The Solitude Fire burned in the Summer of 2015, in was started by a lighting strike on July 17, 2015. This burn was monitored for several weeks by the Fillmore FS office, area of burn was in high elevation of mixed conifers, mountain brush, seral aspen, oak brush and mountain sagebrush communities. Estimated acres burned was 2,175, the burn was in a mosaic patterns with islands of unburned vegetation left. The need for additional reseeding is request in the high and moderate areas of the burn totaling approximately 652 acres.

The Fillmore FS would like to reseed areas of the Solitude Fire that burned in July. UDWR would like to partner with the FS to reseed grasses, forbs and shrubs that are critical in this area for wildlife and livestock. We will be looking to work with the FS to help them with seed, and equipment if needed to implement the project correctly, the FS will be expected to help out with the project through their BAER Program providing additional funding for the aerial seeding contract and additional seed that will be mixed with UDWR seed. Through these efforts we will be able to minimize the domination of noxious weed species within the area, also improving the rangeland conditions reducing erosion and stabilization of the soil with perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs as they become established in the future.

Risk 1- Threat of expanding infestations of noxious weeds: The central portion of the Pahvant range is prone to rapid invasion and/or expansion of the abundant populations of noxious weeds in and around the Solitude burn scar. Because of inherent dry conditions and proximity to existing populations of noxious weeds the entire burn area is prone to infestation. It was observed that another fire from 2009 (Amos Fire), that is just 10 miles north of the Solitude fire, experienced a large influx of non-desirable species. That fire had no post burn treatment. For these reasons, we propose a seeding of 25 lbs. per acre with native grass and sterile cereal grain species that are intended to supplement the post fire response of the existing plant species and compete well with noxious weeds. This seeding should counter the potential establishment, and spread of noxious weeds. The burned area is essentially free of noxious weeds; however, the area is on the receiving edge of noxious weeds coming in from all directions. Forest service lands have only a few occurrences of the noxious weeds in the vicinity. The burn area will require use of an early detection/rapid response strategy with the noxious weed program for several years. Risk 2 – Soil Erosion and loss: Utilization of sterile cereal grains and perennial grasses will stabilize hillslopes and augment revegetation where seed sources are limited due to the pre-burn conditions of a limited understory. The district has experienced success with stabilizing hillslopes with past seeding treatments i.e. Sawmill and Clay Springs fires with perennial grass seed mixes. The objective of seeding perennial grasses and sterile cereal grains is to stabilize hillslopes and reduce the expansion of noxious weeds into the burned area. Monitoring data from past BAER seeding treatments on the district, both qualitative and quantitative, supports the recommendation of seeding as an effective year 1 treatment for soil stabilization and noxious weed prevention. •Year 1 results on the Sawmill BAER reseeding. Seeded in April of 2010, first reading in June of 2010 – 31% ground cover. Second reading July of 2010 – 53% ground cover. In 2011 the plots recorded 65% ground cover all from an increase in vegetation and litter (Tait 2015) •Year 1 results on the Clay Springs BAER reseeding. Seeded in the fall of 2013 with native and non-native grasses. Qualitative estimates of 50-70% ground cover observed.

