Phases 3 and 4 of the project. Beaver dam analogues will be installed to enhance and protect breeding habitat. Efforts to improve and protect boreal toad breeding and known key habitat use areas are intended to reduce the cumulative effects that Monroe project activities as well as other ongoing land use activities have on boreal toads. These efforts will take place in connection with Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project Phase 4 and will include: fencing construction at Dry Creek Stock Pond #3 and Big Lake and beaver dam analogue installation South Fork Box Creek, Manning Creek/Barney Creek Confluence, Monroe Creek, Christensen Spring, and North Branch of South Fork Greenwich Creek, all of which have either had historic boreal toad breeding or use. Phase 5 project work will include monitoring on fenced areas and BDAs. More habitat improvements will likely be proposed for Phase 6, after Phase 4 implementation and monitoring helps assess project design effectiveness and the most suitable locations for enhancement

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.

Approximately 120 to 140 long-term aspen transects will be used to monitor status and trend of aspen following implementation. Monitoring is being done in conjunction and coordinated with aspen monitoring/research currently being done on Monroe Mountain by Dr. Sam St. Clair from Brigham Young University. Monitoring will address aspen regeneration/recruitment and understory conditions. Approximately 90 of these transects have already been established and are currently being monitored. To compliment this monitoring, 11 exclosures have also already been built at various locations across Monroe Mountain. See Final Record of Decision for additional information about monitoring.

As a part of this project, the District will monitor boreal toads before, during, and after project implementation. Monitoring will be done to ensure project design features are implemented as designed, work as intended and are effective, and that site-specific findings of toad use areas, timing, etc. are incorporated into implementation actions. This monitoring will help ensure that boreal toad impacts are minimized. Monitoring will also include breeding site monitoring to document use and relative densities of populations. Aquatics monitoring plans in 2018 were updated and revised in consideration of some of the monitoring findings and developments from summer 2016 and 2017 and meetings with UDWR in March and October of 2017. Radio-tracking of boreal toads was not pursued in 2018 or 2019 and will not be pursued in 2020. Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags will continue to be used at 6 main breeding zones. Stream monitoring and lake monitoring will also be conducted. Aquatic macroinvertebrates will be collected from Monroe streams. Fish population sampling will be conducted on other Monroe streams. We will work with DWQ to determine ways to allow lake water nutrient test samples to be run even with high algal concentrations. Finally, more proactive boreal toad habitat and population restoration work will begin. If boreal toad egg strands are found on Monroe in 2020, a portion will be taken into captivity to be raised to toadlets for release in the fall. Experimental/temporary key habitat protection measures and other habitat improvement projects will be implemented from Phase 3 and later stages of the Monroe project. These measures include boreal toad breeding site fencing and beaver dam analogue installations in key boreal toad historic breeding/use habitat. In addition, the District will monitor fish populations, streamflow, water turbidity, basic water chemistry, and aquatic macroinvertebrates one time before treatments are implemented if they have not been monitored in the last five years. Fish populations, streamflow, water turbidity, basic water chemistry, and aquatic macroinvertebrates will also be monitored immediately following project implementation and one final time three to five years following project implementation. Lake water quality (basic water chemistry, nutrient levels, and secchi disk depths) will also be monitored from fish supporting lakes in the project area before project implementation in that watershed, during project implementation, and three to five years following project implementation. Monitoring will be conducted monthly during the summer season from approximately May/June through Sept/October. The District will repeat hydrological channel monitoring stations (crosssections, longitudinal profiles, and photo points) that were established in or about 2001 on Manning Creek, Barney Creek, Dry Canyon, and Koosharem Creek. These stations will be resampled one time before treatments are implemented, immediately following project implementation, and a final time three to five years following project implementation.

Throughout implementation of this project elk, deer, owls and goshawks will also continue to be monitored annually (TESP and MIS). The District Wildlife staff will work closely with local UDWR biologists to monitor wildlife utilization on aspen regeneration. In the event established thresholds markers are exceeded conferencing will occur to enact protocol measures to prevent continued over-utilization of aspen sprouting. Photo plots combined with camera traps will be established to monitor results.

California Condor: This project lies south of I-70 and is therefore within the 10j experimental non-essential area for the California condor. We will monitor to learn if any of these raptor species are to show up on Monroe Mountain.

