Project Details

This project aims to enhance habitat for fish and wildlife species by lowering wildfire risk, improving forage, minimizing invasive weed spread, and conserving limited water resources, while also protecting human lives and property. Storyteller Canyon, Wallsburg Ridge, and the foothills between Provo and Mapleton provide important habitat for fish, elk, moose, mule deer, big horn sheep, and black bear. Historically, these areas have experienced logging, grazing, and in more recent years, development and increased recreational use. The impacts of these human uses and fire suppression have degraded forest health, wildlife habitat and increased catastrophic fire risk. Specific types of habitat can be found in the Images/Documents section of the proposal.

Storyteller Canyon is a destination for many travelers, from both in and out of the state of Utah. Previously the home to the Sundance Film Festival, Storyteller Canyon is an icon of the West, and is home to numerous recreation opportunities including skiing, mountain biking, hiking, hunting, and equestrian trails. These activities span private, federal, and easement-held ownerships. However, these highly diverse recreation and entertainment opportunities also come with an equally high level of human disturbance, noxious weed dispersal, risk of wildfire starts, and water security.

The Lower Provo River Watershed serves as a critical water source for the Wasatch Front, providing drinking water to Utah, Salt Lake, and Summit counties while supporting agricultural needs across Utah, Salt Lake, and Wasatch Counties. Given that the watershed is fully-appropriated, increased climate variability, higher temperatures, shorter winter seasons, more frequent drought and increased development make water availability an increasing concern for both the Storyteller Canyon community and downstream water users. The Storyteller Canyon community is limited to a single natural water source at the headwaters of the canyon itself. Without access to other water sources, water conservation practices are essential to water security for both residents and visitors of Storyteller Canyon.

The growing amount of traffic through SR-92 in recent years has increased the risk and likelihood of wildfire starts in Provo and Storyteller canyons. Additionally, years of "no-fire" management has resulted in a buildup of woody fuels in the form of overstocked conifer, mixed-conifer, and oak stands. These densely packed forest ecosystems provide poor habitat for wildlife and pose serious wildfire-related risks. Additionally, trees and brush have encroached on either sides of the roads within the HOA communities above Sundance Resort. This encroachment has resulted in: 1) limiting the ability of fire-fighting personnel to safely enter the property were a wildfire to occur 2) an increased number of roadside fire starts in the area 3) increasing the risk of wildfire spread to other communities and wildlife habitats.

Wallsburg Ridge is a main source of water for the adjacent farming town of Wallsburg, but also provides drinking water to the Wasatch Front via the Provo River. Currently, Wallsburg Ridge has a heavy buildup of fuels due to a disruption in the natural fire cycle. These fuels have reached a density that creates a very high risk of wildfire, and thereby threatens the future health and security of the watershed. To reduce this risk, vegetation needs to be strategically removed from Wallsburg Ridge, and a disturbance regime needs to be reintroduced to help sustain the ebb and flow of fuel buildup.

Lastly, noxious weed spread has increased significantly across the Wasatch Front in recent years due to increases in recreational use and new development. These invasive species displace desirable plants, reduce wildlife forage, and increase both soil erosion and wildfire risk. Invasive species of particular concern include garlic mustard, phragmites, leafy spurge, and myrtle spurge. Garlic mustard poses a particular threat by suppressing soil mycorrhizal fungi of surrounding native species, furthering site degradation and increasing native plant mortality. Phragmites continues to accumulate substantial flammable biomass that heightens ignition risks, particularly along major roads in Storyteller Canyon.

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 overall goals for this project are to lower the risk of catastrophic wildfire, improve habitat for wildlife, address local invasive weed colonies, and increase residential water conservation practices across 4 HUC-10 watersheds.

Specific Objectives include:

1. Remove encroaching brush and hazard trees on 26 acres of established roadways to improve wildland firefighter access and limit wildfire spread in Storyteller Canyon.

2. Treat 26 acres of established roadways for noxious weed in Storyteller Canyon prior to brushing implementation to ensure minimal weed spread.

3. Masticate new mosaics into 166 acres of decadent oak brush to lower wildfire risk, improve wildlife habitat, improve wildlife forage, and improve grazing for livestock along Wallsburg Ridge.

4. Re-masticate 91 acres of oak brush that was previously masticated by, and paid for, by the private landowner to lower wildfire risk and improve both habitat and forage for wildlife along Wallsburg Ridge.

