Project Details

The project area is located adjacent to the 2020 Sage Flat Mastication project area and has been identified as an important landscape to preserve and restore sagebrush habitat for priority species. This project will help to remove the threat pinyon pine and juniper is causing on crucial sagebrush habitat and benefit the species that rely on it for survival

The project area falls between 2 greater sage grouse priority habitat management areas (PHMA), and is within sage grouse summer, winter and breeding habitat. The proposed treatment is expected to increase the usable habitat for sage-grouse and to make it a good travel stop during seasonal movements.  Data collected from collared grouse shows bird movement between the Bald hills and Panguitch PHMA's.  Removing trees in this area will help provide connectivity between the two populations.

The area in and around the project site has been identified as being critically important mule deer habitat and has been identified in the Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan as being a "priority for restoration of crucial mule deer habitat" (Utah Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan, 2019), and falls within summer substantial and winter crucial mule deer habitat. The project area also provides important hunting opportunities locally and for people traveling from out of state to hunt on the Beaver unit for mule deer. These highly sought-after hunting opportunities within the project area provide a financial boost to local economies through food, gas, and other supply purchases, hiring local guides and outfitters, and hiring local taxidermists and meat processors.  After the completion of the 2020 Sage Flat Mastication project that is very close in proximity to this one. We seen lots of elk move into the area during the rut and stayed throughout the winter. We anticipate that this treatment will create additional high quality habitat and forage for further expansion of the elk using the adjacent treatment.

Areas that become dominated by pinyon pine and juniper trees out compete understory herbaceous species and leave bare soil prone to erosion. This herbaceous vegetation is important to reducing overland flow and reducing soil loss. By completing this project this will allow more precipitation to contact the soil and get into the water table. Because pinyon and juniper is very competitive for water this often reduces grasses and forbs within the area.  Increased runoff and sediment load, decreases water yield and water quality within the watershed.

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.

Objectives: The project area falls between 2 greater sage grouse priority habitat management areas (PHMA), and is expected to expand greater sage-grouse habitat.  In addition to increasing habitat for greater sage grouse, the project area falls within an area that has been identified as summer substantial, winter crucial mule deer habitat and is in  a known migration corridor. In order to address the ongoing threat that pinyon pine and juniper poses to the critical sagebrush habitats, the following objectives are proposed:

Objective 1- Reduce pinyon pine and juniper density by 90-100%
Objective 2-Create and maintain adequate habitat components to meet the needs of greater sage-grouse in nesting, brood-rearing, and winter habitats in accordance with current land use planning guidelines and in coordination with UDWR and SWARM. 
Objective 3- Increase available forage and habitat utilization for mule deer. 
Objective 4- Increase under-story plant diversity and cover (e.g., Forbs, grasses, and shrubs). 
Objective 5- Increase available water by removing pinyon pine and juniper trees. 
Objective 6- Decrease potential soil loss and erosion by increasing under-story vegetation. 
Objective 7- Reduce risk of destructive fires in the area by reducing pinyon pine and juniper stand density.

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.

There is a risk of not treating pinyon pine and juniper in the near future that will result in negative ecological consequences. Lack of natural disturbances such as wildfire have favored pinyon pine and juniper expansion and a subsequent decline in herbaceous vegetation,  It is expected that if the project does not occur pinyon pine and juniper expansion will continue to occur in the project area further limiting potential sage grouse habitat. This project will increase and maintain the availability of a diverse suite of vegetational communities which will help support a robust wildlife population. 
 
A healthy landscape has a diversity of vegetation within an ecological site.  A diverse landscape benefits a larger community of wildlife species (e.g.,. sage grouse and mule deer).  A diverse landscape is also more resistant and resilient to disturbance. By allowing this landscape to continue to move further into a dominant pinyon pine and juniper woodland it increases the risk of losing the sites ability for resistance to disturbance and its resilience to bounce back and and recover after a disturbance. The risk of invasion of cheatgrass after a wildfire could further impact sage grouse and mule deer in the area. The potential for weed invasion with this proactive project is low considering past projects of this type, however, the area will be monitored for invasive species and will be treated if invasive weeds are found.

As previously mentioned the area has been identified as priority for restoration of CRUCIAL mule deer habitat under the Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan.  "Crucial" means the areas habitat is necessary to sustain the areas mule deer herd.  Allowing the area to remain in phase 2 and 3 pinyon pine and juniper encroachment will mean less quality habitat to meet mule deer objectives.

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 falls under the South Beaver Vegetation Enhancement EA and the Chipman Peak Vegetation Enhancement EA and both have identified areas that need vegetation treatments for habitat improvement for a variety of wildlife species and watershed health.

BLM Utah Greater Sage-Grouse Approved Resource Management Plan 2019. The project is consistent with the SGARMPA (2015) goals, objectives and Management Actions that were identified in the Special Status Species section as follows: Special Status Species Goal: Maintain and/or increase GRSG abundance and distribution by conserving, enhancing or restoring the sagebrush ecosystem upon which populations depend in collaboration with other conservation partners. 
The Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse in Utah was approved by the Governor in 2019. The plan established 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 2019 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 (Draft) is a comprehensive management plan designed to conserve native species populations and habitats in Utah and prevent the need for additional federal listings.

Utah Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan
     *Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with
emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that have been
taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by
encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats, ensuring that seed mixes
contain sufficient forbs and browse species.
     *Work with local, state and federal land management agencies via land management
plans and with private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer
habitats, especially fawning, wintering and migration areas.

