The current and increasingly dense vegetation communities (Gambel oak, big sagebrush and pinyon/juniper) are in a condition that a fire start, on an average summer day, would be uncharacteristically hot, difficult to control, and would be a significant threat to private land, public and firefighter safety (access and egress) and other developments on the west slope of the La Sal Mountains. Based on recent experiences with wildfires in similar elevation and vegetation communities, the results of a severe fire would likely lead to overland flow, erosion, and debris flows from storm events that would have negative impacts downstream from National Forest System Lands in the North Fork of Mill Creek and Mill Creek drainages. Encroaching pinyon and juniper trees into sagebrush communities and previously-treated chainings are reducing the value of these areas for wildlife, especially big game, and livestock. Treatment in these areas would increase diversity and productivity of desirable browse and herbaceous forage plants.

1. Reduce the risk from wildfire to life and property in the area. 2. Reduce the negative consequences of a high severity wildfire fire on the soil, vegetation and wildlife habitat resources in the area.

The Forest conducted a Fire Regime/Condition Class Assessment (USDA Forest Service 2005) and the project area was determined to be Fire Regime 3/Condition Class 2 (moderate departure from historic conditions in a mixed severity fire regime). This project proposes to move up to 4,500 acres within the project area from Condition Class 2 to Condition Class 1 (within the natural range of variability of vegetation characteristics; fuel composition; fire frequency, severity and pattern; and other associated disturbances with low risk of loss of key ecosystem components), reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire. The actions provide a combination of physical, biological, social, and environmental benefits while attaining the stated objectives of reducing wildfire risk and improving vegetation conditions. The actions would reduce fuel loading, stand and crown/canopy density, and fire hazards that threaten resources, important watersheds, administrative sites, private property, and the public. Project actions also allow for restoration of important vegetative communities on the forest, using well-documented, effective vegetation treatment methods with little risk of unknown consequences. The treatments are clearly better than not taking action (doing nothing). The risk from taking no action is the potential to negatively impact a variety of resources if a catastrophic fire were to occur. Negative impacts to wildlife habitat and rangeland resources occur if pinyon-juniper continues increase in density and encroach on natural sagebrush openings, and in previously-treated (chained) areas due to the lack of disturbance. A catastrophic fire would almost certainly lead to a noxious weed infestation. Taking no action would not meet Forest Plan objectives.

1. The project is consistent with the Standards and Guidelines of the Manti-La Sal Forest Land and Resource Management Plan of 1986, as amended. * Minimize hazards from wildfire Reduces fuel loading, stand and crown/canopy density, and resultant fire hazard to vegetation, the public, private property, and firefighters (LRMP III-5). * Maintains a healthy forest by applying appropriate silvicultural treatments (LRMP III-3). * Minimizes hazards from wildfire (LRMP III-5). * Maintain/improve habitat capability through direct treatment of vegetation (LRMP III-23). * Provide habitat needs for deer and elk (LRMP III-19), especially improving the cover:forage ratio. * The Utah Fire Amendment has a goal to reduce hazard fuels. The full range of fuel reduction methods is authorized, consistent with forest and management area emphasis and direction. * Certain vegetative types are to be managed such that varying successional stages will be present to provide for a high level of vegetative diversity and productivity (III-2). Pinyon-juniper stands on gentle slopes and on lands with good soils will be treated periodically to maintain early successional stages (III-8). Intensive management practices would maintain structural diversity within the woody species in at least 25 percent of the area covered by the Gambel oak and mountain shrub type. In some cases, the Gambel oak would be encouraged to successionally develop as an open savannah or in a high seral stage (III-9). 2. Designated as a Healthy Forest Restoration Act (2003) project, it meets the mandate for the Forest Service to restore fire dependent ecosystems and reduce fire risk to people and property. 3. Project actions are consistent with proposed management in the Moab/Spanish Valley Wildfire Protection Plan and the Southeastern Utah Regional Wildfire Protection Plan. 4. The Statewide Mule Deer Plan specifies management actions for important ranges: convert habitats back to young, vigorous shrub-dominated communities; manage portions of pinyon-juniper ranges in early successional stages. The La Sal Deer Unit Management Plan has an objective of improving deer habitat and carrying capacity, and pursuing cooperative projects to improve the quality and quantity of deer habitat. 5. The project meets several objectives In the Statewide Elk Herd plan: support habitat improvement projects that increase forage for big game and livestock, initiate vegetative treatment projects to improve elk habitat on winter ranges, improve upper elevation winter ranges to encourage elk to winter at higher elevation than mule deer. The project is specified in the 2012 La Sal Elk Herd Management Plan as a habitat improvement project. 6. There are 3 Key Terrestrial Habitat types from the Utah Wildlife Action Plan in the project area. The West Slope project treatments follow the management strategies for these types: restoration in the Gambel oak type by cutting/mulching invading pinyon-juniper, single tree mulching/cutting invading conifer in the mountain sagebrush type, reducing fire risk (uncharacteristic fire could increase the spread and dominance of invasive weeds) in the mountain shrub type through appropriate treatment methods.

