Project Details

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.

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.

The site area as a whole is dominated by pinion juniper trees to the point that other vegetation is being crowded out and will continue to be more and more as time passes without a change to the current status of the vegetative structure. Much of the understory plant species; grasses, forbs, and shrubs; have been out completed leaving high amounts of bare soil on the landscape. Cheatgrass, an annual invasive, is present in this area which in the event of a wildfire the probability of beneficial plant species returning is diminished. Annual invasive grasses establish faster and at a higher rate which creates an unhealthy fire cycle wherever such plant species overtake the vegetative structure and completely dominate as the ground cover. Before the current understory plant species become further depleted, removing pinion juniper trees to release resources for these grasses, forbs, and shrubs native to the area will benefit the landscape in regard to erosion prevention, forage production (primarily for wildlife in the proposed treatment areas), wildfire resilience, and overall range health.

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.

Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1701)
Sec. 102 (c)(8) the public lands be managed in a manner that will protect the quality of scientific, scenic, historical, ecological, environmental, air and atmospheric, water resource, and archeological values; that, where appropriate, will preserve and protect certain public lands in their natural condition; that will provide food and habitat for fish and wildlife and domestic animals; and that will provide for outdoor recreation and human occupancy and use;

Chipman Peak EA/FONSI/DR - December 2016.
(see Alternative A - Proposed Action) 2.1.3.3 Pinion Pine and Juniper Woodland Treatment
Desired Future Condition- Pinion pine and juniper stands exist on woodland ecological sites across the landscape in a variety of conditions, including young regenerating stands, mid-aged stands, mature stands, and old growth stands. Pinion pine-juniper stands are typically multi or even-aged with 5-20% canopy cover. Other vegetation cover is as follows; shrub canopy 25-35% and grass cover 20-35% and forb cover 0-5%.

Color Country and Paria River Fire Management Plan
3.3 Fuels Treatments - Objectives
The focus of fuels treatments is to move Condition Class 2 and Condition Class 3 areas toward historic fire conditions, based on resources objectives. Projects are closely tied to habitat, watershed, and other natural resource objectives, as well as hazardous fuels reduction.

National Fire Plan (2000)
Hazardous Fuel Reduction -- Invest in projects to reduce fire risk, including fuels reduction in
high-risk areas, primarily on Federal lands. Fuels management work will be targeted to high
priority areas, especially wildland-urban interface areas. Fuels management includes fuels
reduction, hazard mitigation, and ecosystem restoration. The Departments also plan to work
with States and local communities in order to implement a collaborative program across agency boundaries

Deer Herd Unit Management Plan Unit #22 Beaver (2020)
The project will be consistent with the habitat management strategies identified in the Deer Herd Unit Management Plan for Deer Herd Unit #22 (Beaver) (UDWR) which pertain to the Project Area are as follows:

* 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-Juniper woodlands into sagebrush habitats and improve habitats dominated by Pinion-Juniper woodlands by completing habitat restoration projects.

Though Sage-Grouse concerns are not the primary goal for this project, they are still relevant to the project because the project site is located between two Sage-grouse PHMAs. The project may not to create long term suitable SG habitat but the treatment would help create a more conducive corridor for the birds to traverse between PHMAs due to the reduction in Pinion Juniper tree density.

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.

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 area proposed to be treated will benefit to have reduced fuel loads.

The majority of the area is high potential for damage by fire (see Soil Report). 
There have been numerous large fires (Baboon, Black Mountain, Maple Spring, and Greenville) within the immediate vicinity of the project area.

Of the entire Mineral Black Mountain Fire Management Unit (FMU) (646,151 acres), 235,986 acres have burned over the past 20 years. This amounts to over 36% of the FMU being impacted by high intensity wildfire. Of the acres burned, more than 40,000 acres have burned more than once (cheatgrass burn/re-burn cycle). Most alarming is the fact that for the 22 years in which fire records are available (1993-2014), while the number of fires has decreased over the past 10 years, the acreages burned has increased more than 200%.

