Project Details

The Indian Peaks WMA was acquired by the UDWR in 1957 and 1958 primarily because of its value for mule deer and elk.  In addition to big game, the property also provides habitat and/or potential habitat for other species including sage-grouse, wild turkeys, burrowing owls, ferruginous hawks, high elevation (i.e Lewis') woodpeckers, pygmy rabbits, mourning dove, cougar, black-tailed jackrabbit, and various bat species.  Over the past 10 years the habitat on the WMA has been improved through removing pinyon and juniper (PJ) trees, but there are still a few thousand acres of phase 1 and phase 2-3 PJ encroachment that will benefit from additional removal efforts. The greatest potential to improve the value of this property for wildlife is through releasing remnant aspen and shrub communities on the higher elevations (7,000 - 10,000 ft) of  the property.  These higher elevation habitats are approaching a climax vegetative community dominated by conifer trees, primarily limber pine, white fir and Engelmann spruce.  Using prescribed fire to reduce conifer cover in the higher elevation habitats will improve plant diversity and richness and increase overall productivity and increase the value of the property to mule deer increasing important browse species such as bitter brush and service berry and increase the forbs within the plant community by diversifying species and adding a good variety. For many of the previous phases of this project we have been planning it as a Rx Fire priority and all other treatments secondary approach. As part of this phase of treatments a full size bullhog with a seed mix that would be applied with a heavy forb component would be a high priority for our plans. Forbs are particularly important to mule deer when nursing fawns, as they are rich in nutritional value and help nursing mothers.  In addition to improving the plant community, we feel that reducing the conifer cover will increase the amount and duration of water available to wildlife in the 2 small streams that originate on Indian Peak. By working in these streams to add some BDA/Zeedyk structures we feel that we will be able to enhance and enrich the riparian vegetation and that by slowing the flow we will be able to maintain and grow the riparian footprint on these important areas. In addition to this we have one area within our road network system on the WMA that has become impassable due to some culvert plugging issues. We are proposing in this phase to remove the plugged culvert and build/create a hard stream crossing in this area that will be long term sustainable and allow for debris in spring runoff events to collect at a place that is not in the roadway making it impassable.

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.

The objectives of the Indians Peaks WMA Mule Deer Habitat Improvement Project is to improve the quality and increase the quantity of habitat for mule deer, elk, sage-grouse, turkeys, burrowing owls, ferruginous hawks and other wildlife species through:
1) Releasing remnant aspen and mountain shrub communities on the higher elevations of the WMA with Rx fire: We are hoping that this burn would cause the aspen to send up succors and that we can get somewhere between 100-500 shoots per acre and re-establish a thriving aspen stand. This is a high priority for the Division of Wildlife still, but we have realized that a partnership with the BLM is going to be key to actually achieving this goal. For this reason, we are not proposing this component in this phase but it is still our highest priority and all of the other work is keying on this as the capstone of the entire efforts to restore and rehabilitate this WMA over the past decade.  
2) Enhance and increase the percent cover of existing sagebrush, bitter-brush and mountain shrub habitats to ~30% cover  by reducing the amount of phase 1 and phase 2 PJ encroachment to >2% within our treatment areas, through the use of bullhog, and seeding treatments. Combining these efforts with a lop and scatter approach in the areas where some of the more dominant species of brush from the Ecological Site Description (ESD) exist or should exist will free resources to allow this brush to flourish and thrive. Through these efforts, we feel that we will reintroduce any species that should have been present, as well as freeing up resources for the already established shrub and brush communities that are currently struggling to compete well for the available resources. By doing this we feel like we will enhance the use of the property by creating open spaces for black-tailed jackrabbit foraging, as well as encourage growth of forb species that entice mourning doves to use these open spaces. These efforts will also entice future use of the mastication areas by big game species such as Mule Deer, and Elk and this increased use will in turn allow for hunting and foraging by cougar that come through the area. 
3) Expanding the amount of available water by increasing and extending overland flows by installing BDA's and Zeedyk Structures in the two streams that originate on Indian Peak, as well as limiting the amount of water use by eliminating through mastication and chain saw removal pinyon and juniper trees adjacent to the stream. Hopefully changing at least one of these streams (Preferably Indian Creek) from the intermittent stream that it has become, back to the annual stream that it historically was. This will help support Objective 5, stocking of rainbow trout into an impoundment on the stream. 
4) Reinvigorating and expanding existing riparian habitats, by re-establishing overland flow of the streams and maintaining flowing surface water throughout the year. We feel like our efforts to this objective in this phase will be a slow and methodical approach. Our plan for this phase will be to continue this process by installing BDA's where appropriate as well as Zeedyk structures in the areas that they fit to try to slow the flow of the streams and aggrade the systems to help hold more water in the "Riparian Zones" next to the streams. We feel like these efforts will result in expansion of the gallery cottonwood stands that exist and these stands promote use and expansion of wild turkey in the area. 
5) Reshaping and building back to its original form and function the fishing pond on the property. Then with the anticipation of increased flows fill back in the pond allowing the stream to flow through it so that it could be stocked with rainbow trout, restoring what was a popular fishery that was heavily utilized by people who chose to recreate in this area. Efforts have been made and are still in process to have the water rights in place to pursue this objective. For this reason, nothing in this phase of the project is being proposed to be worked on. We felt that it was noteworthy that these efforts are happening in the background to make this part of a future phase to complete the restoration efforts for this WMA. Once approved for implementation and water rights issues have been resolved we will work to dredge out the sediment that has collected in the pond, and reshape the pond to function in a sustainable way into the future and then fill it back up and plant fish in it to be enjoyed recreationally by the public.

