The project areas are located within mountain shrub (service berry, gambel oak) vegetation types. The bull mountain fire area is within summer range for mule deer and near the Moody wash drainage (approximately 0.5 mile south) which contains virgin spindace. The Basin fire is within crucial summer range for mule deer. The objective is to establish and maintain a desired grass/forb vegetation component to the burned area to help increase the diversity of plants for wildlife to use.

To aerial seed approximately 463 acres within the burned area to help reestablished or increase the grass/forb composition.

There is a high risk of invasion of undesired plant species (cheat grass, thistle etc.) to encroach into the burned areas and decrease the diversity of forage and hiding cover for wildlife to utilize.

1) Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule deer. Section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This plan will address Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2013 (p11-12). Strategy C. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that are being taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. 2) Pine Valley Deer Herd Management Plan, Deer Herd Unit # 30 (April 2006) -Habitat management objectives: Maintain and/or enhance forage production through direct range improvements thoughout the unit on winter and summer range to achieve population managment objectives. 3) National Fire Plan (NFP) - Primary Goals: 1) Improve fire prevention and suppression; 2) Restore fire adapted ecosystem. 4) Accompanying (NFP) 10 year Comprehensive Strategy - Guiding Principles: 3) Prevent invasive species and restore watershed function and biological communities through short-term stabilization and long-term rehabilitation; 4) Restore healthy, diverse, and resilient ecological system to minimize uncharacteristically severe fires on a priority watershed basis through long-term restoration.

2 PMArchaeology, N/A Based on aerial seed application., Sep 4 2014 / 6 NEPA, Covered under existing Burned area Response NEPA, Sep 4 2014

Aerial seed approximately 464 acres of the burned areas with a grass and forb mix.

The Forest will continue to monitor at one, three and five year intervals. Projected monitoring will be done on vegetation growth and stability and game usage.

Annual operating instructions will reglect the objectives and goals of this project. Areas will be rested for two growing seasons.

12/04/2014

12/05/2014

2015

On December 4, 2014 the Bull Mountain and Basin Fire burn areas (approximately 463 acres) on the Pine Valley Ranger District in Washington County were broadcast seeded using a helicopter. The aerial contract was prepared by Trail Kreitzer (Biologist) of the UDWR and was awarded to Mountain West Helicopter. The seed mix was provided by GBRC in Eprhaim, Utah. The USFS pick the seed up and delivered it to project site. The aerial seeding went as planned and had great coverage on the intended acres of habitat. The timing of this seeding was planned to give the best chance of effective seed germination and establishment. Forest Service personnel will continue to monitor these seeded areas in the future to determine successful establishment and wildlife use.

Overall, this project went as planned and was successful. The Participation Agreement between the Forest Service and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) was completed in a timely manner under a master agreement. The collaboration and partnership with the UDWR during planning and implementation of this project was efficient. The habitat/wildlife biologists with the UDWR were both highly supportive and helpful during the planning stage as these burn areas are in critical summer range for wildlife and near riparian areas. There were a few changes to the seed mix and aerial contract funding in the latter stages because of expected fluctuating seed costs etc, although the overall amount of funding for this project stayed the same. The morning of December 4 was cloudy with some drizzly rain. The contractor waited until mid afternoon when the weather broke to broadcast the seed safely and effectively. There was very little wind, so the seed coverage was excellent on project site.

The Annual Operating Instructions for this allotment will reflect the rest from grazing management prescriptions within those affected units. Communication regarding this project between the District Range Management Specialist, grazing permittee's and Biologist has taken place to help ensure this seeding has the best chance of establishment. Forest Service personnel will continue to monitor these seeded areas in the future at one, three and five year increments to determine successful establishment and wildlife use. Long term range trend study plots within or near these areas will continue as proposed. Potential management activities such as bitterbrush planting in these burn areas may be an option in the future to help re-establish forage for wildlife.