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Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative
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Currant Creek WMA Aspen Enhancement
Region: Northeastern
ID: 6212
Project Status: Completed
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Project Details
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Need for Project
The Currant Creek WMA is one of the few properties that UDWR manages that has an Aspen/Conifer high elevation forest type habitat. Many of the north facing slopes have become heavily encroached by conifers and the Aspen component is aging and lacking recruitment of younger age class stems. There have been attempts to burn the area with the use of prescribed fire, but conditions and topography make a burn very difficult to start and maintain.
Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.
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Objectives
Project objective is to reset ecological succession of the Aspen stand to a younger, more robust age class that helps maximize the habitat's benefit to wildlife.
Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.
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Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?)
The targeted aspen stands contain older trees and little younger age class recruitment. Conifer species are encroaching into these stands, lessening the benefit to wildlife and utilizing resources available to the aspen stems. Eventually, conifers will dominate the stand and crowd out aspen stems, resulting in habitat that is of poor quality for wildlife.
LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.
TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.
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Relation to Management Plans
Wildlife * Increase current populations or establish new populations of wildlife in all suitable habitat within the state as outlined in approved management plans. * Conserve, improve, and restore 500,000 acres of mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges. * Protect existing wildlife habitat and improve 500,000 acres of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state by 2025. * Provide a diversity of high-quality hunting and viewing opportunities for wildlife species throughout the state. * Increase fish and game populations to meet management plan objectives, and expand quality fishing and hunting opportunities. * Produce and maintain the desired vegetation for wildlife and domestic livestock forage on public and private lands. * Conserve sensitive species to prevent them from becoming listed as threatened or endangered. * Minimize negative impacts from wildlife on private lands.
List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.
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Fire/Fuels
This project will help create a fire break that may help slow down or stop advancement of a future large wildfire in the area.
If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.
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Water Quality/Quantity
Mechanical treatment and seeding will reduce or eliminate large scale sediment runoff events that would occur after a fire in the same area.
Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.
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Compliance
Project is entirely on State of Utah property. Archaeology surveys will be performed prior to ground disturbance.
Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.
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Methods
Two large bulldozers connected by a cable will fell trees in one direction. Debris will be pushed into piles, allowed to dry, and then burned at a later date.
Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.
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Monitoring
Pre and post treatment photo points and drone footage will be used to monitor the project.
Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.
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Partners
Forestry, Fire, and State Lands will perform the debris pile burning when conditions allow.
List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.
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Future Management
If treatment shows success, it may be used in adjacent areas that are in similar state of decline.
Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.
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Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources
Enhanced big game summer range helps distribute animals during fawning/calving seasons and also helps protect forage and water sources by the increased distribution of wildlife.
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.
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