Bourbon 2027
Region: Northern
ID: 7682

Project Status: Proposed

Project Details

The purpose of this project is to enhance forest and watershed health, promote wildlife habitat diversity, and reduce the risk of uncharacteristically high wildfire effects. Current vegetation and riparian areas within the Western Uinta Management Area are not meeting the desired future conditions outlined in the 2003 Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for the Wasatch-Cache National Forest (UWC), as amended through 2015 ("Forest Plan"). The Forest Plan envisions a landscape characterized by a greater prevalence of aspen and a mosaic of vegetation structures, species compositions, and age classes that reflect conditions historically maintained by fire (Forest Plan, pp. 4-181--182).

Existing Conditions
Vegetation types in the project area include aspen, aspen-conifer, mixed conifer, lodgepole pine, spruce-fir, mountain big sagebrush, and mountain shrubland. At present, the area is experiencing an overabundance of standing dead trees resulting from the bark beetle epidemic, which has contributed to hazardous fuel loads.

A recent forest-wide assessment (Hazardous Fuels Classification, 2019; Region 4 Strategic Protection Area Framework, 2019) identified areas of concern where values are at risk of being impacted by uncharacteristic wildfire effects. This project specifically targets areas classified under the Wildfire Crisis Strategy (WCS) to mitigate the potential for severe wildfire impacts. This work is particularly critical within the WUI, which encompasses the communities of Aspen Acres, Christmas Meadow recreation residences, Holiday Park, Manor Lands, Monviso, Pine Plateau, Uinta Lands, Wilderness Acres, Wild River Ranches, as well as the Thousand Peaks Ranch and Two Bears Ranch.

Integration with Adjacent Projects
In addition to the Bourbon Fuels Project, this proposal incorporates an adjacent project to increase effectiveness in achieving desired landscape conditions. Hazardous fuel accumulation along Highway 150--a major travel corridor--has exceeded acceptable levels. To meet the desired future conditions of the Western Uinta Management Area, and to prioritize public safety, reduce hazardous fuels, and restore aquatic habitats that have deviated from desired conditions, management actions will also be implemented along the POD boundary and the scenic Mirror Lake Highway.

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.

Project location is in the Moffit and Whitney Area of the Evanston-Mountain View Ranger District, and adjoining private lands. The project area is in Summit County, Utah and is approximately 30 miles South of Evanston Wyoming, and ties into the Mirror Lake Highway.

As mentioned in the Purpose and Need section, currently, there is an overabundance of standing dead trees associated from the bark beetle epidemic, which has contributed to hazardous fuel loads, beyond acceptable thresholds.

Aside from wildfire/fuels concerns, the project area contains portions of the North Slope and Chalk Creek mule deer herd migration corridors (see maps on Image/Docs page). The Bourbon project area is in UTDWR's designated crucial summer range for mule deer, elk, year-round black bear habitat and crucial moose winter range. Habitat management goals for deer in these units call for conserving and improving habitat with direct range improvements throughout the unit, with emphasis on crucial ranges. Conifer encroachment into sage and aspen, including utilization of prescribed fire specifically noted. (UTDWR GMU 6 & 8 plans; Statewide Deer Plan, Statewide Elk Plan). Units 6 & 8 both host general-season hunting opportunities for multiple species, and the North Slope of the Uinta's is a recreation destination (UWCNF has 9 million visits/year), with multiple trailheads, campgrounds, fishing, etc. in the immediate project area. Long-term habitat benefits will be experienced and appreciated by thousands of hunters and other recreationalists as a result of these treatments.

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.

*2.5 Scenic Byways - (G2.5-1) Timber harvest, vegetation/fuel treatments, prescribed fire and wildland fire use are allowed when these activities are necessary to maintain or enhance the scenic setting for the long term.

* 3.1a Aquatic habitat emphasis - (G3.1A-1) Timber harvest, vegetation/fuel treatments, prescribed fire, and wildland fire use are allowed only for the purposes of maintaining, improving or restoring riparian and aquatic habitat to desired conditions or to protect property in the wildland urban interface.

* 4.1 Emphasis on backcountry non-motorized recreation settings - (G4.1-1) Vegetation/fuel treatment, prescribed fire, and wildland fire use are allowed to mimic historic conditions and to restore ecosystem functioning.

* 4.4 Emphasis on dispersed motorized recreation settings - (G4.4-1) Timber harvest, vegetation/fuel treatment, road construction, prescribed fire and wildland fire use are allowed to mimic historic conditions, to restore ecosystem functioning, and to protect property in the wildland urban interface, and are designed to be compatible with motorized recreation, but must not detract from the recreation setting over the long-term.

