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HMFS Bison Habitat Improvement
Region: Southeastern
ID: 7235
Project Status: Proposed
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Project Details
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Need for Project
Water resources on portions of the Henry Mountains are scarce. Guzzler construction would capture and provide water storage during precipitation events in areas with low water resources, allowing for greater bison distribution and increase utilization of the range. Other wildlife would also benefit from access to more water. Current wooden post and rail enclosure fencing continuously breaks down and needs repairs. When the fences are in disrepair, bison and cattle are able to access and trample the spring source and riparian areas. Replacing the the current fencing with a buck and rail fence designed to withstand livestock and wildlife pressure, will protect the spring source and riparian areas.
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
Construct 8 guzzlers to provide water capture and storage for use by bison and other wildlife in areas with limited water resources. Guzzlers will consist of 1,800 gallon dome topped Boss Tanks with built-in drinkers along with constructed aprons to increase water capture. Deteriorating enclosure fences will be replaced with buck and pole fences designed to withstand livestock and wildlife pressure at 5 spring locations.
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?)
Guzzler sites and spring enclosure fencing are located within year-long crucial bison habitat on the Henry Mountains.
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
BLM Richfield Field Office Resource Management Plan, 2008: Maintain, restore, protect, and enhance habitats to support healthy populations of diverse fish and wildlife species, recognizing crucial habitats as management priorities. UDWR Southeast Region Bison Unit Management Plan, Henry Mountains, Unit#15, 2022: The DWR, BLM, and SITLA have partnered to create suitable bison habitat on the Henry Mountains. The DWR is committed to promoting habitat improvement projects and working with interested parties to increase the value of the Henry Mountain rangelands for the betterment of wildlife.
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
N/A
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
Guzzlers would increase water quantity and availability for wildlife use would increase. Heavy duty enclosure fencing would increase protection of spring sources and riparian areas.
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
BLM will apply for water collection permits. Arie Leeflang, DNR Cultural Resources Program Specialist, has offered to do the cultural clearances. The RFO has a Programmatic Guzzler EA which is being used for NEPA compliance. Wildlife clearances will be completed when necessary. Enclosure fences are covered under BLM CX's and are allowed to be maintained. If metal fence uses posts, instead of a jack fence, a cultural technician will be on hand to monitor fence construction.
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
BLM will partner with UDWR SER to purchase, transport, and construct the guzzlers. Talks to have sportsman's group (BHA & SFW) volunteers to help have been initiated and a request for dedicated hunters will be issued to help with construction. Removal of current fencing and construction of buck and poll fencing will be contracted out. Fence design plans and a statement of work will be provided by BLM engineering staff to facilitate contracting goals, along with monitoring of fence construction.
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
BLM and UDWR will monitor the guzzlers for functionality and for any future maintenance needs. BLM will monitor fences for any future maintenance needs.
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
BLM, UDWR, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife.
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
Future maintenance needs will be performed by BLM and/or UDWR.
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
These additional water sources will also help to distribute livestock and wildlife across the unit, reducing negative impacts to existing water sources and vegetation. Protecting spring sources and riparian areas will improve and sustain water quality and riparian vegetation/habitat.
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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