Multiple fuels and prescribed fire monitoring plots have been established with the prescribed fire portions of the project. Plots will be visited post treatments 1 year, 3 year, and 5 years to monitor fuels and tree mortality. This will be accomplished by the Forest Service SCA Monitoring Crew. Invasive and noxious weeds are not known to occur in the treatment areas; however, treatment areas will be monitored post-implementation. If noxious and/or invasive weeds are detected, the District will take the appropriate actions to control spread and eliminate the noxious and/or invasive weeds from the treatment areas.

The Fire and Smoke Modeling Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE) research group is currently involved during prescribed fire activities on the Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project. FASMEE is a multi-agency effort to provide advanced measurements necessary to evaluate and advance operationally-used fire and smoke modeling systems and their underlying scientific models. The field campaign will be monitoring all aspects of large operational prescribed fires targeting heavy fuel loads that are burned to produce high-intensity fires with developed plumes planned during this phase of the project.

Not only will treatments enhance habitat for big game but increased diversity will also benefit small game, raptors, rabbits, turkey, as well as predator species (See attached table in documents showing species listed and benefits associated with this project proposal). Post season deer counts in 2018 for the Koosharem Canyon-Blue Peak area show a 22.1% buck:doe ratio and a 77.9% fawn:doe ratio. We will continue to conduct count routes across the unit to monitor dee and elk use within the treatment areas. Deer and elk are utilizing the treatment areas that have been burned, cut, seeded and/or recently masticated. 2018 post-season deer numbers are very positive and area specific (not indicative of the unit as a whole) which would lead us to believe that vegetation projects on summer, transition and winter range are helping keep deer healthier than other parts of the range.

Wildlife, aquatics, and aspen monitoring data collected from this phase of treatment will be included in the documents section of the WRI database.

Species benefiting summary for this project.

1. Bobcat: Treatment will create increased diversity in prey base for this species.	
2. Elk:  Treatments will improve forage, calving areas, cover:forage ratios helping maintain a 
             viable elk population on Monroe Mt.
3. Blue Grouse:  Treatments in spruce/fir will allow shrub and other understory components.	
4. Ruffed Grouse:  Treatments will improve understory brush, seed and insect potential.	
5. American Beaver:  Beaver will find improved water in the overall riparian system as well as 
            healthy aspen and willows.
6. Bonneville Cutthroat Trout:  Improvement in watersheds will have long term benefits for trout	
7. Domestic Livestock:  Treatments will improve AUM's across the mountain	
8. Golden Eagle:  Treatments will improve prey base and foraging opportunities for all raptors.	
9. Rainbow Trout:  Improvement in the watersheds will have long term benefits for trout.	
10. Flammulated Owl:  Flammulated Owl on Monroe Mt. are very specific to Doug Fir forest 
              types.  Avoidance of treatment in DF is planned.	
11. Bald Eagle:  Treatments will improve prey base and foraging opportunities for eagles.
12. Wild Turkey:  Treatments will improve understory plants producing seed and insects.	
13. Mule Deer:  Treatments will improve foraging, hiding, fawning habitat for viable population.		
14. Greater Sage-grouse:  Reducing conifers across the landscape will enable improved sage 
                brush habitat for sage grouse.
15. Black Bear:  Improved forest from treatments will produce diversity across the flora and 
                fauna component for predators and prey alike.
16. Cougar:  Improved forest from treatments will produce diversity across the flora and 
                fauna component for predators and prey alike.
17. Western Toad:  Improvement of seeps and springs will maintain or improve toad habitat.
18. Snowshoe Hare:  Improved forest from treatments will produce diversity across the flora and fauna component for predators and prey alike.

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.

The Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project is a result of several years of planning and collaboration among interested parties, groups and organizations, and Federal, State and local government agencies. In January 2010, the Utah Forest Aspen Restoration Working Group (UFRWG) finalized the 2010 Guidelines for Aspen Restoration on the National Forests in Utah (UFRWG 2010).

As part of this effort, the UFRWG submitted a call for project proposals that could effectively test the newly created guidelines. The Fishlake National Forest submitted the Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project to the UFRWG for their consideration. The proposal was accepted and in April 2011 the Monroe Mountain Working Group (MMWG) was formed to provide recommendations and feedback to the District as the project was being developed. From May 2011 through December 2015 the Richfield Ranger District met with the MMWG almost monthly developing and working on this project. These meetings were open to the public to provide information, ask and answer questions and discuss the proposed action and alternatives.

