Upper Provo Watershed Restoration Phase 6
Region: Northern
ID: 5581

Project Status: Pending Completed

Project Details

The Upper Provo Watershed is in need of vegetation management in order to maintain and improve conditions, quality, and quantity of water and habitat for the public and wildlife. The primary focus is terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitat improvement and hazardous fuels reduction. We are on our 6th phase of the Upper Provo project and hope to continue habitat restoration from the headwaters to the valley bottoms of the Upper Provo Watershed. This watershed is critical to Utah as it accounts for over 70% of the Central Utah Water Conservancy's capacity to meet demand along the Wasatch Front. There are over 21,000 acres of hazardous fuels reduction, TSI, and habitat improvement projects that need treatment within the 91,000 acre project area. We have successfully treated over 9,000 acres of the project to date. Our goal with Phase 6 is to treat 1,934 acres under a partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation. This partnership jointly funds a shared position to help increase and maintain capacity for the multiple contracts being implemented in order to increase the pace and scale of restoration.

1) Hazard Tree Removal: A significant amount of hazard trees flank miles of system roads within the Upper Provo Watershed. These standing dead trees pose a risk to the high vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and have potential to interfere with the road and waterways as well as fire spread. Hazard tree removal will drastically help us increase our ability to manage fire in these areas, the more disturbance (i.e. fuel reduction, prescribed fire, disruption of fuel continuity) on the land the less potential we have for large scale fire. Following the procedures of previous stages of the project, some of the cut wood will be decked for future firewood gathering or sale as well.

2)  Conifer Thinning and Aspen Enhancement:  Overgrown stands that contain standing dead are encroaching and out-competing Aspen on Hoyt Peak above the town of Kamas, UT.  These stands are increasing the probability of unnatural wildfires.  Aspen are more fire resistant than conifers and can act as a buffer if a wildfire were to spread to the area.

3) Lop and Scatter:  Trees will be dropped and scattered in order to place the serotinous cones on the ground to provide seed for regeneration. In contact with the heated ground these cones would open and disperse the seeds. Boles would be limbed and the branches scattered. In concentrated areas some boles may need to be piled and burned to avoid heavy ground fuel loading. Otherwise, down logs will provide good microsite protection and long term nutrient cycling. 
 
4) Aspen & Ponderosa Enhancement: Lodgepole Pine, Juniper, and Subalpine Fir are encroaching into Aspen and Ponderosa communities.  Encroachment into these areas lowers plant and animal diversity and increases the risk of unwanted fire effects when a fire occurs. The influx of these trees excludes other plant species by limiting water, light, and nutrients available to the understory vegetation. The stage of encroachment is not particularly severe at this time, but conditions will continue to degrade if no action is taken.  Aspen and Ponderosa are fire resistant species that act as natural fuel breaks and improve our ability to manage fire on the landscape.  As these trees mature, the more fire resistant they become (Miller 2000).

5) WUI Hazardous Fuels Reduction: Overgrowth of vegetation in the Cedar Fork drainage puts the water supply to the town of Samak as well as private property at risk to future wildfires. Hand-thinning overgrown Oak, Conifer, and Juniper in this drainage will improve the watershed resiliency and reduce fuel loading.

6) Cutting and Decking:  A large number of standing dead Lodgepole Pines are present in the areas along the upper portions of Highway 150.  These trees increase the likelihood of an intense and destructive wildfire.  By using mechanical equipment to thin these areas, future wildfires will not be as intense and will bring the natural fire cycle back to the ecosystem.
 
7) NGO support for NWTF Watershed Restoration Technician:  Support for this position will increase oversight of the contract and aid in continuity across the project.  Broadening support for the project also introduces new perspectives to the planning process.  This ultimately makes the methods for improving watershed health more comprehensive.

8) Pile Burning:  By burning piles of cut conifer, ground fuels are reduced and openings are created on the forest floor.  This increases foraging habitat for multiple species of wildlife and lowers the probability of unnatural wildfire.

9) Timber Cruising:  Stands of timber that have been selected for a future sale will be measured for quality along Lost Creek for 241 Acres.  This data will be used to formulate a value for these selected stands for the upcoming sale.

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.

1) Hazard Tree Removal:  We are targeting 626 acres along Highway 150 and in the Hoyt Peak area for treatment utilizing hand felling and or heavy machinery such as excavators, skidders, yarders.  This treatment will eliminate mostly standing dead that pose a hazard to the Hwy 150 corridor and create a larger fuel break that can be used.

2) Conifer Removal and Aspen Enhancement: Enhance aspen stands and reduce conifer fuel loading along Hoyt peak for 365 acres.  This plot lies adjacent to the town of Kamas so this will decrease the likelihood of unnatural wildfire spreading near city limits.