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.

Failure to treat encroaching PJ in the lower elevations of the WMA has long-term negative effect. , Brush and browse species that once dominated these areas will continue to be stressed by over-utilization and under productivity, and will continue to degrade to the point that they will eventually be completely lost. At this point the efforts to get them back will be costly and very time consuming, or possibly even impossible. Likewise vegetative composition of these areas will continue to decline and the plant diversity that should exist in this area to provide a healthy ecosystem will be gone and what will remain is a highly erosive and unproductive plant community that will cause the value to this property to decline from its original intended purposes of benefitting wildlife.  For these reasons we feel like the time to act and take action is now and the efforts that have already been put forth will then be preserved and this and future efforts will enhance the value of the property to wildlife and sportsmen/sportswomen that come here to recreate.

In 2021, UDWR received a final Landscape Conservation Forecasting (LCF) report from TNC for the Hamlin Valley, Pine Valley, and Greater Indian Peaks area.  This report was additive to the original report from 2017 and added LCF data for the Greater Indian Peaks area. Specifically the LCF report calls out the Indian Peaks Wildlife Management Area and provides summaries for the habitat types within it. This proposal seeks to remedy ecological departures in several systems identified within that report. The report identifies approximately 1200 acres of black sagebrush with a Unified Ecological Departure (UED) score of 88, which is considered highly departed. Recommendations in this phase of the project to remedy this departure include Masticate and Seed. Similarly, the 4900 acres of Montane Sagebrush Steppe system had a highly departed UED score of 100 (which is the highest level of departure) We are recommending in this phase sections of this departed system to receive Mastication and Seed, and Rx Fire to aid in improving that score.  The relatively small upland system of Utah Serviceberry (398 mapped acres) also was highly departed with a UED score of 85 and included the same recommendations as the Montane Sagebrush Steppe System minus the mastication as all of the acres of this type of system existed in only the areas where RX fire is being prescribed. Switching to riparian systems, the report indicated that the Indian Peaks WMA had a disproportionately high amount of Montane Riparian (36 acres) compared to the overall report footprint. This system also shows a highly departed UED score of 74 and recommends Water Table Uplift, and Lop and Scatter to help improve the score. The methods proposed in this phase of the project that are intended to aid in these highly departed UED scores for these systems, are Masticate and Seed, Lop and Scatter, and use of BDA's/Zeedyk structures to assist in water table uplift, and diversification of the plant community.  We plan to use Rx fire in this phase, as it is also called out in the LCF to aid in lowering the Unified Ecological Departure within these systems.
We analyzed wildlife use of the Indian Peaks WMA through a query of available collar data within the last year in an approximately 1 mile buffer surrounding the WMA. There were 2 collared elk using this buffered area within the last year recording a total of 1598 points. Of those points 822 were within the WMA.  Interestingly the points showed use focused on the outside borders of the WMA largely within historical treatments. The void in the middle is evidence of the need for treatments to continue throughout the WMA and the design of the bullhog will create new foraging areas while also providing enough hiding cover to allow for its use. The planned lop and scatter treatment will help maintain previous treatments which wildlife tracker shows the elk are already using.  It is also of interest that wildlife tracker did identify a golden eagle that had passed through the WMA. 
 