The MMWG consist of the following stakeholders: Utah Cattlemen's Association; Utah Woolgrowers Association; Utah State University Extension; Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife; Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; Trout Unlimited; Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR); Piute County Commission; Sevier County Commission; Utah Department of Agriculture and Food; Utah Farm Bureau; Rocky Mountain Research Station; Grand Canyon Trust; Western Aspen Alliance; and Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. The Utah Department of Wildlife Resources was a cooperating agency for the Monroe Aspen EIS and Final Record of Decision.

The Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project was selected by the Joint Chiefs Partnership with NRCS and USFS. Through this Joint Chiefs Partnership with NRCS along with partnership with UFFSLs and multiple private landowners, treatments are also occurring on private lands located on Monroe Mountain in conjunction with treatments occurring on lands managed by the Richfield Ranger District.  Coordination meetings are taking place between USFS, UFFSLs and UDWR to plan collaboratively future treatments that will mutually benefit all agencies along with promote landscape-level restoration.  A Good Neighbor Agreement with UFFSLs is currently in place that will allow us to utilize and include local volunteer fire departments and state fire resources during prescribed fire planning and implementation.

A Good Neighbor Agreement with UDWR is also currently in place that promotes the UDWR to be involved with planning implementation. Interagency agreement with the BLM are also in place. This will allow for an interagency effort during implementation of the prescribed fire along with utilizing BLM work force during portions of the mechanical implementation.

The Richfield Ranger District is currently partnered with the Fire and Smoke Modeling Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE) research group that will be involved during prescribed fire activities on the Monroe Mountain Aspen Ecosystems Restoration Project. FASMEE is a multi-agency effort to provide advanced measurements necessary to evaluate and advance operationally-used fire and smoke modeling systems and their underlying scientific models. The field campaign has began being conducted this past spring during Phase 4 of this project, and will continue to be conducted on future large operational prescribed fires during this phase of the project, targeting heavy fuel loads and burned to produce high-intensity fires with developed plumes that are planned during prescribed fire implementation.

In 2017 the Six County Association of Governments had their annual natural resources tour on Monroe Mountain. Governor Herbert also attended for part of the day. Throughout the day this project area and other project areas on the Monroe were visited. Those in attendance expressed their support for this project and doing active management.

Numerous other tours occurred on Monroe Mountain during summer of 2019 showing completed treatments across the mountain and associated successes of implementing at a landscape/ecological level utilizing adaptive management.

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.

Treatment sequencing follows a Monroe Mountain wide 10-year implementation plan and is primarily based on the current distribution of wild browsers on Monroe Mountain. Mechanical and prescribed fire treatments have been occurring and are almost finished in the southerly portion of the project area where visually, current browse pressures on aspen appear to be less than the northerly and central portions of the project area. Since treatments in the southern area are almost finished, treatments in the northerly portion of the project are planned to commence. Browse pressures in the north appear to be higher than what is occurring in the south, but less than the central portion of the project area. Following treatments in the southern and northern areas, treatments in the central portion of the project area will likely be initiated next. By generally sequencing the project in this order, browse pressure may be more directed away from newly treated areas; this is expected to increase the probability of regenerating aspen to reach 6 feet tall after treatment.

Mechanical treatments will occur in areas adjacent to private lands, areas adjacent to northern goshawk territories, and areas within/adjacent to boreal toad and Bonneville cutthroat trout habitat. These aspen, spruce/fir, and mixed conifer areas will be mechanically treated first within each sequence area (southern, northern, and central). Implementing these mechanical treatments will help reduce the risk of impacts from planned future prescribed fire to private property, northern goshawk, boreal toad, and Bonneville cutthroat trout.

Increased pace and scale of restoration type projects in this area is currently underway. Multiple projects have been, and are currently being implemented and more are being planned on Monroe Mountain. This project directly coordinates at a watershed and landscape level with the Pine Canyon to Koosharem Creek Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project and the Burrville Collaborative Ecosystem Restoration Project that is currently being implemented in the mid to lower elevations on the east side of Monroe Mountain.  Both of these projects covers a good portion of the mid to lower elevations located on the east side of the Monroe Mountain. The project is planned to continue over the next 2-4 years in conjunction with a future wildlife habitat improvement project that was a decision was recently signed. This planned project will include landscape level treatments addressing pinyon /juniper in the majority of the remaining lower to mid level areas around Monroe Mountain that are not currently covered under the Pine Canyon to Koosharem Creek Project. Future planned treatments as part of this newly signed pinyon/juniper project will be occurring beginning on the northwest side of Monroe Mountain in the Sevier Valley Area and will directly compliment planned treatments in this phase and future phases of the Monroe Aspen Ecosystem Restoration Project..