5. Treat myrtle spurge infestations in Storyteller Canyon, Sundance Canyon, Provo Canyon and along the foothills from Provo to Springville and in Hobblecreek Canyon.

6. Treat cheatgrass and annual ryegrass along the foothills above Springville in selected acres to continue experimentation with best eradication methods.

7. Inventory 34 acres of land near the Provo Canyon UDOT shed to establish the current spread of myrtle spurge and enable future weed management efforts.

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.

Both Storyteller Canyon and Wallsburg Ridge are Tier 1 priority areas for Utah's Division of Water Quality in their Nonpoint Source program. This indicates that current water quality in both watersheds is impaired or of critical importance for protection. Were a wildfire to start in either of these watersheds, the impact of sediment runoff to these already degraded systems would be detrimental.

The risk of a wildfire ignition in Storyteller Canyon has increased considerably in the last 5 years as recreation in the area has become both more popular and more accessible. This increased traffic has led to multiple wildfire starts, both on and off established roadways, but have been extinguished before they became uncontrollable. Overall climate projections indicate the project area will become drier and more erratic. These projections coupled with a continued increased use of the project area substantially increases the likelihood a catastrophic wildfire will occur in the near future. Currently, the Storyteller Canyon is rated at the second-highest burn probability within the Utah Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (UWRAP), with a 1%-10% chance a fire will occur in the next year. Sooner fuel reduction treatments increase the possibility of avoiding a catastrophic wildfire and watershed damaging event.

The town of Wallsburg is closely packed into Round Valley and along the single main road that runs between Wallsburg Ridge and the Wallsburg WMA. Were a wildfire to occur in the town of Wallsburg, and spread upslope, the access to drivable roads, rocky terrain, and dense vegetation along Wallburg Ridge would make control by wildland firefighters extremely difficult. These conditions also pose significant risks to the health of the watershed because they encourage wildfire starts to move quickly through the dense and flammable oak in the foothills up into the mixed conifer habitats in the upper elevations. Establishing over 200 acres of vegetation mosaics along Wallsburg Ridge will provide access and time to wildland firefighter personnel in the event of a wildfire and help protect Wallsburg residents. It will also prevent high fire costs and damage to the watershed as a whole.

Extensive weed management has been completed within Storyteller Canyon and along the Wasatch Range to restore or maintain Utah's natural landscapes. Foothill lands have been treated for several highly invasive annuals, including cheatgrass and annual ryegrass, and widespread surveys have been done to understand where and how invasives are invading. Treatments and retreatments in these areas will make pre-implementation efforts worthwhile, and work towards goals of eradication and maintenance. Furthermore, garlic mustard, phragmites, and myrtle spurge currently have limited distributions, making this a critical window to control exiting populations before they expand into adjacent forested lands. Acting now will avoid community transition thresholds, after which, the expense and ability to recover native vegetation may be insurmountable.

Areas inside Provo Canyon and on the Timp-Wildlife Management Area were scalped and seeded within the last year. Additional seeding will support revegetation goals which will ultimately provide for the mule deer, big horn sheep, and other species that depend upon them.

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.

This project will address threats, work within focus areas, and help meet the objectives of the plans detailed below.

1) Utah Forest Action Plan
     A. The project will aim to: restore healthy and resilient trees and forests within the project area; reduce wildfire risk to communities, water resources, and other natural resources; and increase outreach with communities and stakeholders to build capacity.
     B. The project area also falls inside a "high priority area" as defined in the 2020 plan.

2) Utah Wildlife Action Plan
     A. The project addresses several key statewide level 3 threats, including Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity (7.1.1) and Invasive Plant Species (non-native) (8.1.2).

3) Sundance - North Fork Community Wildfire Preparedness Plan (CWPP)
     A. The project addresses "Goal C: Mitigation" included in the CWPP by reducing fuels on private lands.

4) Utah Administrative Code R68-9 (Utah's Noxious Weed Act) and The Utah Strategic Plan for Managing Noxious and Invasive Weeds of 2024
     A. The project uses an integrated weed management approach based on current best management practices to protect the economy, natural resources, and public health and safety.

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.

