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 planned restoration areas have secured NRCS funding. By getting the seed through the GBRC Great Basin Research Center to obtain the seed mix, we're able to reduce overall costs and include a broader diversity of native species than would be possible with  Private landowner funds alone. This collaboration allows for more ecologically appropriate and resilient plant communities to be established.

The targeted lands are in a degraded state, with reduced vegetative cover and compromised soil health. Resetting the ecological trajectory through seeding will significantly improve site conditions--enhancing soil stability, reducing sedimentation and erosion risks, and restoring hydrologic function.

Increased native vegetation will also boost forage availability for livestock and improve habitat quality for wildlife, supporting both agricultural productivity and biodiversity. This effort reflects a shared commitment to long-term land health and sustainable stewardship across public and private landscapes.

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.

UTAH MULE DEER STATEWIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN 
"One of the major problems facing mule deer populations in Utah is many of the crucial deer ranges are in late successional plant community stages dominated by mature stands of pinyon-juniper or other conifer trees, and old even-aged stands of shrubs such as sagebrush. Many crucial deer winter ranges are covered with older shrubs with little or no recruitment of young plants, or are being replaced by annual grasses like cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), which increase fire cycles. Additionally, many forest aspen habitats are being replaced by conifers that provide little forage for mule deer. In order for mule deer populations to thrive in Utah, it is essential that extensive habitat treatments be completed to revert sagebrush habitats back to young, vigorous, shrub-dominated communities, and restore aspen communities to early seral stages. Habitat treatments vary by site but generally include chaining, bullhog, and pinyon-juniper lop and scatter on winter range and prescribed fire and logging on summer range (Larsen et al. 2023). Figure 6 shows the habitat restoration priority areas for mule deer in Utah." 
We look to decrease the late seral stages that are represented on many of these private lands that hold wildlife in critical times such as winter and summer. By removing old decadent woody growth we invigorate the ecosystem to produce young tender palatable forage in an abundance. This allows more bites for every animal on the landscape. Not only Mule deer but elk and turkey as well as domestic livestock.

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.

Mowing, chaining, and mastication are being used strategically across multiple project areas to reduce hazardous fuel loads and establish effective fuel breaks. These treatments target dense woody vegetation--particularly juniper encroachment--to lower wildfire intensity and create defensible zones where fire can be more safely managed.

In addition to mechanical treatments, appropriate grazing management plans will be implemented to control fine herbaceous litter. By managing the buildup of grasses and forbs through timed grazing, the risk of fast-moving surface fires can be reduced while still supporting forage availability and ecological function.

"Together, these actions form a proactive fire mitigation strategy that balances vegetation recovery with landscape-scale resilience.
Multi Agency Coordination is routine when it comes to wildland fire management in Utah. Rarely does wildfire
burn on only one jurisdiction, mandating the need to coordinate cost and effort across property lines. The Utah
Wildfire Oversight Committee (UOC) and its subcommittees work year round to ensure Utah is well served by its
dedicated wildland fire workforce." (Forestry Fire and State lands Fire Program Overview and Strategic Plan 2022.)  
We look to make the landscape safer by doing these projects that create breaks in thick dense woody vegetation. This is what I call "Using your fire sense"

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.

water quality across degraded rangeland systems. Many of the targeted properties contain natural spring sources that serve as critical water points for both wildlife and domestic livestock. These springs have experienced concentrated use, leading to vegetation loss, soil compaction, and elevated sedimentation risk.

By increasing the distribution and density of native forage species--particularly perennial grasses, forbs, and small shrubs--across the broader landscape, animal pressure can be redistributed away from sensitive spring zones. This strategy supports passive restoration of riparian and wet meadow systems by reducing trampling, nutrient loading, and erosion near water sources.

Aerial seeding, combined with mechanical disturbance (e.g., chaining, mowing, mastication), is designed to enhance seed-to-soil contact and promote rapid vegetative establishment. One of the key ecological functions of increased vegetative cover is interception of rainfall. When precipitation contacts plant surfaces before reaching the soil, kinetic energy is dissipated, reducing splash erosion and minimizing detachment of soil particles. This process also enhances infiltration and slows overland flow, further mitigating sediment transport.