The proposed projects will address some of the habitat management strategies outlined in the deer and elk management plans for herd unit 21B (Fillmore Pahvant Unit ) including: *Continue to improve and restore sagebrush steppe habitats critical to deer according to DWRs Habitat Initiative. *Maintain habitat quantity and quality at a level adequate to support the stated population objectives while at the same time not resulting in an overall downward trend in range condition and watershed quality. *Work cooperatively with land management agencies and private landowners to plan and implement improvement projects for the purpose of enhancing wildlife habitat and range resources in general. *The project also helps fulfill the state mule deer management plan section IV Habitat Goal: Conserve and improve mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges. *The proposed projects will address the following goals and objectives of the Division of Wildlife Resources most recent strategic management plan: *Resource Goal: expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat. *Objective 1: protect existing wildlife habitat and improve 500,000 acres of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state. *Objective 3: conserve sensitive species to prevent them from becoming listed as threatened or endangered. *Constituency Goal: Achieve broad-based support for Division programs and budgets by demonstrating the value of wildlife to all citizens of Utah. *Objective 2: improve communication with wildlife organizations, public officials, private landowners, and government agencies to obtain support for Division programs. *UDWR SR critical big game winter range are important browse communities that need to be enhanced and improved. The Division will employ a variety of methods to achieve this including prescribed grazing, prescribed burning, reseeding and seedling transplants, also mechanical treatments. Priority areas will include sagebrush-steppe and mountain browse communities. Falls within the rangeland focus area for WRI wildlife species for mule deer and elk. *This plan is consistent with the Fishlake National Forest Plan for wildlife habitat enhancement and fuels management to improve habitat, reduce fuel loading, and protect against catastrophic wildfire. *Other project have been completed by the Forest Service and UDWR in past years. *Project within the are also benifit the management plans objectives of the lower Sevier River Watershed, as this will reduced sediment run off and create a healthy rangeland communities. *Management Plans are also in conjunction with NRCS overall goals of healthy rangelands and communities, improving watersheds and reducing erosion and sediment. The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment

2 PMArchaeology, USFS will conduct this efforts in house, for this project we will only be flying on seed so no clearence will be needed in the treatment areas, aerial seeding is exempt., Sep 10 2015 / 6 NEPA, NEPA if warrented will be done by the USFS out of the Fillmore Office., Sep 10 2015

This fire rehab effort will take place in October of this year, we would like to aerial seed this fire allowing for increased grasses forbs and shrubs to take hold going into next spring. Area is too steep to do anything other than to seed the burn scars. USFS is wanting to secure the soil for increased stabilization, allowing for reduce sediment loss and overland erosion due to isolated thunderstorms. USFS will contract this portion for the project out looking for the seeding to take place with a helicopter.

Monitoring of the Solitude Fire will consist of monitoring for the effectiveness of the seeding this fall, in treated and untreated areas of the burn. Noxious weed invasion of the fire area, along with seed establishment over the course of the next couple of years. Wildlife Monitoring will be done by the USFS Biologist to ensure seed species will benefit wildlife species in the area. USFS Range Conservationist will determine grazing of livestock within the allotment after seeding has been established.

Future Management of this project will be based on the FS evaluating the success of the seeding, controlling noxious weed species and monitoring the success of the burn, looking at treated and untreated areas of the fire. Additional management will be place on the Fillmore FS Office as to the next steps in management looking at seeded species of grasses and forbs for establishment, grazing utilization of the allotment, and wildlife utilization within the Solitude Fire.

10/20/2015

11/16/2015

2016

Final methods of this project was to aerially seed on the Solitude Fire located in Sevier County. This project was a partnership with the Fish Lake Forest in cooperation with their BAER Program, UDWR was able to work with them on this project to allow for additional seed for the Solitude Fire.

This project included the Fishlake Forest Service and the UDWR working together as partners on this particular fire rehab effort. UDWR was able to augment the seed mix with the Forest Service to allow for additional grasses and forbs to be applied within the treatment area. UDWR was able to mix all the seed at the GBRC Warehouse, Forest Service picked up the seed and delivered it to the staging site. From the staging site seed was aerially seeded by a Helicopter and seed in late November. UDWR and Fishlake Forest Service work together to make this a success, additional projects like this will be done in conjunction with the partnerships through WRI, UPCD and other funding sources.

Future management of this project will be up to the Fish Lake Forest Service as they move forward with their monitoring efforts, to see if the seeding was a success. Management will come from the Range Conservationist, Wildlife Biologist, and Field Supervisor as to to success of the seeding, no chaining or ground disturbance was done in conjunction with the seeding