The areas identified for Bullhog treatment will need to be seeded. These areas are currently severely impacted and the plant community is at risk of becoming a monoculture of Pinyon Pine and Utah Juniper with a highly erosive interspace void of plant material of any kind. By masticating Pinyon and Juniper trees and planting a diverse seed mix tied to the ESD for this area we will be able to free nutrients in the system. These nutrients would then be available to be utilized by the plants that grow from our seeded species and a diverse and healthy plant community with palatable plants available to be utilized by wildlife of all varieties would exist. As is the case with all bullhog projects and any treatment that is highly disturbing of the soil there is a risk associated with this treatment type from invasion of plant species that are not desirable as well as potential loss of seed if there isn't adequate moisture in the years following the treatment. We feel like the risk, here is minimal, and the reward would be highly beneficial and if we do nothing the results are surely to prove detrimental to the success of the property and its ability to provide hospitable habitat for wildlife.

There is a riparian habitat on the WMA that is hanging on by a thread currently. The reduction of Pinyon and Juniper trees as well as an influx in water into the Indian Creek as well as other adjacent stream channels will serve to re-invigorate these plants and habitats. This action should also keep the stream cool through creating a riparian are ripe for reproduction of some of the tall cottonwood trees along the corridor. These cottonwood trees serve to shade the riparian areas and create an area serving as a magnet for wild turkey populations who use these areas as roosting trees, and a forage networking area. Failure to remove the pinyon and juniper trees that are currently using the water in this area could result in die off and total loss of riparian habitat species that have existed in this area for a long time.  Also in an effort to protect and enhance the riparian communities we feel like addition of BDA's and Zeedyk structures within these systems would help to slow the flow of water and widen the riparian zones to allow for the old growth riparian plants to be maintained, and expansion of the riparian zones to occur. If nothing is done to these systems then they will continue their down cutting and erosive actions to the point that the riparian corridors will be diminished and degrade the value of this property.

If left untreated a continued decline and eventual loss of aspen is expected.  With a decline in aspen, deer and elk will be negatively impacted. These species key in on the areas where aspen are growing and use aspen, and the species that grow in conjunction with aspen stands to improve their fitness.  As conifer continues to increase and aspen decreases, the amount of usable forage for deer and elk will decrease and animals will increase their use of surrounding private and BLM lands.

Habitat for sensitive species such as Lewis's Woodpecker American three-toed woodpecker will be increased with the creation of snags during the Rx fire.  Historically used habitats for other lowland species (burrowing owl, short-eared owl, and pygmy rabbit) will also be opened up through PJ removal, and would encourage them to re-enter these areas again.  There is some evidence that excessive PJ removal may be detrimental to Pinyon jays, but with the large amount of PJ habitat in the area, effects should be minimal if this proves to be the case. Studies are also showing that Pinyon Jays are benefitted in there foraging efforts by creating edge between pinyon an juniper wooded areas and sagebrush ecosystems and this project would serve to create this type of habitat through mastication treatment.

The greatest threat/risk to the aspen ecosystems post treatment is the browse pressure from elk and wild horses.  To aid in the attainment of at least 1,000 to 2,000 aspen saplings per acre and 400 to 600 aspen recruits per acre within the prescribed fire treatment area's DWR will continue to work with BLM to remove wild horses from the WMA (approx. 60 horses were removed in August of 2018, and approximately 50 horses were again removed in 2021, and 23 were removed in 2023). Monitoring the potential for over browsing from deer and elk will also be utilized and if necessary, the DWR is ready to issue targeted hunting pressure to remove excess animals from the WMA during the recovery period post RX fire.