* 5.1 Emphasis on maintaining or restoring forested ecosystem integrity while meeting multiple resource objectives -
(G5.1-1) Timber harvest, vegetation/fuel treatment, prescribed fire and wildland fire use are allowed to maintain or restore proper functioning conditions, for hazardous fuel reduction, to protect property in the wildland urban interface, and to provide for commodity and non-commodity outputs and services.

* 2020 Utah Forest Action Plan objectives include:
Use all available management tools, including forest industry, to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems.  Utah's forested resources are used to meet public needs while being appropriately managed to provide sustainability for future generations.

Treatments will utilize local industry to reduce overstocked/encroaching conifers, providing public needs benefits of utilizing industry and improve water quality/quantity with decrease of wildfire risk, creating sustainability of aspen ecosystems for wildlife and future generations.

* Summit County Resource Management Plan pgs. 21-25
Wildlife goal 1: provide for healthy wildlife habitats.

Wildfire management goal 1: continued prevention of catastrophic wildfires in Summit County.

Forest management goal 1: provide for healthy and sustainable ecosystems while including benefits for people. Sub goal -- timber for commercial harvest: Use timber harvest where allowed, to contribute to the economy while achieving properly functioning conditions of vegetation and watersheds.

* State of Utah Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy: - Rather than just reducing fires, the ultimate goal is to return landscapes to a condition of health and resilience that allows for wildfires to burn without becoming catastrophic to either human or natural systems.

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 Bourbon project will have multiple fuel treatments to meet objectives, including but not limited to hand cut and pile, lop and scatter component, mechanical treatments such as mastication or timber sale activity and 4 prescribed fire units (2 on the Forest and 2 on private lands). The hand cut and pile treatment will primarily focus along the system roads within the project area. This will create a shaded fuel break to change the fire behavior during a wildfire event. The lop and scatter unit is designed to reduce conifer expansion. The prescribed fire treatments will reintroduce fire on the landscape over the course of 5-7-year period to reduce uncharacteristic passive and active crown fire behavior (see planning map, fire behavior summary and landscape summary report). Private lands prescribed fire is a pile burning project, covering 313 acres. The rearrangement of fuels for prescribed fire is important to recreate burning conditions of August in the months of late September, October and November. In these latter months holding concerns are more favorable to firefighters, public and surrounding private lands, and the fuel rearrangement still allows land managers to achieve desired results while lowering the risk.

The design features of this project will reduce the risk of large unwanted fires by decreasing and removing hazardous fuels. This project will also promote ecological biodiversity in plant and tree species to improve wildlife habitat, forest structure and composition.  Monitoring for invasive species in different forest cover types as fuel treatments are completed will also be conducted to promote landscape resilience.

The archaeological clearances have been completed, 84 acres of hand cut/mechanical piling, and 796 acres of lop and scatter fuels reduction treatments have been completed as a part of phase 1 implementation, which were designed to protect historic forest infrastructure, human health, safety, and scenic values. In areas of lop and scatter, project managers may either elect to burn the material or leave it on the ground to promote coarse woody debris to decompose and provide nutrients to the soils.

These areas are heavily used during the course of the year for a variety of recreational activities and human use, such as camping, hiking, hunting, and snowmobiling.  This project will aid in protection within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) area that contains the communities Aspen Acres, Christmas Meadow recreation residences, Holiday Park, Manor Lands, Monviso, Pine Plateau, Uinta Lands, Wilderness Acres, as well as Wild River, Thousand Peaks, Little Bear, and Two Bears Ranches. Besides wildfire/fuels concerns, the project area provides for critical wildlife habitat for elk, moose, deer, and wild turkey (see wildlife tracker map & habitat tab for species).  Range management benefits to this project for cattle and sheep allotments as well.  This project is in the Bear River Watershed which is predominantly in Fire Regime group III (35-200 years low to mixed severity) and IV (35-200 years stand replacement), with an intermixed Condition Class of 2 (moderate departure 34-66%, declining ecological integrity or 3 (high departure 67-100%, poor ecological integrity).

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.

A primary objective of this project is to enhance both water quantity and water quality through targeted restoration of stream and riparian systems. Existing streams within the project area exhibit limited structural complexity and relatively narrow riparian corridors, conditions that constrain ecological function and hydrologic resilience. Livestock grazing also impacts streams in localized areas.