3) Lop and Scatter: South of Highway 150 between Yellow Pine & Pine Valley Campgrounds for a total of 343 acres. This treatment will aid in seed dispersal and nutrient recycling as well as increase the availability of forage for mule deer and elk as well as increasing their ability to migrate from transitional/summer ranges.

4)  Aspen & Ponderosa Enhancement: Enhance Aspen and Ponderosa growth by hand-thinning conifers that are encroaching on 146 acres up the Slate Creek drainage.    Lodgepole Pine and Subalpine Fir are outcompeting the fire-resistant Aspen and Ponderosa in this drainage.

5) WUI Hazardous Fuels Reduction: Hand-thinning 257 acres of fuels located near the Samak WMA and above the town of Samak to protect the health of the city watershed within the Cedar Fork drainage.

6) Cutting and Decking:  We plan on cutting and decking 197 acres of hazard trees along Highway 150 above Slate River Gorge.  This treatment will reduce fuels that could cause catastrophic wildfire, while providing firewood to fuel wood permittees.

7) Support of NGO partnership:  We have an agreement with the National Wild Turkey Federation through 2022. The position sanctioned by this agreement will continue to aid in the ongoing contract management of the remaining phases of the project.

8) Pace and Scale of Pile Burning Effort:  Reduces fuels remaining on the forest floor that would increase severity of wildfire.  The piles should be burned in a timely manner, once conditions allow, before they increase the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

9) Timber Cruising:  Prepares the area for a future timber sale or deck sale by evaluating the monetary value of trees within treatment areas along Lost Creek for 241 acres. This will reduce fuel loading along Highway 150.

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.

1) Hazard Tree Removal- Highway 150 is a heavily used recreation corridor, and public safety is potentially at risk should a wildfire occur in the area (as identified in a 2005 Fireshed Assessment). Reducing hazardous fuels along the corridor will help mitigate this public safety issue and create fuel breaks for future fire management.

2) Conifer Removal and Enhancement-  Stands of overgrown and standing dead will provide openings for aspen to spread.  By eliminating these heavy fuels, the risk of unnatural wildfires will be lowered considerably.  Thinning might increase the risk of wind throw and damage due to the stand density.

3) Lop and Scatter- Felling standing dead and unhealthy conifer will provide forage space for wildlife.  Clearing these areas will be more difficult and expensive if no action is taken. These clearings will be further reduced if areas are not treated.

4) Aspen and Ponderosa Enhancement via Small Wood Thinning- Mechanical treatment of these overstocked and previously harvested stands will alter the fuel type from a TL3 to TL1. Opening up these stands is expected to improve residual tree growth and stand health. Because of high density stand growth, thinning may increase risk to wind throw and damage. Firefighting operational engagement and proper management will be enhanced if an event occurs in this area post treatment

5) WUI Hazardous Fuels Reduction- Reducing fuels via hand thinning around Cedar Fork may also increase risk to wind throw and damage, but will mitigate fire danger to a critical area of the watershed.

6) Cutting and Decking- The standing dead Lodgepole Pine pose a safety risk in the popular recreation areas along Highway 150 as well as the highway corridor.  These trees are at risk of falling at any time, especially in high wind events.  The standing dead trees also pose a wildfire risk as they would increase the severity of a wildfire event.

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.

UDWR. 2006. CONSERVATION AGREEMENT AND STRATEGY FOR COLUMBIA SPOTTED FROG (RANA LUTEIVENTRIS) IN THE STATE OF UTAH. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Publication Number 06-01, Salt Lake City, UT. Cites that: "Habitat loss and degradation have been indicated as major causes of the declines in spotted frog populations and distribution" pp.22. -

UDWR. 2005. BOREAL TOAD (BUFO BOREAS BOREAS) CONSERVATION PLAN. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Publication Number 05-37, Salt Lake City, UT. Indicates that habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and fire intensity/effect are threatening BT populations. pp.12-17. -

RANGE-WIDE CONSERVATION AGREEMENT AND STRATEGY FOR BONNEVILLE CUTTHROAT TROUT (Oncorhynchus clarki utah). Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Publication Number 00-19, Salt Lake City, UT. Talks to the risks from large fire on the species.

Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest Revised Forest Management Plan (RFP). 
Uinta Forest Plan - 2003 Land and Resource Management Plan, Uinta National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/uwcnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5076960&width=full
2003 Wasatch Cache Forest Plan. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/uwcnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5076923&width=full

The Upper Provo Restoration Project falls within the Western Uintas Management Area. Vegetation management activities in the project area center on trying to improve soil, water, and vegetation conditions within the Upper Provo Watershed to restore the overall watershed health; the proper functioning of physical, biological and chemical conditions. -Biodiversity/Viability Desired future conditions for Vegetation and Disturbance Processes for the Western Uintas Management Area (USDA Forest Service, 2003; 4-179) include: -Beaver Creek Area: Mechanical thinning of invading species (such as Juniper and Gambel Oak) followed by prescribed fire or mastication will be employed to maintain the unique Ponderosa pine component of the landscape. Gambel oak and mountain brush will be managed to increase age class diversity and reduce fuel loading adjacent to private property. Sagebrush will be managed to increase the diversity of age classes and decrease canopy cover of juniper, as a consequence increase grass-forb cover. Social (non-recreation) Desired Future Conditions for the Western Uintas Management Area include (USDA Forest Service, 2003; 4-190): -Risks to private property from unwanted fire will be reduced through close coordination with local communities. In the Soapstone and Weber River summer home areas, permit holders, The State of Utah Department of Natural Resources and private homeowners will work Cooperatively to provide fuel breaks and defensible space. -Forest-wide Subgoals (USDA Forest Service, 2003) that are applicable to this project and fuels/fire ecology are: -2h. Maintain and/or restore diversity, productivity, vigor, and regenerative capacity of native and desired nonnative riparian and wetland plant communities to provide an amount and distribution of large woody debris characteristic of natural aquatic & riparian ecosystems; provide adequate summer & winter thermal regulation; and to help achieve rates of surface erosion and channel migration characteristic of those under which desired communities develop. -3d. Restore or maintain fire-adapted ecosystems (consistent with land uses, historic fire regimes, and other Forest Plan direction) through wildland fire use, prescribed fire, timber harvest or mechanical treatments. -3f. Maintain or restore species composition, such that the species that occupy any given site are predominantly native species in the kind and amount that were historically distributed across the landscapes. 4d. Reduce hazardous fuels (prescribed fire, silvicultural and mechanical treatments) with emphasis on interface communities (wildland/urban) and increase proactive participation of communities at risk. -Forest Guidelines and Desired Conditions applicable to this project and fuels/fire ecology include: -Minimize the amount and impact of smoke from "fire use" activities by identifying smoke-sensitive areas, using "best available control measures," monitoring smoke impacts, and following guidance in State smoke management plans. -Manage vegetation for properly functioning conditions at the landscape scale. Desired structure and pattern for cover types of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest are as follows except in the Wildland Urban Interface, where vegetation structure and pattern should be managed to reduce threat of severe fire to property and human safety. -(G3.1A-1) Timber harvest, vegetation/fuel treatments, prescribed fire, and wildland fire use are allowed only for the purposes of maintaining, improving or restoring riparian and aquatic habitat to desired conditions or to protect property in the wildland urban interface -(G3.1W-1) Vegetation/fuel treatment, prescribed fire, and wildland fire use are allowed for the purposes of maintaining, improving or restoring watersheds to desired conditions, and to protect property in the wildland urban interface. -(G3.2U-1) Vegetation/fuel treatment, prescribed fire and wildland fire use are allowed for the purposes of maintaining, improving or restoring terrestrial habitat, for hazardous fuel reduction, and to protect property in the wildland urban interface.

Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan 2014 The project is designated as a crucial summer range for Mule Deer. Section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This project will address Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2013 (p11-12). Strategy F. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinyon-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. https://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/pdf/mule_deer_plan.pdf

-Deer Herd Unit Management Plan- Deer Herd Unit #7 (Kamas) The limiting factor for big game in this management unit is the lack of adequate amounts of good quality winter range. There are areas that are experiencing juniper encroachment and are in need of treatments to address this problem. Issues: juniper encroachment and annual grass competition reducing the amount of browse species available to wintering wildlife. -

Utah Elk Statewide Management Plan (2015) Habitat Objective 1: Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. Strategies: B. Habitat Management a) Coordinate with land management agencies and private landowners to properly manage and improve elk habitat, especially calving and wintering areas. 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 of controlled burning and logging. Controlled burning should only be used in areas with minimal invasive weed and/or safety concerns. Habitat Objective 2: Reduce adverse impacts to elk herds and elk habitat. Strategies: C. Noxious Weed Control a) Work with land management agencies and county weed boards to control the spread of noxious and invasive weeds throughout the range of elk in Utah. This project will remove fuels and yet not likely reduce fire risk as moisture content in treated areas would probably prevent wildfire.

Elk Herd Unit Management Plan #7 Kamas UNIT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES Habitat -Maintain and improve forage production on all winter range within this unit for the planning period. -Continue working with private landowners and the United States Forest Service (USFS) to protect winter range from future losses.

Utah Moose Statewide Management Plan: -Initiate prescribed burns and other vegetative treatment projects to improve moose habitat lost to ecological succession or human impacts.

