Project Details

The need to enhance Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens; hereafter UPD) habitat on protected lands within the project area has been recognized for many years. The project area was treated with Tebuthiuron (Spike 20P) in 2017 (Minersville 3 (Phase 1) - Utah Prairie Dog Enhancement - Project ID 3757) with the primary goal of enhancing and expanding habitat for UPDs. Tebuthiuron (Spike 20P) was applied to the site to kill and thin stands of woody brush to achieve vegetation conditions more conducive (< 10% brush cover) to UPDs (USFWS 2012). This project proposes to remove approximately 242 acres of the standing, dead sagebrush "skeletons" via one-way, Ely chaining. Additionally, aerial seeding with appropriate UPD seed mixes would occur on 63 acres within the project area.

The project is located within the Minersville 3 Utah Prairie Dog Management Unit area identified in the Utah Prairie Dog Path to Recovery Plan.  The project area would provide future UPD translocation opportunities and consists of the following acreage:

Polygon 1 (179 acres) - Chaining (Note: Aerial Seeding is not necessary because the area is dominated by perennial grass

Polygon 2 (63 acres) - Chaining/Aerial Seeding

Currently, most UPD populations in the West Desert Recovery Unit are below the levels identified for recovery goals and habitat conditions are a limiting factor.  The goal of the treatments would be to provide habitat for UPD by removing sagebrush skeletons providing for a diverse composition of perennial grasses and forbs.  In addition, a mosaic landscape containing areas dominated by shrubs, perennial grasses and forbs (sage-grouse nesting and winter habitat) and areas that are dominated by perennial grasses and forbs (UPD habitat and sage-grouse brood rearing habitat) is crucial to ensure that both species have adequate habitat within the project areas.

The project is also utilized by big game species (e.g., pronghorn, mule deer) and domestic livestock, all of which would benefit from increased forage abundance and diversity. The areas that are dominated by perennial grasses and forbs would be intended to increase and maintain adequate habitat to meet the needs of Utah prairie dogs and other wildlife by reducing sagebrush canopy cover and improving the amount and diversity of desirable grasses and forbs.

The Nature Conservancy and BLM completed a UPD Habitat Suitability Model based on slope, elevation, depth to restrictive layer, soil texture and vegetation structure.  Through this effort it has been determined that the  project area is suitable for UPDs (Refer to Attached documents (suitability map and PowerPoint).

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.

As discussed, approximately 242 acres would be treated and managed primarily as a UPD perennial grassland treatment.  The goal of the treatment is to eliminate shrub skeletons while providing for a diverse perennial grass and forb component within the areas.  Furthermore, the treatment will facilitate UPD connectivity between colonies allowing for increased colonization, increased genetic exchange and buffering against potential sylvatic plague epizootic events.

The objectives for this proposal are as follows:

1.  Eliminate existing sagebrush skeletons to reduce sagebrush and other shrub canopy cover to less than 10% in Utah Prairie Dog Habitat.
2. Improve health, composition and diversity of grasses and forbs.
3. Maintain adequate habitat components to meet needs of UPDs and brood-rearing for greater sage-grouse, where applicable, in accordance with current guidelines and in coordination with USFWS, UDWR, UPDOG, UPDRIT and SWARM.
4. Provide opportunities for UPDs to ensure connectivity of populations through corridors and opportunity for expansion and dispersal.
5. Improve forage availability and diversity for big game and livestock.
6. Reduce fuel loads and consequential habitat destruction for these focal species through mechanical brush reduction.

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.

Minersville 3 Vegetation Treatment EA/FONSI/DR - July 2015

The EA/FONSI/DR recognized the importance of the Project Area with regard to improving the vegetation component within the Bald Hills Sage-grouse Priority Habitat Management Area.  A variety of vegetation treatments were authorized that would improve/maintain Rangeland Health. From a management perspective, the focus within the project area is to improve UPD habitat and greater sage-grouse brood-rearing habitat while maintaining the dominant aspects of the sagebrush community to ensure adequate cover and forage is available. In addition, high quality brood-rearing habitat has been identified as a limiting factor for sage-grouse in the Bald Hills population area.

The Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse in Utah was approved by the Governor in April 2013. The plan establishes incentive-based conservation programs for conservation of sage-grouse on private, local government, and School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration lands and regulatory programs on other state- and federally managed lands. The Conservation Plan also establishes sage-grouse management areas and implements specific management protocols in these areas.

The Utah Greater Sage-grouse Management Plan in 2009 identified threats and issues affecting sage-grouse management in Utah as well as goals, objectives, and strategies intended to guide UDWR, local working groups, and land managers efforts to protect, maintain, and improve sage-grouse populations and habitats and balance their management with other resource uses.

