Project Details

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

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

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.

The Logan Ranger District is a designated Botanical Special Interest Area, has a remnant tall forb community, and the Mount Naomi Wilderness Area. The following documents the underlying Forest Management Objectives and Policies that underlie the baseline data and trend monitoring needs.

Management Direction
*	Endangered Species Act: 
Current FWS recovery criteria for the threatened Maguire's primrose (Primula maguirei) states "ensure...habitat is protected from environmental degradation through section 7 of the Act" (i.e., actions carried out are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any threatened or endangered species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of their critical habitats).

*	Forest Service Manual (FSM) 2670: 
The Forest Service will develop and implement management practices to ensure that sensitive species do not become threatened or endangered because of Forest Service actions, maintain viable populations, and avoid or minimize impacts to species whose viability has been identified as a concern.

*	R4 Sensitive Plant Program Handbook 2609.25:
All necessary steps will be taken to assure that agency actions do not jeopardize the continued existence of the sensitive species or result in the destruction or modification of their essential habitat.

*	FSM 2551.03:
The Forest Service will ensure soil resource management is consistent with the goal of maintaining or improving soil quality and soil hydrologic function.

*	Wasatch-Cache National Forest Plan:
Desired Condition
-	Management activities within rare plant habitats will maintain or restore and provide for recovery of populations of current and proposed sensitive plant species at risk.
-	Proper stocking levels and utilization intensities of wildlife will maintain and protect rare plants and their associated habitat. 
-	Protective measures will be provided for Maguire's primrose and Frank Smith's violet populations in the lower portions of Logan Canyon.
-	Logan Canyon Botanical Special Interest Area will be maintained to ensure continuance of ongoing natural conditions and processes. It is desirable to maintain habitat for pollinators here and continue carrying out recovery plan for Primula species.
-	Allow management activities to result in no less than 85% of potential ground cover for all vegetation types.
-	Remnant tall forb communities will be maintained and protected from levels of use that could cause negative changes in plant composition.
-	Soils have adequate physical properties for vegetative growth and soil-hydrologic function.
-	Maintain pollinators and minimize impacts to pollinators or their habitats.
-	Wilderness is managed and protected, for the plants and animals that live there and their habitat, the preservation of large, intact ecosystems, clean air and water, and primitive recreation opportunities. Natural ecological processes are dominant. Ecosystems are influenced by natural process with little or no intervention.

Forest-wide Sub-goals-Biodiversity and Viability
-	3b. Maintain pollinators and minimize impacts to pollinators or their habitats.
-	3g. Maintain and/or restore tall forb communities to mid-seral or potential natural community (PNC) status.
-	3i. Maintain viability of species-at-risk (including endangered, threatened, and sensitive species and unique communities).

Standards and Guidelines
-	Standard 7: Allow management activities to result in no less than 85% of potential ground cover for each vegetation cover type. 
-	Standard 14: Allow no net decrease in areal extent of tall forb communities.
-	Guideline 14: Manage vegetation for properly functioning condition at the landscape scale. Desired structure and pattern for tall forb cover type is a minimum ground cover of 90% leading into the winter season. 
-	Guideline 23: Avoid action on the Forest that reduce the viability of any population of plant species classified as Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive, or recommended sensitive. Use management action to protect habitats of plant species at risk from adverse modification or destruction. For species that naturally occur in sites with some disturbance, maintain the appropriate level of disturbance.

Management Goal 
The Forest Service management goals for botanical resources on the Logan Ranger District:
*	Rare and sensitive plant populations and distributions increase or remain stable.
*	Tall forb plant communities increase or remain stable
*	Native pollinator populations increase or remain stable.
*	Soil quality and hydrologic function are maintained or improved in rare and sensitive plant 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.

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

Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.

Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.

Since distribution nor density of populations of the target plants is not clear, time will be needed to both locate populations and evaluate those that are dense enough (and accessible) to allow for a good baseline characterization to detect trends- as directed by the USFS.  For rough baseline characterizations, other rare plant teams in surrounding states have used high resolution binoculars to survey for and count plants on a particular rock face.

Potential 2021 Schedule (July- August)

Viola frank-smithii
	1) Verify collection in Mt Naomi area
	2) Conduct pilot monitoring if verified -- pilot monitoring should include trials of different quadrat shapes and sizes to capture a robust and relatively precise estimate of a mean density for baseline characteristics  
	
Erigeron cronquistii / Draba maguirei 
1)	Find 2 populations this year that are large enough to monitor, these two plants may be found co-occurring
2)	Conduct pilot monitoring

Penstemon compactus
1)	Find appropriate population(s) to monitor
2)	Conduct monitoring -- may be able to use 'wagon wheel' with 5- 120ft transects with a select quadrat size every 5 ft (USFS methods)

Musineon naomiensis
1)	Map new occurrences if found in the Mt Naomi area
2)	If accessible and with other plants of interest, begin pilot monitoring program

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.