The project is bordered on the west by BLM and private lands and Forest Service lands on the south, east, and north sides. There are private inholdings within the project area, and the 500 acres treated by the Forest Service in 2015 are immediately adjacent to the inholdings with homes and other structures. All proposed treatment locations are within 1.5 miles of private inholdings/Forest boundary. This is an authorized hazardous fuel project as defined by The Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA), designed to reduce vegetation density and ladder fuels to reduce the probability of a high severity wildfire in the 8300 acre project area that encompasses five private inholdings with residences, outbuildings, and infrastructure, as well as key public communication systems (Bald Mesa communication site/radio towers), utility lines and Moab's Mill Creek municipal watershed. This proposal will reduce live and dead fuels within the treatment area while restoring the fire regime condition class (FRCC) on approximately 4,500 acres. It will also provide fire fighters the opportunity to suppress fires under conditions that allow for fire fighter safety and protection of life, property and improvements. This improved condition class and reduced fire risk will benefit National Forest lands and improvements by aiding in protection from fires (natural and man-caused) which spread from private lands, developed recreation sites, dispersed recreation areas, and other areas of the National Forest. It will also aid in the protection of private infrastructure from fires that initiate on and spread from the National Forest.

The West Slope WUI project is within the town of Moab's sole source aquifer designated by the EPA for protection of drinking water supply. It is the Forest Service's responsibility to ensure that activities implemented by the Forest include appropriate best management and other practices to protect the groundwater classes and meet the associated standards. Project design, site specific recommendations and the incorporation of SWCPs during project implementation mitigate concerns for watershed and water quality. The Forest Hydrologist has determined that project actions will meet the Forest Plan Direction for Soil and Water (USDA Forest Service 1986, p. III-4) including: maintain satisfactory watershed conditions; provide favorable conditions of water flow (quality, quantity and timing); protect soil and water productivity so that neither will be significantly or permanently impaired; and protect and enhance riparian areas including dependent resources. The project will implement practices that maintain the current high level of water quality. By reducing the risk of severe, large scale wildfire in the project area, the actions will protect watershed values from damage to soils that result in reduced infiltration and increased runoff in the short term and loss of top soil and subsequent reduction in soil productivity in the long term. The additional treatment of drainages that could act as funnels during a wildfire protects these riparian areas in the long term. The project is designed to increase percent effective ground cover, reduce soil loss due to erosion and reduce the potential amount of area in detrimental soil condition (as from severe fire, compaction or displacement). Monitoring of similar treatments on other areas of the Manti-La Sal National Forest with similar equipment found no detrimental soil compaction from several passes of the machine on the same soil surface. The chips from the mulching added additional ground cover. Soil bulk density following use of the Brush Hog was similar to non-treated or control areas. The total effective ground cover in the Brush Hog (Pinyon-Juniper chipped) areas was higher due to wood chips than non-treated areas.

An Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice/FONSI were completed May 8, 2015. The Decision complies with all applicable laws and regulations, including the ESA, MBTA, ARPA and NHPA (SHPO concurrence is documented in the project record) and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA).

Through use of Brush Hog-type equipment, mastication of 70-90% of the pinyon-juniper encroachment into big sagebrush and mountain shrub/Gambel oak vegetation communities will be implemented. Some of the areas to be treated are old chainings with significant encroachment by conifers. Pinyon pine will be favored for retention over juniper, and the treatment will retain a component of all present age classes. Rocky areas that traditionally did not burn would not be treated. Overgrown sprouting shrubs such as serviceberry would be stimulated by top cutting to encourage new growth and provide wildlife with additional forage. Hand-cutting and piling to create shaded fuel breaks around private land was conducted in 2015, and there are some other areas (steeper slopes) that will also receive this type of treatment to reduce density and enhance small openings.

