Project Details

The Whiterocks project area is adjacent to an community at risk of wildfire. Over time the conifer has expanded in the area increasing fuel loading and risk of a catastrophic wildfire which has the potential to irreparably harm the watershed. The Whiterocks River is also a local municipal supply. Specific erosion treatments will occur to benefit water quality both in the canyon and for downstream users.

The canyon itself has not experienced a large-scale wildfire for approximately 150-200 years. The amount of fuel build-up in the canyon combined with the narrow, steep topography and the one way in one way out access create the potential for a hazardous situation. The Ashley National Forest has issued several temporary closures in the past during extreme fire danger.
The buildup of fuels would lead to a loss of desirable species (Aspen, Ponderosa Pine) if a uncharacteristic wildfire were to occur. 
The project would better protect public safety by reducing fuel loads, creating a emergency pullout in case of an emergency, and protect water quality for local communities downstream.

Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.

Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.

The Whiterocks Canyon project aims to reduce wildfire risk, protect a community at risk, and benefit a diversity of habitats. The lack of wildfire has led to a build-up in fuels that could prove catastrophic if/when a wildfire occurs. If the project is not completed and a natural ignition occurs the fire could be uncharacteristic and may permanently alter the watershed's ability to function properly. The project would remove conifer to reduce fuel loading and allow for fires to enter healthy aspen stands to alleviate fire impacts and behavior.
Conifer encroachment has been identified in several Plans (Utah Wildlife Action Plan, State Sage-grouse Plan, Forest Service Amended Plans) as a threat to Sage Grouse habitat and these Plans all recommend immediate action of removing these conifers to maintain sage-grouse habitat. The lack of a wildfire in this canyon has allowed conifer to expand unabated and displace other more beneficial plant species.
The aspen in Whiterocks Canyon is relatively healthy, but us being overtaken by conifer. Treating the conifer now will boost the duration of aspen in the ecosystem and preserve the diversity of habitats in the canyon.

LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.

TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.

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

List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.

If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.

Improperly functioning roads and trails are causing sediment to reach the Whiterocks River. Erosion control and drainage features will be constructed to reduce sediment loads reaching the Whiterocks River improving water quality locally and downstream. The implementation of "debris fences" would protect a small stream and it riparian corridor from more damage and enhance recovery. Whiterocks Canyon is home to a rare rich fen (calcareous rich wetland) fuels treatments adjacent to the project would help protect this unique feature. 
 Roundy et. al. 2014 found that mechanical tree reduction increased soil water availability. Reducing the conifer encroachment will increase the amount of shrubs, grasses, and forbs which will reduce surface water runoff and debris flows (which causes soil erosion and poor water quality) and aid in retaining the moisture in the ecosystem. The project will also occur on some north facing slopes where water retention potential would be the greatest. Additionally, the potential reduction in soil erosion/sediment loading may improve the water quality in the perennial stream that is down slope from the project. Roundy B. A. Roundy, K. Young, N. Cline, A. Hulet, R. F. Miller, R. J. Tausch, J. C. Chambers, and B. Rau. 2014. Pinon-juniper reduction increases soil water availability of the resource growth pool. Rangeland Ecology & Management 67(5) September 2014.

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.

Conifer Encroachment Removal This project would be handled under a contract. Removal of encroaching conifers will be done with hand crews using chainsaws on slopes greater than 20%. Equipment may be used on slopes less than 20%. Cut materials will be left on the site or lopped and scattered, in other areas will be piled and burned.Treatments will occur from mid-summer to fall. Existing roads will be used to access the project area. Further access will be by foot or in the case of machinery cross country. Aspen treatments would be completed by hand crews typically from August to December.
The water improvement portion if the project is multifaceted. First the Whiterocks road experiences overland flow related to beaver activity. Instead of removing beaver or continuing to clean culverts a hardened crossing will be installed to reduce sediment impacts to the main stem of the Whiterocks River. Other areas of overland flow occur on the road, improved ditching and installation of culverts or hardened fords would eliminate sediment loads. In another area a spring and small stream are currently being damaged by ungulate species, the treatment of Pinyon, Juniper, and Aspen would allow some trees to be felled over the stream creating a "debris fence" to limit ungulates ability to impact the stream banks allowing willow and other riparian vegetative species to return. Portions of the conifer being treated in aspen stands adjacent to the creek would likely be allowed into the river channels to enhance habitat, but would need to be conducted strategically to prevent excessive debris and potential hazards.

Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.

Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.

List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.

Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.

Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.