Adding to this we have been struggling for years to get an RX fire prescription written to light the fire on the WMA, and right now we have all of the key players locally to get this plan written and to light the fire. The Beaver county fire warden is heavily in support of this and is only a year or two away from being eligible to retire and then we would miss the window of opportunity to have passionate people in the key positions to start the process of showcasing effectiveness of RX fire in this type of an ecosystem. Now is the time to act and to showcase what we can do in a positive way 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.

Indian Peaks WMA management plan calls for close monitoring on the encroachment of pinyon and juniper trees. When trees get to the point of needing treatments the plan calls for the use of lop and scatter and bullhog treatments as well as prescribed fire to restore the areas to usable space for wildlife. Specifically mule deer and elk. This project is filling the need for these management thresholds and that by doing the project we will be keeping our management objectives for the WMA Management plan that states;	Use natural and mechanical forms of treatment on an "as needed" basis to manipulate and improve plant communities for wildlife, and reseed areas after treatment. 
	Plant "green strips" to serve as firebreaks and provide winter forage for big game.
	Maintain and improve springs and riparian areas.

Southwest Desert Deer Herd Unit Management Plan (2015) The management goal of the Southwest Desert Deer Herd Unit is to increase the unit deer population. Habitat management objectives that are applicable to the Project are (1) Maintain or enhance forage production through direct range improvements on winter and summer deer range throughout the unit to achieve population management objectives. (2) Maintain critical fawning habitat in good condition.

Southwest Desert Elk Herd Unit Management Plan (2015).  This plan has a stated habitat goal that calls for the removal of at least 3000 acres of pinyon and juniper per year.  This project helps achieve that goal. Recently in meetings with local sportsmen/sportswomen we met to discuss the potential of raising the number of elk in the population objective. It was agreed upon in that meeting and then further discussed in the RAC and Board meetings where the decision was made final to raise the objective, that we would stay actively engaged in habitat management and that we would treat a set amount of acres per 5 year period within the unit in order to maintain usable range for livestock as well as for elk and the increase of elk that would be to follow. This project would help to create in part some of those acres, and to have an area specifically designated for the use to only be by wildlife is even more beneficial to the herd and the growing numbers.

The Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse in Utah was approved by the Governor in April 2013. 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. By working in this area we are creating habitat within one of the sage-grouse management areas and could lead to future use by sage-grouse. 
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 Adaptive Resource Management Sage-grouse Plan (2008)
The goals and objective of this project are consistent with the following strategies with the this plan:
Strategy 1 - Improve age distribution of sagebrush-steppe communities
Strategy 2 - Improve water availability in brood-rearing habitat
Strategy 7 - Manage unwanted plant species in sage-brush steppe habitat

Utah Pronghorn Statewide Management Plan (2009) states that the Habitat Management Objectives within the plan are to be met by implementing projects through the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, design, implement, and monitoring the effectiveness of habitat improvement in the way that the initiative demands will implement projects that are beneficial to pronghorn.

The Utah State Wildlife Action Plan 2015-2025 is a comprehensive management plan designed to conserve native species populations and habitats in Utah, and prevent the need for additional federal listings. Our project is focusing on addressing any and all possible issues present for WAP species and trying to facilitate best management practices for these species.

State of Utah Resource Management Plan (2018)
The state supports the efforts of the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative and other rehabilitative efforts throughout the state
The state supports the Watershed Restoration Initiative to encourage reduced wildfire acreage, reduced soil loss from erosion, reduced sedimentation and storage loss in reservoirs, and improved water quality. 
The state plan supports active management to improve and enhance riparian resources to provide for appropriate physical, biological and chemical function.
Seeding an optimal mix of native and desirable non-native species to support desired ecologic conditions and create a properly functioning ecosystem. 
Actively remove pinyon-juniper encroachment in other ecological sites due to its substantial consumption of water and its detrimental effect on sagebrush, other vegetation and wildlife. 
Use of the good neighbor program to collaborate with Federal Agencies to better manage forage.