* Day-to-day monitoring of contract or force account operations will be completed during implementation by a designated Contractor Officer's Representative (C.O.R.) or by a qualified Forestry Technician (force account). * Prescribed (pile) burning will be supervised by a qualified Burn Boss to ensure that implementation is completed in accordance with NEPA, Silvicultural Prescription, and Burn Plan. * Existing or new weed populations will be treated in accordance with existing noxious weed management decisions. * An interdisciplinary review will be conducted following implementation (within two years) to determine if project objectives have been met and to determine whether implementation of SWCPs has been effective. * Photo points will be established in each treatment type (mastication, hand-thinning) to identify pre and post-treatment conditions, as well as long-term monitoring points for future reference. Post-treatment photos will be taken within one season of completion. * Three migratory bird point-count transects were established in the project area in 2007, and each has been read 5 times (one has been sampled 7 times). Post-treatment surveys will be conducted. * Monitoring nests of raptors in the project area (peregrine falcon and golden eagle) will be continued annually.

This project is identified on the Manti-La Sal National Forest Five-Year Integrated Vegetation Management Plan (USDA Forest Service 2005-2014), which has been coordinated with other Federal, State, and local agencies as part of our collaborative fuels management program. The State of Utah and Grand and San Juan County, Utah officials have been contacted and support implementation of this project. It is consistent with proposed management in the Moab/Spanish Valley Wildfire Protection Plan and the Southeastern Utah Regional Wildfire Protection Plan (Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands 2007). Another beneficial effect of the extensive public participation in the planning process was that it continued to elevate the need to have private landowners take responsibility for providing fire safe fuel conditions and structures on their own properties.

There is one maintenance treatment authorized by the Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice/FONSI for this project so there can be follow-up treatment where needed. As the need for seeding is not anticipated, no changes have been proposed to grazing management. There are spring protection projects (fencing) ongoing in the area.

The project area is part of three allotments. The treatments proposed would decrease the amount of woody vegetation (especially pinyon-juniper and oak) within much of the grazed areas in these allotments. This would likely lead to an increased production of herbaceous vegetation (grass and forb species) on 4500 acres. Noxious weeds are not expected to increase or spread as a result of the treatments as best management practices will be implemented. Range trend studies showed little cheatgrass in the areas to be treated and the risk of cheatgrass being established as a result of the project is very low, due to the existing diversity and healthy grass production of most of the understory layers and because of the elevation. Any other noxious weeds in the area would continue to be treated. In the short-term there could be some interruption of grazing operations; however the long-term benefits to the range resource outweigh the short-term negative impacts that may have to occur to individual permit holders such as resting pastures or exclusion of livestock from areas.

03/13/2017

04/15/2017

2017

The treatment units and leave islands were flagged by USFS crews prior to project work. The 443 acres for the 2017 phase of the project were completed by the contractor in April 2017 using excavator mounted mastication heads. Other phases of the project (as shown on the map) are from FY15 - cut and pile contract on 504 ac focused on areas immediately adjacent to private land, Forest boundary and access roads. These piles were burned by Forest Service crews in spring 2017. In FY16, there was a Forest Service funded 600 acre mechanical treatment contract that had identical methods and machinery (same contractor) as the FY17 WRI contract work. A total of 1546 acres have been treated so far in the project.

All project work went very smoothly except for contractor accidentally using a staging area on private land (which was later raked out and seeded). In the future, should identify approved staging areas on maps. The bid to do the work was significantly lower than budgeted, largely due to contractor being familiar with area, having additional work on a nearby project thereby reducing mobilization costs, and project work being in an old chaining (previously treated).

Contractor did all the heavy work. Forest Service crews/skid-steer machines may be used to go back in the future and treat additional vegetation along the edges of the units to achieve a more feathered appearance. Slash depth is not too much in these previously treated areas. No changes are anticipated to livestock grazing. Plan to collect post-treatment photo points in the fall. There will be additional phases of this project, involving hand and mechanical treatments on the remaining acres in the project area.