This project will reduce the amount of existing trees and curtail the expansion of PJ trees that would provide fuel in the area for a high intensity fire. Thus, wildfires would be more difficult to control and would have much more devastating effects by burning at a higher intensity over larger areas. Because there is a greater risk of converting this area into a vegetation structure overrun with annual grasses following a high intensity fire, the need to manage the area with pro-active treatments would reduce the likelihood of cheatgrass invasion and help perennial grasses and forbs persist long-term. Treatments identified within this proposal would help reduce hazardous fuel loads, create fuel breaks, and reduce the overall threat of a catastrophic wildfire which could impact the watershed, and wildlife habitat. Treatments in and around the sagebrush, bitterbrush, and cliffrose present in this area would break up continuous fuels and reduce the risk of high intensity wildfire entering these sensitive areas.

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 elevation ranges from 6,000 - 7,500 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. 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.

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 (See Chipman Peak EA appendix 11 pg.168 and Soil Report). 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.

Chaining and mastication (bullhog) with heavy equipment will be the methods that will be used to remove pinion juniper trees. The areas where these mechanical treatment are to be implement will be seeded with grass, forb, and shrub plant species to promote rangeland health, soil stability, and fire resilience. Proper cultural and wildlife surveys will be done prior to these treatments. BLM will provide overall project oversight. BLM will designate of the treatment areas (i.e. leave islands/stands of trees to protect cultural and wildlife resources) in cooperation with UDWR and State Lands. Archeology/cultural surveys will be completed by DWR contract with project oversight provided by the BLM Fuels Archaeologist.

Project Area is currently in Phase 2 and Phase 3 fire regime condition classes. Although sagebrush and perennial grasses are present in portions of the Project Area that is currently in Phase 2 condition; the species vigor, composition, and production are well below what should be expected for the site as revealed by the Ecological Site Description.

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.

The BLM uses the 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. Other standard methods of monitoring include surveys such as: Wildlife Use Pattern Surveys (i.e. Pellet Counts), Wildlife Population Surveys, Key Forage Utilization, Nested Frequency (Trend), Line Intercept (Shrub Cover and Age Class), Standards and Guidelines for Rangeland Health Assessment, Photo Points, Breeding Bird Surveys, Raptor Nest Surveys, General Wildlife Use Surveys and Noxious weed inventory / monitoring.

Monitoring data will be compiled into an overall monitoring report that will help determine the level of success for the project in the short-term and long-term. This data will be utilized to support an Adaptive Management Strategy to determine if further treatment methods would be  needed to meet measurable objectives.

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.

Once the project has been implemented and the seeding establishment has been confirmed, BLM may authorize grazing according the the Utah Fundamentals of Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Grazing Management. Vegetation would continue to be monitored for utilization, cover and trend. Following the two year rest period, the grazing management system identified during the grazing permit renewal process would be resumed.

Key Management Areas are typically established in grazing allotments to monitor trend where there is livestock use.  The trend sites that have been established in the Project Area will provide for baseline monitoring data so that short-term and long-term treatment success can be monitored. Because trend within the treatment area that has been collected is baseline data trend will be determined in subsequent years as data is collected. Trend will be collected at these sites for following treatment and the overall range vegetative monitoring schedule provides for collection every 3-5 years. Grazing permit renewals are current for all allotments throughout the project area.  Grazing management systems that identified livestock numbers, season of use and AUMs were identified through this process.

Future maintenance projects to protect investments made by UWRI/NRCS/BLM have been addressed and allowed through the project planning document (NEPA). Adaptive Management has been allowed for in the NEPA/Decision document. A large variety of treatment methods have been identified and authorized for use within the Project Area.
NRCS will require the permittee to follow all the BLM grazing requirements and also defer grazing on the private ground for a minimum of two growing seasons.  At the end of each growing season NRCS will coordinate with BLM and the private landowner on progress and establishment of the seeding.

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.

The majority of the project area is in Phase 2 and Phase 3 condition.  The project is expected to improve health, composition, and diversity of shrubs, grasses, and forbs in accordance with Rangeland Health Standards and Guidelines and the Ecological Site Description, which will be beneficial to create forage primarily for wildlife but also livestock. Furthermore, the project will be proactive in improving vegetative communities and reducing heavy fuels in areas that are dominated by pinyon and juniper, which will minimize the potential for a catastrophic wildfire throughout the area.

It is also expected that the treatment will also benefit hunting opportunities within the area in the long-term.  Treatments that have occurred within the vicinity of the project have been highly successful for improving vegetation structure to increase grasses and shrubs. Wildlife viewing is popular with the public and the treatments have provided greater opportunities to view wildlife. Bird watching would also be included and increased with the greater variety of grasses and forbs, with near by roosting and loafing 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.