Also this project is in effort to disperse browse pressure of both wild and domestic ungulates and improve watershed health across the entire Monroe Mountain and BLM treatments occurring in the valleys surrounding the mountain. Aspen browse thresholds and adaptive management response options have been developed and will be implemented to help ensure new regenerating aspen successfully recruit (become 6 feet or taller). To assist this effort, extensive aspen monitoring by Dr. Sam St. Clair has occurred and is contracted to continue.

Implementation of this project will reduce the risk of catastrophic high severity wildland fire; thus reducing the risk to the public and firefighters. This also reduces the risk to private property. Health and public safety is improved. With these reduced risks, future planned prescribed fire and management of naturally caused fires may be possible. This would allow fire to play greatest feasible natural role in the environment, in particular through the maintaining of a diverse mosaic of seral aspen stages into the future.

Mechanical treatments may also be considered to maintain aspen ecosystems on the landscape. As habitat is improved for ungulates (deer, elk, cattle, sheep) and additional forage becomes available, the Fishlake National Forest expects the flexibility and management of ungulates will improve. Maintaining healthy populations of wildlife while also responding to the needs of livestock permittees is expected to become easier. Impacts to permittees will be minimized by the use of herding and temporary electric fences so that treatment areas and/or stable aspen stands can be temporarily rested while non-treatment areas can continue to be grazed.

WRI funded a water development/fencing project to help distribute livestock and provide additional flexibility to move livestock to accommodate temporary rest following treatments. The infrastructure for that project has been installed and our Aspen Project has been benefiting from the water infrastructure project for the past few years. Post implementation, we've been able to temporary rest areas from livestock use without reducing livestock numbers or season of use. BYU continues to monitor aspen browse. To date we are seeing positive aspen results (especially in the prescribed fire portions) and we've been able to maintain livestock numbers and season of use. The water development/fence project has been a great success and will continue to be of benefit for the Aspen Project.

As additional areas continue to get treated, our plan is to continue implementing the browse thresholds and if thresholds are exceeded, in coordination with the MMWG, implementing a suit of adaptive management response options.

Invasive and noxious weeds are not known to occur in the treatment areas; however, treatment areas will be monitored post-implementation. If noxious and/or invasive weeds are detected, the District will take the appropriate actions to control spread and eliminate the noxious and/or invasive weeds from the treatment areas.

Our goal is to ensure an adequate amount of aspen regeneration successfully recruits and mosaic treatment patterns are desired.  Adaptive management has been allowed for in the NEPA documents.  Many tools have been analyzed in the NEPA planning process to allow other methods in the future.

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.