The recent bark beetle mortality has created an opportunity to improve these systems by utilizing large standing dead trees as a source of large woody debris (LWD). Strategically placing or encouraging these trees to fall into streams will increase channel complexity, promote pool formation, divert flows into adjacent floodplains, slow water velocities, and elevate local water tables. These processes collectively enhance aquatic habitat diversity and improve hydrologic connectivity.

Removal of encroaching conifers within riparian zones will further improve water quality and quantity by reducing evapotranspiration demands and facilitating the expansion of moisture-dependent species such as aspen and willow. These vegetation shifts will stabilize streambanks, increase shade, and contribute to long-term improvements in riparian function.

* Erosion Control: Slowing stream flows reduces erosive forces during flood events, thereby protecting soil resources and riparian integrity.

* Groundwater Recharge: Reduced flow velocities increase infiltration, replenishing groundwater aquifers and sustaining baseflows. This process can extend ephemeral stream flows into perennial conditions, thereby expanding continuous aquatic habitat for species such as cutthroat trout and boreal toad.

* Sediment Retention: Lower velocities allow sediment deposition, improving downstream water quality for both ecological communities and human users.

* Floodplain Restoration: LWD contributes to soil deposition and hydrologic redistribution, supporting the development of mesic meadows and enhancing floodplain function.

* Thermal Regulation: Groundwater recharge and subsurface flow pathways reintroduce cooler water downstream through seeps, a critical factor for cold-water fish species such as salmonids. Cooler water temperatures, combined with reduced surface evaporation, improve habitat suitability and long-term ecological resilience.

Through the integration of large woody debris placement, conifer removal, and riparian vegetation restoration, this project will significantly improve water quality, increase water quantity, and restore ecological function. These actions will strengthen hydrologic processes, enhance aquatic and riparian habitats, and promote long-term resilience of both ecological communities and watershed systems.

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.

The proposed action involves implementing one or more vegetation treatments across approximately1,200 acres of NFS land to promote conditions that result in primarily surface fire behavior under most modeled fire weather scenarios. Detailed treatment specifications will be provided in the silviculture prescription, implementation plan, and burn plan.
Treatment methods may include:

1. Tree Removal
* Felling and removing vegetation using hand crews with chainsaws.

* Potential use of ground-based mechanized equipment (e.g., masticators, skid steers, skidders)

2. Management of Cut Material
* Leave in place, scatter, or relocate for use in rehabilitation projects (e.g., roads, fisheries, hydrology, wildlife).

* Dispose of excess material as firewood, posts and poles, other biomass products, or saw timber.

* Pile by hand or machine for later burning.

* Chip or masticate.

* Decked for commercial sale.

3. Prescribed Burning
* Broadcast burning using hand crews (drip torches, fuses) or aviation resources (Helitorch, plastic sphere dispenser) under predetermined conditions.

* Utilize existing roads and natural features (e.g., cliffs) as fire control lines.

* Construct additional fire lines by hand or machine where necessary.

* Employ hand lines to protect values at risk and serve as potential control lines.

* Apply multiple ignition methods, including hand lighting, terra torch, and aerial ignition.

* Each prescribed burn will be guided by a burn plan, including appropriate burning conditions, secure air quality permits from the State of Utah, and specify treatment acreage.

4. Private lands prescribed fire is a pile burning project, covering 313 acres. These piles are a result of previous mechanical, and hand treatments. Funds are needed to burn the excess slash next to the communities of Uinta Lands and Monviso, which will reduce fuel loading.

5. Create off channel watering for livestock.  Sixteen ponds will be constructed to provide water for sheep. This will reduce livestock grazing and trampling in area streams which will improve habitat conditions for native species.

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.

Mule Deer Foundation- The Forest Service has partnered with MDF through a Stewardship agreement, allowing them to help with planning, contract oversight, and administration. They are also working with Little Bear, Hawes Property, and Monviso private landowners adjacent to the bourbon project area to complete cross border treatments in consultation with Forestry, Fire and State Lands FFSL. UWC staff have the lead on compliance and forest management direction from multiple programs. UDWR will be an integral part of this project through WRI and advice and collaboration on areas to target for big game habitat improvements. District staff will work with permittees to ensure safety of livestock. FFSL will be working with private land owners. Trout Unlimited is currently undertaking design and implementation of multiple stream crossing improvements in the area including removing old culverts that are potential fish barriers. Thus, improving habitat for various fish species including Bonneville Cutthroat trout. There is a Stewardship Agreement in place to work with Unita County for noxious weed spraying. Past funding partners for similar work on the North Slope include UT Habitat Council Account, Federal Aid (PR), USFS-WRI, Internal Conservation Permit (ICP Bighorn), Utah Wild Sheep Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International, Sportsman for Fish & Wildlife, and Utah Archery Association.