Beaver County Resource Management Plan (RMP) (2017)
The Beaver County RMP supports this project in the following ways;
To ensure that federal and state lands are managed for multiple uses as mandated in the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act and other federal laws are followed. This approach places an emphasis on striking a balance in land use planning among the competing values of recreation, grazing, timber, watershed protection, fish and wildlife, mining and energy. Efforts should be made to protect critical wildlife habitat, watersheds, scenery, and important natural resources. To improve range conditions through vegetation treatments and proper management. Land managers shall maintain and enhance desired plant communities that benefit watersheds, water quality, wildlife, livestock, and achieve rangeland health standards. Vegetation treatments shall be applied to encroaching and undesirable species in range projects such as pinyon/juniper, Russian olive, Halogeton and Rabbit Brush. Utilize native and non-native seed mixtures in vegetation treatments that are appropriate to management objectives, are adapted to the site conditions and are highly resistant to and/or competitive with invasive and noxious weeds. Range/Watershed Condition: Upland rangelands shall have vegetation cover and composition which will insure sustained productivity considering site potential and historical impacts; Range and watershed health is determined based on best available science and experience without reference to intended uses; Assessment of range/watershed condition is based on establishing the kind and amount of vegetation that will furnish soil protection and useful vegetation production considering the potential of the site, not necessarily restoring "natural" conditions. 
Pinyon-Juniper: Pinyon and juniper (PJ) is eliminated or reduced on any site that has the potential to support grassland, sagebrush grassland, or other vegetation types more useful in terms of watershed condition and resource outputs, unless it has been determined, on a site specific basis that PJ does not jeopardize watershed condition and add to the combined resource outputs and values on the site. On sites where PJ occurs that do not have potential for good perennial grass and shrub cover, or where technology is lacking to establish such cover by reasonable efforts, PJ stands are maintained in an open canopy state when possible to prevent catastrophic wildfire and stand replacement with invasive annuals.
Mixed Conifer: Mixed conifer stands are prevented from invading other forest types or mountain grasslands.
	Riparian: Riparian areas are managed to prevent excessive erosion and deposition of sediment and impaired water quality that results, with recognition that these processes may have begun in the past due to natural and/or human caused factors and may continue far into the future regardless of the management applied. The use of tools including, but not limited to, livestock grazing, chemical, and other mechanical control is critical to protecting ecosystem health from invasive species after fire events.
Beaver County supports prescribed wildland fire use on rangelands and encourages prescribed burns where appropriate.
The removal of pinyon-juniper infestations throughout Beaver County is necessary to decrease wildfire potential and improve upland habitat conditions.
Beaver County will encourage federal and state land management agencies to continue to seek out, identify, map and catalogue known and unknown, or undiscovered cultural resources within Beaver County. Ensure that all state and federal laws are complied with upon the discovery and identification of new cultural resources.

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.

Due to the exclusion of natural fire in the high elevations of the WMA the vegetative conditions are near climax in critical areas. The Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) is predominately Class 2 and 3 which is a moderate to high departure from natural historical vegetation conditions.  This has caused conditions that could support a total stand replacement event with loss of structure and bio-diversity to the project area. This potential loss of key components to the ecosystem is high.  Encroachment of pinyon-juniper is also driving a significant portion of the problem in the lower elevations where the FRCC is predominately Class 2 with areas of Class 3 as well.  While white fir encroachment has significantly suppressed aspen growth and recruitment at higher elevations, likewise Pinyon and Juniper encroachment has suppressed browse plants such as Sage and Bitterbrush as well as Mountain Mahogany and Current. 
Modeling under typical wildfire conditions suggests the WMA as a whole has a moderate to very high risk of wildfire.  With moderate to high rates of spread producing very high to extreme flame lengths and the potential for loss of 80% of the overstory canopy and stand structure. Wildfire suppression would be difficult and pose a high level risk for firefighters and the public.
Under the proper conditions fire could be used to enhance mule deer, elk, and sage grouse habitat while reducing wildfire risk and the potential loss of habitat. Also an appropriately timed bullhog would reduce the FRCC class 3 areas in the lower elevations of the WMA, and reset them to a low FRCC class 1 condition class. These proactive actions in the lower elevations of the WMA will serve to minimize negative effects if fire (Rx or Natural Ignition) were present in the upper elevations. This would negate some of the worries associated with planning and implementing an Rx fire in the future phases of the restoration efforts for the WMA. This project could also serve as an anchor point for other fire related projects in the future.
By completing this phase of the Indian Peaks WMA project, we feel that we will take the FRCC from a condition class of 2-3 to a condition class of mostly 1 with some 2 within the lower elevation areas that are planned for treatment in this phase.

