Ranch Creek contains a core, conservation population of Bonneville cutthroat trout (BCT), which are the only trout native to southwestern Utah's Bonneville basin. The BCT population in Ranch Creek was first identified in 1995 and has had a relatively stable distribution and standing crop since the 1990s (Hadley & Golden, 2016). Individuals from this population have only been reintroduced into one other stream (Cottonwood Creek) in 2013 and the success of that reintroduction is still being evaluated (Hadley & Golden, 2016). Disease certification samples in 2015 and 2016 showed that Ranch Creek has recently become infected with whirling disease which complicates increasing representation and redundancy for this remnant population. In order to increase the representation, redundancy and resilience of the Ranch Creek BCT population UDWR and the Forest Service have plans to construct barriers and restore BCT to the adjacent Horse Creek and Birch Creek drainages, as well as initiate stream side egg take programs on Ranch Creek. Currently the Ranch Creek BCT population is lacking in redundancy and resiliency, which are critical components of native trout management in the Intermountain West (Haak, Williams, & Colyer, 2011; Haak & Williams, 2012). During the past 20 years wildfires (Sequoia, Sanford, Twitchell) in areas with high fuel loadings, disproportionate portions of vegetative communities in late successional stages and poor riparian conditions have resulted in significant negative impacts to core and conservation populations of BCT and their habitat in the Southern Geographic Management Unit (GMU) for the species. Populations that were most impacted lacked redundancy and resilience as defined by Haak, Williams, & Colyer (2011) and Haak & Williams (2012). In 2012 the BCT Range-wide Conservation team conducted a summer field tour to discuss wildfire impacts and possible ways to mitigate this threat. Recommendations from the Team were for Forest biologists to pursue proactive vegetation management projects that would both reduce the risk of uncharacteristically large, severe wildfires and improve the ability of riparian areas to buffer the effects of future disturbance impacts. In 2013 the Escalante Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest identified the Ranch Creek watershed as an area where proactive vegetation management could benefit BCT, wildlife habitat and watershed conditions. The Ranch Creek watershed (encompassing the Ranch Creek, Birch Creek and Horse Creek subwatersheds) has both upland and riparian management issues contributing to stream and bank habitat degradation, as well as an increased risk of uncharacteristically high severity fire. Data on vegetation community composition/condition, fuel loading, livestock use, stream habitat/channel condition and water temperature have been collected in these subwatersheds and used to inform a need for change (see Draft Environmental Analysis in attachments). The data that has been collected indicates that riparian vegetation communities are not meeting Forest Plan objectives and have relatively high levels of upland vegetation succession. Similarly data shows pinyon and juniper succession into mountain sagebrush communities. Higher than desired stockings of junipers in wooded has increased the risk for crown fires and suppressed wildlife and livestock forage production in these areas. Conifers, especially juniper trees, often outcompete grasses and forbs in upland settings (Roundy & Vernon, 1999; Bates, Davies, & Sharp, 2011; Ross, Castle, & Barger, 2011). The allelopathic nature of juniper can also reduce ground cover which can lead to elevated erosion of soils from juniper uplands (Roundy & Vernon, 1999; Pierson, Bates, Svejcar, & Hardegree, 2007a; Peterson & Stringham, 2008; Pierson, et al., 2010; Cline, Pierson, Kormos, & Williams, 2010). It is reasonable to assume that upland conifers encroaching on riparian areas, such as those found within the project area, are causing reductions in riparian vegetation density and diversity similar to those seen in upland settings. Increased rates of erosion are likely to follow any loss of stabilizing ground cover within the riparian areas and meadows. Suspended and deposited sediment can directly and indirectly impact aquatic organisms through clogging gills, smothering fish eggs and invertebrates, reducing water and oxygen flow through interstitial space, and reducing habitat (covering spawning gravels, reducing pool depth, etc.) (Waters, 1995). Pebble counts in Ranch Creek and Birch Creek have shown that 25-50% of the substrate consists of fine sediments less than 3 mm. Visual observations throughout portions of Horse Creek would indicate similar issues. Removing pinyon and juniper that are encroaching on riparian areas and overtaking riparian vegetation would help to address riparian fire risk and sediment delivery issues. Riparian species that would benefit include cottonwood, willow, and riparian sedges and grasses. The expected increases in ground cover and stream bank stabilization should reduce sediment generation into current and future BCT habitat, as well as help to maintain, or adjust, stream channel morphology to its appropriate configuration. Within the project area and domestic ungulates appear to have several areas of concentrated use in the Horse Creek allotment where they are impacting stream or wetland configuration and function. With some exceptions (see Sarr 2002), published literature suggests that for the most part riparian and upland exclosures can be effective at improving ground cover, the diversity and vigor of vegetation communities, bank stability, fish habitat, wildlife habitat and in maintaining and improving hydrology and water quality (see Keller and Burnham 1982, Bock et al. 1984, Schulz and Leininger 1990, Overton et al. 1994, Line et al. 2000, Yeo 2005, Bayley and Li 2008, Raganath et al. 2009, Madsen 2010). In addition to poor vegetative ground cover in some areas, inappropriately placed roads and trails are also contributing sediment to streams throughout the project area. In ponderosa pine stands the dominant overstory is ponderosa pine with a developed mid-story of aspen and Douglas fir. The seral aspen component is in decline. The understory composition is poorly developed and dominated by juniper spp. Stand structure is predominantly even-aged with scattered uneven-aged pockets. In aspen stands the stand structure is predominantly even-aged. The dominant overstory is aspen with a developed understory consisting of alpine fir, juniper, and ponderosa pine. Both climax and seral aspen stands are in decline. The understory aspen composition is poorly developed and dominated by juniper spp. In both these scenarios wildlife and livestock forage are suppressed and fuel loadings and ladder fuels are increased. To aid in protecting the genetic representation of the Ranch Creek BCT population, increase the resiliency of that population, follow the recommendations of the Range-wide Conservation Team for BCT, improve wildlife forage, maintain and improve watershed conditions and reduce the risk of uncharacteristically severe wildfire the Dixie National Forest has identified the following needs in the Ranch Creek watershed (see Scoping Notice in attachments): 1) Increase the proportion and health of riparian dependent species in the riparian zone along Birch Creek and Ranch Creek. 2) Reduce the amount of sediment being introduced to Birch Creek and Ranch Creek. 3) Restore and enhance ecosystem health while promoting the overall sustainability and diversity of vegetative systems and hydrologic functioning of the Rnahc Creek and Birch Creek subwatersheds. 4) Restore forest stand resiliency and resistance to insects and disease by reducing competition-induced mortality. 5) Reduce the risk of uncharacteristically severe and stand replacing wildfires by reducing fuel loading, raising canopy base height, reducing ladder fuels and opening the canopy. The treatments contained in this proposal were designed to meet these needs.