Forage Production or Improved Distribution: Aspen ecosystems are rich in species of grasses, forbs, and animals; especially in comparison to associated coniferous forest types. The high value of the aspen ecosystem type as a forage resource for livestock and as forage and cover for wildlife increases with the implementation of this project. Through both the mechanical thinning and prescribed fire treatments, conifer encroachment is reduced and aspen regeneration/recruitment is promoted. This in return moves aspen ecosystems on the Monroe Mountain on a trajectory toward accomplishing desired conditions thus improving aspen ecosystems. The amount of forage and total area available for livestock grazing is expected to increase significantly as a result of this project. With the removal of conifer, the amount of usable grasses and forbs in the aspen understory is expected to increase significantly.  By thinning and or burning the overgrown mixed conifer areas, the amount of usable area to graze will also increase as a result of this project. With increased forage livestock distribution and management is expected to improve. Many areas that are currently unproductive due to overgrowth will soon become desirable for future uses by livestock. Livestock numbers on Monroe Mountain have been fairly constant for the past 50 years or so; however, during that timeframe with subalpine fir encroachment into aspen stands and PJ encroachment into sagebrush/grass/forb areas the amount of forage available to ungulates has decreased significantly. Healthy aspen stands provide 800-1,000 pounds of forage per acre and with conifer encroachment forage decreases to 0-50 pounds per acre. In treatments areas we are seeing significant increases in forage. This restored forage is and will continue to provide better conditions for ungulates already on Monroe Mountain and is restoring forage that has been declining for the past century. This restored forage in the aspen will help improve ungulate distribution and we anticipate benefits in the adjacent community types as distribution is improved. This increased forage also will help during drought years and helping maintain forage for a longer period of time into the grazing season. Having the season of use or livestock numbers temporary reduced during drought years is constantly a concern for permittees. With increased forage, our ability to maintain livestock numbers and season of use (while also maintaining compliance with the grazing standards and guidelines outlined in the Fishlake Land and Resource Management Plan) during the drought years becomes easier. Browse pressure from both domestic livestock and wild ungulates is a concern with the implementation of this project. The District will ensure, if needed, the temporary resting of treatment areas, herding, and electric fences are incorporated into Annual Operating Instructions. These actions will help ensure that permittees are in the communication loop and will give them enough time to plan for the resources they need to continue their operations. For example, in 2019 the entire Rock Springs Allotment was rested from livestock grazing.  With no reductions, these livestock were able to temporarily graze a different area on Monroe Mountain.  With several treatments occurring in 2016-2019, livestock permittees were still able to keep their full livestock numbers on Monroe Mountain the entire grazing season each year. If browse thresholds are reached, a suite of adaptive management response options can be implemented; as described in the Final Record of Decision. The browse thresholds and response options are included in this project to ensure an adequate amount of aspen regeneration successfully recruits thus moving toward desired conditions that benefit domestic livestock. The browse thresholds and adaptive management response options are supported by the MMWG and the Utah Wildlife Board.

Other Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources: As part of this project, traditional timber sales are planned to occur throughout project implementation. Efforts are being made to commercially sale merchantable timber (primarily spruce) during this phase of implementation by targeting the dead standing spruce for commercial sale and preserving the live spruce regeneration in the understory.  This will allow for sustainable forestry management and timber production in the future.  Last year ~897 acres of beetle killed spruce were commercially cut and sold on the north end of Monroe Mountain in the Cove area.  During this phase, approx. 482 acres of beetle killed dead spruce areas are under contract to be cut and then the spruce log decks will be sold in the future. More acres are planned to be prepared for future timber sales. Some treated areas may be re-planted with both spruce and Doug fir as deemed appropriate by the District Timber Staff. Fir dominated areas that were prescribed fire treated in phase 3 of this project are currently in the process of being replanted with merchantable timber species such as Spruce and Doug Fir. District Timber staff have been promoting commercial biomass sales of normally non merchantable timber such as white and sub-alpine fir to local private companies to be processed into wood chips. Some interest is starting to be shown and hopefully a market niche will be developed and more of the biomass produced from the mechanical portions of this project will be able to be utilized.

Monroe Mountain is a very popular hunting unit for big game, fishing (a variety of fish species), camping, wildlife viewing, hiking, snowmobiling, private land ownership, wild turkeys and a variety of upland game and non-game species. Aspen restoration will improve transition and summer ranges that will benefit wildlife along with improving water quality and reducing risk to necessary fish habitat and watersheds. This project will promote sustainability for a variety of sportsmen and sportswomen along with providing more hunting and fishing opportunities for future generations.

Monroe Mountain is also a very popular area for camping, hiking, snowmobiling wildlife viewing and ATV trail riding. Miles of hiking and ATV trails exist across Monroe Mountain. Aspen restoration across the mountain will promote a renewed resilient beautiful sustainable forest that will be enjoyed by future generations.

Vegetation treatments that encourage aspen regeneration on spring and summer range will continue to provide quality deer fawning and elk calving habitat. A productive understory combined with some dead and down trees is optimal habitat for big game birthing. Monroe Mountain studies done by BYU and UDWR have shown that deer coming off summer range have a sufficient fat layer and acceptable body condition going into winter. It is imperative that additional acres are treated to benefit big game and livestock body conditions at the end of summer and fall. This project will continue to provide those opportunities to ungulate animals by improving the health and integrity of the overall ecosystem. Attached in the image/documents section is a table showing species listed for this project with an associated benefit. A wide variety of species inhabit the aspen-spruce-fir ecosystem of Monroe Mtn. If left alone conifer would continue to dominate over aspen causing an increase of a mono-culturistic pattern which would decrease diversity among vegetation and wildlife species. This project is critical at this point in time to set back this dramatic increase of conifer encroachment and restore as many acres of aspen as possible to preserve diversity across the ecosystem.

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.