Values at risk to wildfire in this area include several private residences to the south of the WMA as well as the important wildlife habitats discussed in other areas of this proposal including the rare for the area montane riparian systems that were noted as more abundant on the WMA in the TNC LCF report.

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.

Removal of Phase I and II PJ encroachment will lead to the increase of herbaceous perennial species, water quality, and water quantity should improve.  Studies have shown that an additional 45 day increase of water can occur when pinyon and juniper are removed and a perennial herbaceous under-story is established.  Runoff will decrease and less sediment will be moved out of the watershed due to an increase of a herbaceous under-story.  It is anticipated that this project will result in increased water flow and lengthen the amount of time that water is in the streams on the WMA.  This increased availability of water should help reinvigorate and expand the patches of riparian habitat that are currently struggling to survive on the WMA. These patches of riparian habitat are benefiting most if not all non-game species that are living on the WMA.

On the WMA live waters include Indian Creek which has historically had perennial flows as well as several un-named intermittent streams. The upper and middle reaches of one of these intermittent stream will be the focus of the BDA/Zeedyk work. This intermittent stream joins with Indian Creek on the eastern border of the WMA and has several sections of in-tact riparian vegetation that can be improved through the expected water table uplift and increase in duration of flows.  Additionally, there are also several un-named springs throughout the WMA that we hope to see increases in flow from as a result of all the different treatments during the last several years, in addition to the treatments that are planned to happen during this phase of the project, and the future planned treatments including the planned Rx fire.

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.

All Pinyon and Juniper, which currently occupy and are, encroaching upon the site, will be removed through methods appropriate for the size and type of trees. These methods include but are not limited to Mastication, Chaining/Chain Harrowing, Lop and Scatter, and Rx Fire.

We have planned a bullhog and seeding treatment on approximately 248 acres to be implemented as part of this phase of the work.  Islands and corridors of pinyon and juniper would remain untreated throughout the bullhog treatment polygons on the WMA, creating a mosaic pattern of treated and untreated vegetation (see Attached Photos).  Before mechanical implementation, mulching areas would be broadcast seeded with a mix of native and non-native shrubs, grasses and forbs important for improving mule deer habitat, and stabilization of soils. Stringers of thicker trees in the washes will be left for big game where it is determined beneficial by DWR biologists.  Mastication timeframe is planned for a fall application with a September-October implementation timeframe.

For this phase of the project we have also planned a lop and scatter treatment of 134 acres. This treatment is to take care of the trees that are in the area needing mastication but that can't be masticated due to archaeology recorded on the property. We buffered the sites and plan to lop and scatter these sites so that attention to them is not drawn. When contracting the work priority will be given to leave islands and edge so that they treatment will create usable habitat that is beneficial for wildlife. This treatment would be planned as a fall/Spring treatment of 2025-2026.

The last treatment planned for this phase is a series of BDA's/Zeedyk structure on the historically perennial stream that flows off of Indian Peak and out of the South Canyon and across the middle of the WMA connecting eventually to the Indian Creek that flows on the North end of the WMA. In this stream channel there are sections of in tact riparian vegetation and at the bottom end of the stream there is a cottonwood gallery. All of these riparian plant communities are struggling to hold on and some work in the stream to hold water and to widen the riparian zones would help to maintain and grow the riparian zones of the stream that are so important to wildlife use on the WMA.  For this phase we have planned 12-15 structures for the stream in total and the design of the structures will follow the slope of the stream so as to have as large and effect on widening the riparian zone and directly effecting existing riparian plant areas that already exist. Installation of these structures would take place during late summer to early fall when flows are a bit lower and working in the stream is as user friendly as possible. We have consulted with water rights on these structures and all that is required to install them is a stream alteration permit, which we will have prior to installation of the structures. We will work with our regional water rights personnel to help us receive the stream alteration permits require to complete this work.

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 two range trend study sights on the Indian Peaks WMA that are monitored by the Division of Wildlife Resources Range Trend Crew, as well as a newly added Sage Grouse Mitigation range trend site in Phase III's lop and scatter polygons.

There is also a deer classification route that runs through the WMA and would be utilized to decide deer usage and population growth.

During drought years Indian creek is one of the water sources UDWR monitors monthly to determine extent and availability of water.