Southwest Desert Local Working Group Conservation Plan 2009. The local Working Group has developed a Conservation Plan detailing the natural history, threats, and mitigation measures for sage-grouse in each conservation plan area; and conservation guidelines for any activities occurring in the area.

The Utah State Wildlife Action Plan 2015-2025 (Final) is a comprehensive management plan designed to conserve native species populations and habitats in Utah, and prevent the need for additional federal listings.

In addition, the Project Planning Areas (PPAs) in the Great Basin Fire and Invasive Assessment Tool (FIAT) have identified Bald Hills as a high priority for Conifer Focus (Removal). Through this process the top FIAT PPAs, including Bald Hills, had the highest priority for sagebrush restoration, protection and conservation within the 5 Great Basin FIAT assessment areas. The highest priority PPAs is those that contain Sagebrush Focal Areas (SFA), high breeding bird densities, conifer threats, wildfire and invasive species threats.  The Project Planning Areas (PPA) prioritization will be used to develop an integrated multi-year program of work for all fuels and vegetation management projects and other related activities aimed to protect, conserve and restore sagebrush and sage grouse habitat. The priority PPAs will be used to inform and influence funding decisions by the BLM.

Utah Prairie Dog Revised Recovery Plan 2012
The project is located within one UPD Management Unit Plan (Minersville 3). The project would provide for UPD specific vegetation treatments that would provide for habitat improvements, which would allow for movement and genetic exchange between colonies. In addition, the treatments would provide for future translocation areas for UPDs, which is expected to allow for the recovery of UPDs on public lands.

Cedar Beaver Garfield Antimony Resource Management Plan Resource Management Plan (1986).  Although the Project Area was not specifically discussed in the RMP vegetation treatments were identified throughout the Field Office.

Southwest Utah Support Area Fire Management Plan (May, 2006).  
The SUSAFMP identifies the Black Mountains as a priority for conversion of encroached pinyon and juniper dominated communities to a sagebrush community with a diverse component of perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs. This would be consistent with the vegetative monitoring data that has been collected within the Project Area to identify the Ecological Site Description.

National Fire Plan (2000), BLM National Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy (2004)
The project is also consistent with the NFP. The goals and objectives of the NFP is to manage BLM administered public land to maintain, enhance and restore sagebrush habitats while ensuring multiple use and sustained yield goals of FLPMA.

Southwest Desert Deer Herd Unit Management Plan (2015)
The project will be consistent with the habitat management strategies identified in the Deer Herd Unit Management Plan for Deer Herd Unit #20 (Southwest Desert) (UDWR) which pertain to the Project Area are as follows:
1. Evaluate and implement potential habitat improvement projects on BLM, state and private lands.
2.  Evaluate opportunities to address problems created by closed canopy pinyon pine and juniper.

Utah Pronghorn Statewide Management Plan (2009)
Habitat Management Objective (B.e.), Under the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, design, implement, and monitor the effectiveness of habitat improvement projects to benefit pronghorn.

Coordinated Implementation Plan for Bird Conservation in Utah (2005)
The priority habitat identified for this area was shrub-steppe, which was identified as a Priority A (High threat, high opportunity, and high value to birds statewide) habitat. Priority birds identified within this area include sage grouse, ferruginous hawk, sage sparrow, and Brewer's sparrow.

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.

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.

Coordination has taken place between Iron County, UWDR, USFWS and the BLM with regards to creating translocation sites within the project area.  The Utah Prairie Dog Recovery Plan contains specific guidelines for maintaining habitat characteristics in Management Units. Vegetation is routinely monitored in these project sites, and those efforts will continue.

The treatment area will be maintained as a perennial grassland, which is expected to provide valuable forage for livestock.  The project is expected to maintain/improve health, composition, and diversity of grasses and forbs in accordance with Rangeland Health Standards and Guidelines and the Ecological Site Description, which will be beneficial to livestock grazing.  Furthermore, the project will be proactive in improving vegetative communities and removing fine fuels within the area, which will minimize the potential for a wildfire within the area.

Utilization within the allotment has not been an issue.  The amount of forage throughout the allotments will help ensure that the area is not over utilized by livestock. The scale of forage availability will be largely dependent upon yearly precipitation amounts; however, it is expected that adequate amounts will be available due to the high elevation of the project area.

The project is expected to promote short-term and long-term recreational big game hunting and viewing opportunities throughout the area.  Mule deer are prevalent within the project area.  A large number of hunters frequent this area prior to and during the hunting season.  As discussed in the livestock grazing portion of the sustainable uses of natural resources section, the treatment will maintain/improve health, composition and diversity of grasses and forbs in accordance with Rangeland Health Standards and Guidelines and the Ecological Site Description.  This is expected to be beneficial to mule deer populations.

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.