The Birdseye WMA provides important winter range for mule deer and elk. The property was anchor chained in 1972 and surviving pinyon and juniper trees are regaining their dominance. Trees are to large for a lop and scatter project and to small for an effective anchor chaining. The understory of seeded perennial grasses and a few forbs is still in good condition and no additional seeding will be necessary. Shrubs are limited on most of the chained areas and need to be increased. Eliminating much of the pinyon and juniper competition will improve soil moisture for the surviving shrubs.

Reduce pinyon and juniper cover to less than 10% in treatment polygons. Establish 500 shrubs per acre on treated polygons by the end of the 3rd growing season.

The pinyon and juniper trees are currently in phase 2 but will transition to phase 3 without treatment. The understory will be reduced and the few surviving sagebrush will be lost. Hazardous fuels are increasing as pinyon and juniper trees increase in cover and density. There are two private residences adjacent to the WMA and a power line running through the property.

Birdseye Bullhog Project plans Project will help meet 17 goals, objectives and strategies from the following plans. This project will improve winter and transitional range for mule deer and elk. The project will address some of the objectives in the Utah Elk plan. * Habitat Objective 1. Maintain elk habitat throughout the state by identifying and protecting existing crucial elk habitat and mitigating for losses due to human impacts. * Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of forage and cover on 250,000 acres of elk habitat with emphasis on calving habitat and upper elevation elk winter range by the end of this plan. The project will help achieve some of the objective of the Utah Mule Deer plan. * Habitat Objective 1. Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting existing critical habitats and mitigating for losses due to human impacts. * Habitat Objective 2. Improve the quality of forage and vegetation for mule deer on 200,000 acres of critical range. The proposed project will address some of the limiting factors and habitat management strategies outlined in the deer management plan for herd unit 16 Central mountains including: HABITAT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES - Deer Plan * Protect, maintain, and/or improve deer habitat through direct range improvements to support and maintain herd population management objectives. HABITAT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES * Continue to improve, protect, and restore sagebrush steppe habitats critical to deer. Cooperate with federal land management agencies and private landowners in carrying out habitat improvements such as pinion-juniper removal, reseedings, controlled burns, grazing management, water developments etc. on public and private lands. Habitat improvement projects will occur on both winter ranges as well as summer range. This project will also address some of the objectives and strategies listed in the elk management plan for unit 16 Central mountains including: UNIT MANAGEMENT GOALS - Elk Plan * Manage for a population of healthy animals capable of providing a broad range of recreational opportunities, including hunting and viewing. Consider impacts of the elk herd on other land uses and public interests, including private property rights, agricultural crops and local economies. Maintain an elk population consistent with the available range resources and which is in balance with other range users such as domestic livestock, other big game and the need for watershed protection. * Maintain and enhance existing elk habitat through vegetative manipulation, sound domestic grazing practices, and other management techniques that will meet habitat objectives UNIT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES * Protect and maintain existing habitats that are functioning properly. Enhance elk habitat on a minimum of 20,000 acres during the next 5 years through direct range improvements. This will include the following specific objectives. * Remove pinion-juniper encroachment into winter range sagebrush parks and summer and transitional range mountain brush communities. Approximately 2,000 acres per year will be targeted using primarily mechanical treatments. 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 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. 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. * The Utah Smoke Management Plan (1999, 2006 revision). By using mechanical mastication this plan will accomplish Goal #5, Use of alternative methods to burning for disposing of or reducing the amount of wildland fuels. * State of Utah Hazard Mitigation Plan (March 2011) this plan accomplishes statewide goals including 1) Protection of natural resources and the environment, when considering mitigation measures and 2) Minimize the risk of wildfire (p12). The project will also help meet the goals and objectives of the Spanish Fork River Coordinated Resource Management plan including: * Reduce sediment coming from uplands by over 5,000 tons/year by applying BMP's on 16,000 acres of rangelands.

The treatment will reduce the possibility of a catastrophic wildfire in this area. If a fire starts on the property the bullhog treatment will reduce flame length, fire intensity and eliminate the possibility of a crown fire. There is a powerline that runs through the property and 2 private residences adjacent to the property. The house to the north of the WMA will be within 400 feet of the bullhog treatment which will provide an effective fuel break for the residence.

The project will result in a significant decrease in water used by pinyon and juniper trees on the Birdseye WMA. It is estimated that a mature pinyon can use up to 33 liters of water per day and juniper up to 32 liters per day. Range trend data on the WMA estimates about 200 juniper trees per acre on a chained area. Estimating a minimum of 150 trees/acre over the 259 acres of the project and removing about 80% of the trees in the chaining, this project will remove approximately 43,000 trees. That is a considerable savings in soil moisture which can then be used by other plants. The reduction in tree cover and increase in grass cover will result in a decrease in soil erosion which will improve water quality in the nearby Thistle creek.

The treatment areas were previously disturbed with an anchor chaining project in 1972.

Use the DWR bullhog to remove 80% of the pinyon and juniper trees in treatment polygons. Leave scattered clumps and islands of trees for cover for mule deer and other wildlife. Utilize a dribbler on the bullhog tracks to plant shrub seed.

A Range Trend study 16B-5 Jackson Unit, is within the project and can be used to provide pre and post treatment photos, data and wildlife use.

DWR: The project area is managed by the DWR central region. MDF: MDF reviewed proposal and they support the project which will improve mule deer habitat in this area. FFSL: Project proposal was discussed with FFSL fuels committee and they support the project which will reduction hazardous fuels.

The project area is on the Birdseye Wildlife Management area and will continue to be managed as deer and elk winter range.

The project will result in an increase in herbaceous forage for wildlife and domestic livestock. Livestock grazing is used as a management tool on the property to improve winter range for wildlife.

09/26/2016

12/21/2017

2018

Used DWR skid steer type bullhog to thin 229 acres of old chaining areas on the Birdseye WMA. Removed most juniper trees in old chaining polygons, leaving trees in gully bottoms and scattered pockets. Left most pinyon pine trees untreated. Dribbled bitterbrush and fourwing saltbush seed with dribblers on the bullhog tracks.

The tree density was high on this project which took a lot more time to complete than previously thought. Terrain was also a challenge. Some of the chained areas were to steep for the bullhog to safely operate. Those areas had to be left untreated. Most of the pinyon trees on the project were left. Most of the juniper trees within the old chaining polygons were removed.

This property will be managed similarly to how it has been managed in the past. There is still a grazing agreement with the neighboring land owner to the south to graze 50 AUMs which expires in 2020.