Completion of this project will decrease the risk of high severity and catastrophic wildfire by reducing fuel loading and fuel continuity in areas with high potential for incidental ignitions. Multiple HOA communities exist within the Storyteller Canyon portion of the project area with limited ingress and egress points as well as overcrowded trees and vegetation crowding roadways. The damage potential for wildfire within Storyteller Canyon rates as High to Very High within the Utah Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (UWRAP), meaning any structures or homes within the area are likely to be lost in the event of a wildfire. Wallsburg Ridge rates as Moderate - Very High in regards to wildfire damage potential.

Other features threatened by wildfire include Sundance Resort, which shares a boundary with a portion of the proposed project area, the USFS Mount Timpanogos Campground and Recreation Area, which lies roughly 0.7 miles north of the Storyteller Canyon project area, and the Wallsburg WMA, which lies roughly 2 miles northeast of the Wallsburg Ridge project area.

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.

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.

Storyteller Canyon access improvements will occur as follows:
1. FFSL will fly the bid for arborist capable contract crews to come in and do the vegetation removal/brush work utilizing WRI funds. 
2. Contract crews will work closely with FFSL to understand the restrictions and needs of the project.
3. Weed infestations within the proposed project area will be targeted for removal or eradication in spring and fall, when treatment is most effective. Herbicide application will primarily use a combination of Milestone 64oz/ac) and WeedMaster (1.5oz/ac), and Aquaneet (2qt/ac). Additional herbicides may be used to better address a particular species or protect sensitive habitats or resources. This work will be completed by a contractor with aid provided by the Sundance Nature Alliance. On the ground spot spraying will be used along with drone spraying in designated areas. Limited hand removal will be used to prevent seed dispersal along recreational trails and biological control used to treat spotted knapweed and dalmatian toadflax to the extent biological agents are available. Seeding will also occur to continue in eradication process.
4. Brushing contract crews will begin work, coordinating with FFSL staff as necessary. Work will primarily be done by hand, though woody debris will be chipped by heavy machinery.

Wallsburg Ridge wildfire risk reduction and habitat improvements will occur as follows:
1. A Forest Stewardship Plan of the private landowner's property will be completed by FFSL staff and cultural resource clearances will be completed by NRCS.
2. The landowner will install virtual collars and fencing to control livestock access to the project areas.
3. NRCS and WRI funds will be utilized to hire a contractor capable of masticating the target areas using heavy equipment.

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.

Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands (FFSL)
FFSL will be providing planning and implementation support and is the main project manager.

Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF)
UDAF will be providing additional financial and technical expertise through their Nonpoint Source Program and their Grazing Improvement Program (GIP).

Utah Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR)
DWR will be providing technical expertise regarding wildlife and wildlife habitat in the project area.

Sundance Nature Alliance
Sundance Nature Alliance has been integral in providing local natural resource information during the planning phase of this project. They have provided maps for known weeds within the Storyteller Canyon project area, and have utilized their connections to provide match for weed treatments where possible. They have secured over $315,000 in funding over the last 4 years to combat weed populations in Storyteller Canyon, which showcases their commitment and engagement with the community in restoring and maintaining healthy habitats. Furthermore, SNA has applied for over $42,050 worth of noxious weed treatments in FY27 from various sources, including the UWSA Noxious Weed Grant, and the Invasive Species Mitigation grant.

HOAs
The following HOAs have been, and will continue to, work with project managers to meet HOA objectives as well as agency objectives. Additionally, many landowners will be contributing via in-kind hours. It's estimated that the HOAs have provided roughly $460,000 in in-kind efforts over the past 10 years, including volunteer events, contracted fuel reduction efforts, and personal fuel reduction efforts. HOAs: Timphaven, North Pine, Stewart Mountain Homes, Lower Elk Meadows, SCAPO, Mandan Cottages, and The Hollows.

Utah Weed Supervisor Association
Utah Weed supervisor Association would provide additional funding for noxious weed management and technical assistance with biological control agents along with access to agents.

Redford Ranch
The Redford Ranch will provide noxious weed management on the ranch and portions of the wildlife preserve, as well as aid in property access. They have committed to $8,000 worth of treatment in FY27 to combat noxious weeds on ranch and adjacent preserve lands.

Sundance Mountain Resort
Sundance Mountain Resort will provide noxious weed management and revegetation on resort properties and collaborate with the Sundance Nature Alliance in management of publicly accessible trails on the resort and adjacent preserved lands. They have committed to $15,000 worth of noxious weed and revegetation treatments on resort property.

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.

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.