Utah Black Bear Management Plan: -Successional replacement of aspen stands by conifers can significantly reduce bear-food production in aspen communities. Both fire and selective logging of conifers can be used to maintain aspen vigor.

State of Utah - Resource Management Plan (pg 236) - Expand Wildlife Populations - Protect existing habitat and improve 500,000 acres of habitat - Produce and maintain the desired vegetation for wildlife and livestock.

Summit County Resource Management Plan - Work with jurisdictional agencies to provide for and enhance the health of wildlife habitats in Summit County.

State of Utah - Forest Service Shared Stewardship Agreement -This project falls within priority watersheds identified by the State of Utah and the Forest Service for treatment under the signed Stewardship Agreement of May 2019 between Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

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.

In 2018, two large fires occurred in the Upper Provo/Hwy 150 area. Slate and Murdock, these two being the most well known in the Kamas area. The two most prominent differences between these fires were the standing dead component of the Murdock Fire and the more functioning/diverse ecosystem of the Slate Fire and how they burned. The Slate fire had a more functioning ecosystem and less standing dead trees. Murdock burned close to 6,000 acres and with high severity. Slate burned at a more moderate fire severity with more of a patchwork across the landscape. In 2020, the Upper Provo Fire burned over 480 acres of mixed conifer and Lodgepole Pine adjacent to the Murdock Fire burn, but did not burn with such high severity.  These burn areas will act as a fuel break, which should prevent future fires from spreading easily across the basin. By mechanically treating throughout the Upper Provo watershed, we hope to mimic the conditions of the Slate Fire with any natural start or RX. The Upper Provo project is located near the community of Samak, which has been identified by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands as a Community at Risk. The project is located along Highway 150, a heavily used recreation corridor and designated scenic byway. Numerous campgrounds and recreation access points dot the highway. The current fuel conditions pose a risk to public safety due to ingress/egress issues, as identified in a 2005 Fireshed Assessment. The 2013 Northern Utah Regional Wildfire Protection Plan identifies this area as a moderate - high risk area for wildfire. Mastication along the highway corridor will directly impact fire conditions by altering fire behavior, allowing resources to respond faster and utilize suppression tactics more effectively. In addition, the change fire condition class will reduce the risk of unwanted fire effects and increase public and firefighter safety. This watershed ranks among the highest throughout the state for the new shared stewardship risk to value resources. The priority ranking map developed cooperatively between the State of Utah and the Forest Service looks at drinking water, hazardous fuels and strategic protection. This watershed supplies two primary Central Utah Water Conservancy reservoirs (Deer Creek & Jordanelle) and Utah lake.

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.

These vegetation treatments are expected to result in an overall improvement in Riparian Habitat Conservation Area wildfire resiliency and will contribute to the attainment of the Riparian Management Objectives that have been established for the Upper Provo Project (Upper Provo Watershed Restoration Project Environmental Assessment, 2015), including: * Maintain or improve water quality and attainment of established beneficial uses of surface waters within the project area. * Maintain or improve instream habitat features and characteristics. * Maintain or improve stream channel stability and floodplain function. * Maintain or improve non-point source pollutant filtering capacity of RHCAs. * Maintain or improve timing and variability of water tables in meadows, wetlands, and riparian corridors. All of which will benefit Deer Creek Reservoir (a receiving body for Provo River Watershed) which has a current TMDL for TDS - which this project will mitigate. Additionally, the treatment will result in an increase in ground cover and a subsequent reduction in erosion potential. Water Quality will not decrease as BMP's will be utilized to remove potential impacts during treatment. Wetland Encroachment- Removal of conifers may increase water quantity. Water Quality will not change as BMP's will be utilized to remove potential impacts.

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.

626 acres of Hazard Tree Removal- Trees will be removed with either chainsaws or mechanized equipment. Masticators, feller bunchers, or processor heads may be used to remove trees as well. Some of the cut wood will be decked for future firewood gathering.

365 acres of Conifer Removal / Aspen Enhancement- Trees will be hand thinned to eliminate hazards and provide openings for Aspen to grow and spread.

343 acres of Lop & Scatter- This will be performed by hand, leaving felled trees on the ground for seed dispersal, nutrient recycling, and habitat enhancement.

146 acres of Aspen and Ponderosa enhancement- This would be accomplished utilizing a harvest/processing head and/or mastication head or by hand thinning depending on access and slope steepness.

257 acres of WUI hazardous fuel removal- This would be accomplished using chainsaw hand felling due to steep slopes.

197 acres of Cut and Deck-  Trees will be cut and decked using mechanical machinery due to access and efficiency.

241 acres of timber survey - Work may be contracted or completed by agency personnel.

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.