Greek Peak Fire Rehabilitation
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Project ID: 3189
Status: Completed
Fiscal Year: 2015
Submitted By:
N/A
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Project Manager: Melanie Mendenhall
PM Agency: Bureau of Land Management
PM Office: Cedar City
Lead: Bureau of Land Management
WRI Region: Southern
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Description:
The Greek Peak Fire (#H6YZ) started on July 2, 2014 and was contained on July 12, 2014. The acreage for the wildfire is 761 acres of which all are public lands administered by the St. George Field Office, Bureau of Land Management
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Location:
The fire is about 35 miles northwest of St. George Utah in the Slaughter Creek Wilderness
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Project Need
Need For Project:
Existing vegetation, consisting of grasses, shrubs, pinyon and juniper trees fueled a moderate to high intensity wildfire. The fire consumed both the pinyon and juniper canopy and understory vegetation. Soils within the burn are left exposed to wind and water erosion and are now susceptible to invasion by noxious weeds and to the spread of cheatgrass and other non-native annual species. The wildfire area contained important habitat for mule deer and livestock grazing lands.
Objectives:
The Proposed Action is to implement the Greek Peak Fire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Plan on 761 acres of BLM administered land.
The overall vegetation objective of the plan is to establish desirable vegetation in order to minimize the production and composition of invasive, non-native species, especially cheatgrass, minimize soil erosion, prevent the introduction and spread of noxious weeds. minimize the potential size and severity of future wildfires.
Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?):
Based on past experience, the best available science, and the importance of mule deer habitat within and surrounding the burned area, the proposed action is the most prudent and cost effective course of action.
Relation To Management Plan:
St. George (Dixie Resource Area) Field Office Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan (ROD/RMP) (March, 1999). Dixie Resource Area Draft Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (September, 1998). Vegetation Treatment on BLM Lands in Thirteen Western States/FEIS (May 1991) and associated ROD (July, 1991). Vegetation PEIS ROD (2007).
Fire / Fuels:
Water Quality/Quantity:
Compliance:
2 PMArchaeology, None needed, Aug 4 2014 / 6 NEPA, Completed, Aug 4 2014
Methods:
This project would be accomplished through aerially seeding 761 acres of BLM lands with a mixture of native grasses, forbs, and shrubs appropriate for the site. Aerial seeding of grasses and forbs would be conducted during the late fall/early winter months of 2014, when precipitation could be expected to ensure seed propagation and survival.
Monitoring:
Vegetation treatments would be monitored for three years. One frequency/cover site would be established in the burned area. Success will be determined by the sites having 25% or greater frequency of seeded perennials by fall of 2017. Photo plots will also be established in conjunction with the nested frequency. Data collected will be summarized each year and placed in the range files.
Partners:
Future Management:
In accordance with the Standards for Rangeland Health, rangelands that have been burned, reseeded, or otherwise treated to alter vegetation composition would be closed to livestock grazing for a minimum of two complete growing seasons.
Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
| Budget | WRI/DWR | Other | Budget Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $101,250.00 | $0.00 | $101,250.00 | $0.00 | $101,250.00 |
| Item | Description | WRI | Other | In-Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed (GBRC) | Globemallow,mountain sagebrush, fourwing saltbush contributed | $25,250.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2015 |
| Contractual Services | Aerial seeding contract | $12,200.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2015 |
| Equipment and/or Seed Transport | seed transport | $300.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2015 |
| Personal Services (permanent employee) | contract inspection, field implementation | $6,500.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2015 |
| Seed (GBRC) | Native grasses and forbs | $57,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2015 |
| Funding | WRI/DWR | Other | Funding Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $90,738.00 | $6,800.00 | $97,538.00 | $0.00 | $97,538.00 |
| Source | Phase | Description | Amount | Other | In-Kind | Year |
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| BLM ESR | $0.00 | $6,800.00 | $0.00 | 2015 | ||
| BLM ESR | N6462 | $65,488.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2015 | |
| Habitat Council Account | $25,250.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2015 |
Species
| Species | "N" Rank | HIG/F Rank | ||||
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| Mule Deer | R1 | |||||
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Habitats
| Habitat |
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Project Comments
| Comment | 09/14/2015 | Type: 2 | Commenter: N/A |
| Please submit a completion report, final features, and remaining contributions on the Expenses page. | |||
Completion
Start Date:
08/20/2014
End Date:
03/01/2015
FY Implemented:
2015
Final Methods:
Seed was flown on to the fire via fixed wing on Feb. 14, 2015. No mechanical treatment was done as the area is wilderness and in steep, rough country.
Project Narrative:
No problems or difficulties encountered. The seeding for this project was in the same contract as several other seeding contracts in the region to reduce overall cost. Cost per acre was $7.25 on 839 acres at 8.4 lbs/acre
Future Management:
Livestock will be kept off the area for at least 2 growing seasons. Area will be monitored as proposed.
Map Features
| ID | Feature Category | Action | Treatement/Type |
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| 4672 | Terrestrial Treatment Area | Seeding (primary) | Broadcast (aerial-fixed wing) |
Project Map