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.

This project implements a multi-phase approach designed to advance ongoing ecological restoration efforts across the landscape. Future phases are anticipated to incorporate additional mechanical treatments, including but not limited to lop-and-scatter, cut-and-pile, and prescribed burning. Follow-up treatments may be implemented where initial efforts do not achieve the desired ecological conditions or management objectives.

* Vegetation Management: Reduce conifer encroachment within upland meadow vegetation types to restore ecological balance and promote native plant communities.

* Fuel Reduction: Address hazardous fuel loads resulting from bark beetle epidemics to mitigate the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire events.

* Aspen Regeneration: Enhance aspen populations, which are more fire-resilient than conifers due to their higher moisture content, lower concentrations of volatile compounds, and reduced fuel availability during dormancy.

* Wildfire Risk Mitigation: Employ fuel reduction treatments, prescribed fire, and wildfire management strategies to reduce the likelihood and severity of uncharacteristic wildfire.

* Riparian and Hydrological Restoration: Pursue opportunities for in-stream, riparian, and wet meadow restoration to improve local hydrology, water quality, and habitat resilience.

The project is expected to:

* Promote aspen regeneration and improve upland meadow habitat quality.

* Reduce hazardous fuels and wildfire risk through targeted treatments.

* Enhance watershed function and ecological integrity in riparian and wet meadow systems.

* Maintain existing land-use categories, ensuring that public access, motorized and non-motorized recreation, timber harvesting, grazing opportunities, and other current uses remain unaffected over the long term.

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.

Vegetation and fuels treatments associated with this project will be developed and implemented to improve the sustainability of natural resources and provide sustainable materials within its boundaries upon implementation. These treatments will increase the species and age class diversity of forested lands across the Bourbon Project area, improving forest health, building resistance and resilience to disease and insects, and reducing the threat of uncharacteristic wildfires. This, in turn, will improve sustainable uses of Utah's natural resources, including future sustainable timber harvests, biomass utilization, grazing, hunting and fishing, camping, and the general function of a major watershed for downstream users of the Bear River, including northern Utah and the Great Salt Lake. Materials such as saw logs and non-saw fuelwood will be produced from this project. These products are a sustainable form of economic development for local industry.

This project also improves or protects habitat for the following species creating sustainable opportunities for public hunting, fishing, birding, and wildlife watching.

* American Beaver - The project will help promote aspen regeneration through prescribed burns and mechanical treatments. The aspen will not only be a food source but will also be a resource for them to construct dams and lodges.

* Mule Deer - Project would create and improve summer habitat. Aspen regeneration would create forage for big game.

* Elk - Project would create summer calving habitat and foraging habitat. Aspen regeneration would create forage for big game.

* Black Bear - Black bears live in a variety of habitat types. The project would create more diverse habitat that could be used for foraging.

* Olive-sided Flycatcher -- Primarily found in meadows, rivers and streams, partially logged areas, recent burns, beaver ponds, bogs, and muskegs. These areas often have dead or dying trees, which provide exposed perches for singing, foraging, and watching for predators and rivals. One of the components of the project is meadow restoration, which will be primarily removing conifers from the meadow to stop encroachment. This will create suitable breeding habitat.

* Boreal Owl - For nesting habitat, a mixed stand of conifers and aspens is preferred. The project will promote aspen growth and create this conifer/aspen mix.

* Boreal Toad- This project will provide more down LWD in riparian areas and improve stream quality and quantity providing opportunities for the already present population of toads to expand.

* Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT)have suffered range-wide declines in distribution and abundance and currently occupy about 35% of their historic range (May and Albeke 2005). BCT are considered a species of special concern in all states where they're found.

* Northern leatherside chub (NLC) have also suffered range-wide declines in their distribution and abundance, although their full historic range in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho is still unclear (UDWR 2009). NLC are considered a species of special concern in all states where they're found. In Utah, NLC have only been found in the Upper Bear River drainage (Webber et al. 2009).

One of the main causes for their decline is habitat loss and degradation. This project will improve stream conditions through meadow restoration, large woody debris additions (channel complexity), and reduced risk from catastrophic wildfire. Active habitat restoration efforts as proposed by this project are the greatest protection against future ESA listing of BCT and NLC.
There is a shrinking population of Northern leatherside in Gold Hill Creek. This population is struggling and will likely be lost if no action is taken. We believe creating deeper pools with better cover will help this population.

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.