Overall, the restoration approach aims to reset ecological trajectories by improving vegetative structure, stabilizing soils, and enhancing hydrologic function--ultimately contributing to improved water quality, reduced erosion risk, and more sustainable forage distribution across the landscape.

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.

Under the terms of the NRCS contract, the landowner will adhere to the prescribed grazing management plan, which includes a mandatory two-year rest period for the seeded areas. This rest period is intended to allow for successful establishment of native vegetation, minimize disturbance, and promote long-term ecological recovery following aerial seeding and mechanical treatment. 
(SHPO) State Historic Preservation Office. concurrence has been formally granted for ground-disturbing practices associated with this restoration effort, specifically mastication, chaining, and mowing. This approval ensures that all planned mechanical treatments are in compliance with cultural resource protection standards, as coordinated through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the State Historic Preservation Office.

With this clearance in place, the project can proceed confidently, knowing that archaeological and historical resources have been appropriately reviewed and safeguarded. This step reflects a commitment to responsible land stewardship that integrates ecological restoration with cultural sensitivity.

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.

Aerial seeding is planned across multiple Properties, with the contract being issued through the State of Utah to secure a qualified vendor. The selected contractor may utilize fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter, or drone-based delivery systems depending on terrain, acreage, and logistical efficiency.

Seed will be sourced from the Great Basin Research Center (GBRC), ensuring high-quality, regionally appropriate native species. Funding for the seed is being provided through Farm Bill allocations contributed by participating private landowners Through the NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service, reinforcing the collaborative nature of this restoration effort.

Following aerial seeding, mechanical treatments will be implemented to enhance seed-to-soil contact and reduce competition from woody vegetation. These include:

Mowing of decadent sagebrush to stimulate new growth and open the canopy.

Mastication of dense pinyon-juniper stands to break down biomass and improve soil exposure.

Chaining in select areas to remove mature trees and redistribute organic material across the soil surface.

This integrated approach is designed to reset ecological trajectories, improve forage availability, and support long-term recovery of sagebrush-steppe systems.

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.

This restoration initiative is supported through NRCS Farm Bill funding, with private landowners contributing their allocated dollars toward seeding and woody vegetation removal. All mechanical treatments--such as mastication, chaining, and mowing--will be conducted in accordance with NRCS standards and specifications to ensure ecological integrity and compliance.

Seed for private land units will be sourced from the Great Basin Research Center (GBRC), providing regionally adapted native species that support long-term vegetation recovery and habitat enhancement.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) will facilitate the contracting process through state procurement channels. A DWR/NRCS partner biologist will oversee project implementation, ensuring that treatments are completed to specification and ecological goals are met.

Beyond technical execution, private landowners play a vital role in shaping the restoration narrative. Their firsthand knowledge of land history, past management practices, and ecological change provides critical context for understanding current conditions. These insights help paint a broader picture of landscape dynamics and guide adaptive strategies for restoration success.

List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.

Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.

This restoration effort is designed to enhance forage availability for both livestock and key wildlife species--including elk, mule deer, and wild turkey--by increasing the cover and diversity of native vegetation across degraded rangelands.

Mechanical treatments such as chaining, mowing, and mastication will reduce woody encroachment, particularly from pinyon and juniper, which have suppressed herbaceous growth and limited forage production. These disturbances will be followed by aerial seeding with native grasses, forbs, and small shrubs selected for their palatability, drought tolerance, and ecological compatibility.

By improving plant composition and structure, the project aims to:

Boost forage quality and quantity for livestock under managed grazing systems

Support seasonal habitat needs for wildlife species, including bedding, nesting, and foraging zones

Restore ecological balance by promoting perennial cover and reducing invasive species pressure

Enhance soil health and water retention, which further supports vegetation growth and resilience

This integrated approach benefits both agricultural productivity and wildlife conservation, aligning private land stewardship with broader landscape-scale restoration goals.

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.