Habitat restoration biologists from UDWR have established a point intercept plot in the bullhog treatment area to determine success of the seeding as well as monitoring stream flows and water levels throughout the year, especially in the sections where the BDA/Zeedyk structures are going to be installed.

Photo points will also be established to monitor the effectiveness of the BDA/Zeedyk structures.

UDWR's Southern Region Habitat Section has recently acquired a drone, and has a certified drone pilot on staff that will utilize this resource to trial a drone repeat photography monitoring program for 3-5 years on this project. This process paired with an AI interpretation of the photographs will be utilized to monitor effectiveness of the treatment. We anticipate that this type of monitoring will help biologists to understand the changes in plant composition correlated with the treatments that have been implemented, and track the changes in plant presence/absence prior to treatment and for successive years following the treatments. Associated reports can also be uploaded as they are generated.

WRI monitoring site to be requested for Rx fire portion of 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.

Partners include: The Piute Indian Tribe of Utah specifically the Indian Peaks Band of the Piute tribe; We consulted with them during the planning of the project so that we made sure that we weren't negatively impacting areas that were culturally important to them as this property was owned and utilized for generations by their band of the tribe.  They are in support of all of the proposed actions in this phase of the project implementation. 
We have contacted Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife (Troy Justensen) and The Mule Deer Foundation (Qaim Naqvi); We discussed specifically with these organizations that we would be looking for financial assistance to make this project happen, and both organizations are interested in partnering with us to complete this project.  This project has also been discussed with several different groups of people who have been hunting and viewing wildlife in the area for generations. We talked with these groups and individuals about what has changed over the years and areas that we can and should be working in with the project so that we can make it the best it can be for mule deer.

In addition 
Forestry Fire and State Lands; With the help of a local Cedar City Staff Dave Harmon, is helping us draft the RX Fire plan for the WMA and coordinate the RX fire portion of the project and give input on how to plan for the burn and the feasibility of the RX Fire being successful in the way we were thinking it might be. 
Cedar City Field Office of BLM; we consulted with BLM on partnering with them on this project to allow for the RX fire to be more controlled and yield better results by being able to burn Indian Peak as a whole. 
We will continue working with both of these agencies in planning for the Rx fire in the future but for this phase we will be focusing our RX fire efforts on a polygon that is internal of the WMA. We believe that a partnership with the BLM for future plans for RX fire is imperative for success so until they have their NEPA document that allows them to actively work on their side of the fence we feel like it is highly unlikely that any Rx fire on Indian Peak itself will be unable to happen. We hope that showcasing what can be done internally on the WMA will help to encourage BLM and others within the Southwest Desert to plan and implement RX fire on their respective lands in the future.

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.

As noted above property has a current WMA management plan and that plan directs management decisions.

Livestock grazing does not occur on the WMA, except for in cases of trespass, or extreme drought/wildfire. We have written into our WMA Management Plan that during these times at the discretion of the habitat program manager, we can use the forage on the WMA as a grass bank. In the event that we do use the WMA as a grass bank we will monitor the feed availability, and use proper grazing management tactics to allow for the use of the resource in a sustainable way. If trespass cattle are on the WMA we notify the owner and take appropriate action to remove them from the property.

The impacts of elk and wild horses on treatment areas (particularly regenerating aspen stands) will be monitored by UDWR habitat staff (see monitoring section for details).  If the wild horses that are still on the property following the BLM removals that have occurred in the past are negatively impacting projects; DWR will work with the BLM to organize additional removal efforts. In addition to doing our best to remove all wild horses from the WMA, efforts to appropriately manage the negative effects of remaining wild horses to our treated areas will be highly prioritized. We are also proposing to replace the exterior fence of the WMA in the next several phases of implementation of this project (South Boundary , and Eastern Boundary Fences have already been rebuilt with new material) to prevent wild horses, and cattle on the exterior of the WMA from accessing the WMA through deteriorated portions of the fence.  If elk are determined to be over utilizing recovering aspen stands, the population may be temporarily reduced through targeted hunts.

Monitoring annually for any invasive weeds will happen by UDWR staff and if noticed to be present we will make and effort to keep them in check and remove them from the property, either manually or with the use of the appropriate herbicide.

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.