Beaver Mountains Deer Herd Unit #22 Management Plan
    *Cooperate with federal land management agencies and private landowners in carrying out habitat improvement projects. Protect deer winter ranges from wildfire by reseeding burned areas, creating fuel breaks and reseed areas dominated by cheatgrass with desirable perennial vegetation. 
     *Reduce expansion of Pinion and Juniper woodlands into sagebrush habitats and improve habitats dominated by Pinion and Juniper woodlands by completing habitat restoration projects.
     *Work with federal and state partners in fire rehabilitation and prevention on crucial deer habitat through the WRI process.

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.

The project is located within the Buckskin - Dog Valley FMU, and the majority of the area is at moderate to high on the fire risk index. The Fire Regime condition Class (FRCC) within the Project Area is classified as FRCC 2 and 3 (lands that are significantly altered from their historical range.  This project would help return the area to the desired FRCC of 1 and 2.

Wildfire is one of the greatest threats to sage grouse habitat. This project will help protect and preserve sagebrush habitat by decreasing both fuel loading and fire potential. There have been  large fires within the immediate vicinity of the project area so loss of more sagebrush steppe in the area would be very detrimental. This project will decrease the risk of high severity wildfire by reducing fuel loading and promoting the growth of understory vegetation, which are critical to maintaining ecosystem resilience.

Without this project, the trees will continue to expand into the area and should a fire occur, it would be more difficult to control and would have much more devastating effects by burning at a higher intensity and getting larger. Because there is a greater risk of conversion of shrublands to annual grasslands under a high intensity fire, managed, pro-active treatments proposed would reduce the likelihood of cheatgrass invasion and help perennial grasses and forbs persist longer-term. Treatments identified within this proposal, including seeding with more fire resistant vegetation, would help reduce hazardous fuel loads, create fuel breaks, and reduce the overall threat of a catastrophic wildfire which could impact the watershed, sage grouse and mule deer habitat as well as high value infrastructure such as Interstate 15, and communication towers that serve the surrounding communities in Beaver county.

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.

The Project Area is located at 6,000 - 7,300 feet above sea level; therefore, it is expected that the opportunity to restore native species to the composition and frequency appropriate to the area is high. As discussed, the majority of the area is dominated by pinyon pine and juniper (Phase 2 and Phase 3). There is noticeable soil erosion throughout the area due to the absence of perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs. The project is expected to improve herbaceous understory, which will reduce water runoff and decrease soil erosion while increasing infiltration.

Because juniper are prolific water users they readily out compete understory species which eventually die off.  Pinyon pine and juniper dominated sites can intercept 10-20% of precipitation (Horman et al., 1999). Recent research Roundy, et. al. (2014) has shown that mechanical treatments to remove pinyon pine and juniper increase time that soil water is available. Even four years after treatment, treated areas showed from 8.6 days to 18 days additional water availability at high elevation sites.

Additional research by Young, et. al. (2013) also showed a relationship between tree removal and soil climates and wet days on these sites, which while providing more available moisture for desired vegetation could also provide moisture for weeds. Numerous studies have shown that increased infiltration rates and less overland flow improve both water quality and quantity

In addition, improvements to the Standards and Guidelines for Healthy Rangelands (Standard 1 and Standard 3) are expected through project implementation. It is expected that Standard 1 (Soils) -- will improve by allowing soils to exhibit permeability and infiltration rates that will sustain/improve site productivity throughout the area. This will be accomplished by making improvements to the Biotic Integrity of the community by converting areas that are dominated by pinyon pine and juniper to a diverse component of perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs that is consistent with Ecological Site Description. Indicators will include sufficient cover and litter to protect the soil surface from excessive water and wind erosion, limiting surface flow and limiting soil moisture loss through evaporation, which will promote proper infiltration.

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.

There are numerous photopoints established for the project for before and after pictures.  BLM has recently initiated a new Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring program (AIM) to improve the effectiveness of monitoring on BLM lands. This monitoring program uses standard core indicators and methods to provide a statistically valid sampling design across the landscape. This year, the Cedar City Field office will have an entire team devoted to AIM monitoring, and although the sample points are random, it is likely that some of these points will fall within the project area.  Additionally, this project is adjacent to sage grouse summer, winter and breeding habitat. Habitat Assessment Framework monitoring is a multiscale, sage-grouse habitat assessment tool that can be integrated with the AIM. This monitoring is done from a broad-to-fine scale. The dataset at the site scale (which includes this project) describes habitat indicators, such as sagebrush cover, sagebrush height, grass and forb cover, riparian stability, and/or proximity of detrimental land uses and structures. These data will ensure appropriate project implementation, as well as guide future actions in sage grouse habitat.

The area will also continue to be monitored to determine where and how sage grouse are using the area.

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.

Rangeland conditions are expected to improve following implementation of the proposed vegetation project.
The health, vigor, recruitment and production of perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs would improve, which would provide a more palatable and nutritional source of forage for both livestock and wildlife. Implementation of this project would eventually improve overall livestock performance (e.g. increased cow weights, increased calf crops, increased weaning weights, etc) and improve the economic stability of the permittees due to an
increase in the quantity and quality of grasses and other herbaceous forage which are important to livestock grazing.
The lop and scatter treatment would increase available forage but more importantly prevent future loss of forage. The bullhog will provide a significat increase in available forage once seeding is established and help with cattle distribution in the future.

The project area also provides important recreational hunting for the local population and people travel from all over Utah (and from other states) to hunt on the Beaver unit for mule deer.  The highly sought after hunting opportunities within the project area provide a financial boost to local economies in several ways.  Continuing to do work to maintain the habitat in this area will help to perpetuate the recreational and economic benefits.

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.