Prescribed Fire-Over a period of up to 10 years, the proposed actions would move rangelands and forestlands toward conditions that more closely represent the historic vegetative composition and structure. These actions would reduce tree densities by opening the tree canopy, retaining the healthier, larger, and more fire-tolerant trees, and re-introducing the primary natural disturbance mechanism (fire). Fireline Preparation- Critical to the success of implementing the RX.

Thin 100 ft both sides of FS rd 088 and 035. West and East side of RX boundary are surrounded by road system that need to be thinned to safely implement RX. This would entail taking all ladder fuels and hazard trees that will create holding problems for fire resources when implementing the RX

* Upper Setting FS RD 088 and Norway Flats FS RD 035 are heavily used recreation arteries, and public/firefighter safety is at risk during prescribed fire if prep work is not complete before RX occurs. Reducing hazardous fuels along the corridor will help mitigate firefighter/public safety issue.

-The Upper Provo Restoration Project falls within the Western Uintas Management Area. Vegetation management activities in the project area center on trying to improve soil, water, and vegetation conditions within the Upper Provo Watershed to restore the overall watershed health; the proper functioning of physical, biological and chemical conditions. -Biodiversity/Viability Desired future conditions for Vegetation and Disturbance Processes for the Western Uintas Management Area (USDA Forest Service, 2003; 4-179) include: -Beaver Creek Area: Mechanical thinning of invading species (such as Juniper and Gambel Oak) followed by prescribed fire or mastication will be employed to maintain the unique Ponderosa pine component of the landscape. Gambel oak and mountain brush will be managed to increase age class diversity and reduce fuel loading adjacent to private property. Sagebrush will be managed to increase the diversity of age classes and decrease canopy cover of juniper, as a consequence increase grass-forb cover. Social (non-recreation) Desired Future Conditions for the Western Uintas Management Area include (USDA Forest Service, 2003; 4-190): -Risks to private property from unwanted fire will be reduced through close coordination with local communities. In the Soapstone and Weber River summer home areas, permit holders, The State of Utah Department of Natural Resources and private homeowners will work Cooperatively to provide fuel breaks and defensible space. -Forest-wide Subgoals (USDA Forest Service, 2003) that are applicable to this project and fuels/fire ecology are: -2h. Maintain and/or restore diversity, productivity, vigor, and regenerative capacity of native and desired non-native riparian and wetland plant communities to provide an amount and distribution of large woody debris characteristic of natural aquatic & riparian ecosystems; provide adequate summer & winter thermal regulation; and to help achieve rates of surface erosion and channel migration characteristic of those under which desired communities develop. -3d. Restore or maintain fire-adapted ecosystems (consistent with land uses, historic fire regimes, and other Forest Plan direction) through wildland fire use, prescribed fire, timber harvest or mechanical treatments. -3f. Maintain or restore species composition, such that the species that occupy any given site are predominantly native species in the kind and amount that were historically distributed across the landscapes. 4d. Reduce hazardous fuels (prescribed fire, silvicultural and mechanical treatments) with emphasis on interface communities (wildland/urban) and increase proactive participation of communities at risk. -Forest Guidelines and Desired Conditions applicable to this project and fuels/fire ecology include: -Minimize the amount and impact of smoke from "fire use" activities by identifying smoke-sensitive areas, using "best available control measures," monitoring smoke impacts, and following guidance in State smoke management plans. -Manage vegetation for properly functioning condition at the landscape scale. Desired structure and pattern for cover types of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest are as follows except in the Wildland Urban Interface, where vegetation structure and pattern should be managed to reduce threat of sever fire to property and human safety. =(G3.1A-1) Timber harvest, vegetation/fuel treatments, prescribed fire, and wildland fire use are allowed only for the purposes of maintaining, improving or restoring riparian and aquatic habitat to desired conditions or to protect property in the wildland urban interface -(G3.1W-1) Vegetation/fuel treatment, prescribed fire, and wildland fire use are allowed for the purposes of maintaining, improving or restoring watersheds to desired conditions, and to protect property in the wildland urban interface. -(G3.2U-1) Vegetation/fuel treatment, prescribed fire and wildland fire use are allowed for the purposes of maintaining, improving or restoring terrestrial habitat, for hazardous fuel reduction, and to protect property in the wildland urban interface. -Deer Herd Unit Management Plan- Deer Herd Unit #7 (Kamas) The limiting factor for big game in this management unit is the lack of adequate amounts of good quality winter range. There are areas that are experiencing juniper encroachment and are in need of treatments to address this problem. Issues: juniper encroachment and annual grass competition reducing the amount of browse species available to wintering wildlife. -Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan 2014 The project is designated crucial summer range for Mule Deer. Section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This project 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 F. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. https://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/pdf/mule_deer_plan.pdf Utah Elk Statewide Management Plan (2010) The project is designated crucial summer range / calving habitat for Elk. It will address 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. Under this objective, strategies D and F apply. Strategy D. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve elk habitat with emphasis on calving habitat and winter ranges. Strategy F. Encourage land managers to manage portions of forests in early succession stages through the use of controlled burning and logging. Controlled burning should only be used in areas where there are minimal invasive weed and/or safety concerns. This project area is of minimal weed concern. https://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/pdf/elk_plan.pdf

The Upper Provo project is located approximately 3 miles east of the community of Samak, which has been identified by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands as a Community at Risk. The project is located along the north side of Highway 150, a heavily used recreation corridor and designated scenic byway. Numerous campgrounds and recreation access points dot the highway. The current fuel conditions pose a risk to public safety due to ingress/egress issues, as identified in a 2005 Fireshed Assessment, and the 2013 Northern Utah Regional Wildfire Protection Plan identifies this area as a moderate - high risk area for wildfire. Introducing fire to the area will make a more resilient ecosystem, allowing moderate fire to improve the condition of the current fire regime. The box fire in 2016 is an example of what we are trying to mimic on our terms. Allowing for varying degrees of fire behavior to impact the area.

There are no streams that will be impacted by this roadside thinning.

Archaeology clearances completed, June 25 2014 / 6 NEPA, NEPA completed, May 29 2014

chainsaws

12 established vegetation plots will be revisited and walk through surveys will be completed at least once post-treatment. Data collection will include ocular estimates of shrub and ground cover, and juniper density measurements. A monitoring report will be completed and uploaded to the project database. As well as landscape pre post photos will be uploaded to database.

DWR, DNR, State of Utah, town of Samak, permittee, FFSL

Grazing management will occur through a rest-rotation grazing system.

Available forage is expected to increase post-treatment with the enhancement of aspen regen and fresh foliage post burn.