The overall objective of the Ranch Creek Watershed Improvement project is to maintain and improve riparian areas, stream channel and watershed function, reduce the risk of uncharacteristically severe wildfire and to benefit Bonneville cutthroat trout and other wildlife species. The project will maintain and improve BCT habitat as well as increase forage and cover in crucial winter range for deer and elk (as well as some substantial summer range for deer) which supports the WRI arm to enhance Utah's Wildlife and Biological Diversity. Both Ranch Creek and Birch Creek are diverted for irrigation on, or immediately downstream from the Forest. The proposed project should reduce sedimentation, improve riparian vegetation composition and vigor and reduce the risk of high severity fire which should support the WRI arm to enhance Utah's Water Quality and Yield for all Uses. Finally, treatments in ponderosa pine and aspen will improve stand health for future commercial timber harvest and treatments in all vegetation treatments should increase ungulate forage in the project area which will benefit producers permitted to graze the active Horse Creek Cattle allotment overlain by the project area. Improving future commercial timber stands and available livestock forage supports the WRI arm of Opportunities for Sustainable Uses. The project has the following measurable objectives: 1) Riparian areas - Currently the stands within the proposed treatment area can be classified as an FRCC 2 or 3 where the conditions are moderately to highly departed from historic vegetation conditions. Cottonwood sp. are represented by older age classes with few seedling/saplings present. The reduced abundance and lack of cottonwood regeneration indicates a lack of historic disturbance regimes. Competition from juniper is reducing grass/forb and shrub composition. Similar conditions of conifer encroachment have resulted in riparian areas acting as corridors for fire movement during the 2002 Sanford and 2017 Brian Head fires. The impacts of this type of fire behavior on fish, fish habitat and watershed function has been severe and long-lasting. Conifers encroaching into riparian areas provide a drier, more continuous source of fuel that can burn more readily than deciduous riparian vegetation and provide ladder fuels into taller riparian canopies. The measurable objectives in these stands would be to completely remove encroaching conifers except where they a contributing disproportionately to bank stability as well as have greenline riparian vegetation, fine sediment deposition and bank stability moving toward objectives outlined in the Forest Plan, or Best Available Scientific Information. 2) Aspen -- Currently mortality is increasing as mature seral aspen clones are overtopped by conifer. Climax aspen stands are declining due to age and stand competition. Fuel loading is 4-46 tons/acre with a FRCC 2. Disturbance is necessary in aspen communities to provide for continued sprouting and the development of an uneven-aged structure of trees, including sprouts, saplings, and mature trees; and the control of other, potentially aspen-replacing species. The measurable objectives for these stands are to have stand structure move toward the more balanced canopy composition outlined in the attached Scoping Notice, less than 10% conifer, dead and down fuel loading averaging 3 tons/acre and an increase in stems per acre of aspen shoots post-treatment. 3) Mountain sagebrush/shrublands -- Currently the stands within the proposed treatment area can be classified as an FRCC 2 or 3 where the conditions are moderately to highly departed from historic vegetation conditions. No evidence of recent fire disturbance can be observed in the proposed stands. Historical disturbance regimes affecting the shrubland community should be stand replacing fires with a mean fire interval of 30-50 years. The typical disturbance of wildland fire tends to reduce the composition of conifers within the shrubland community and promote the development of grasses and forbs. Mixed severity fires promote the creation of different age classes within the shrubland community. Fire adapted shrub species such as sage and bitterbrush typically exhibit variable age classes representing the occurrence of disturbance events. The current density of juniper spp. is an indication of the lack of disturbance along with a lack of younger age classes of shrub species. The measurable objective in these stands is for conifers to be absent or limited to a few scattered seedlings (< 10% of the total vegetative cover). 4) Pinyon-juniper wooded shrublands -- Currently these woodlands have more than 50% of their cover in juniper spp., whereas desired conditions for these communities would have less than 25% of the overstory composition in juniper spp. The current composition of pinyon-juniper stands that are largely made up of mature trees with little variation in age classes has resulted in a continuous crown distribution. Fuel loading is 10-12 tons/acre. Juniper regeneration is expanding into adjacent grassland/shrubland areas. FRCC is 2 trending toward 3. The measurable objectives for these stands are to have stand structure move toward the more balanced overstory range outlined in the attached Scoping Notice, with no more than 25% of stands composition in juniper species and fuel loadings of 5-7 tons/ac. 5) Ponderosa pine -- Existing ponderosa stands have a dead and down fuel loading of 8-14 tons/acre with some Ponderosa trees having canopy base heights that extending onto the bottom 1/3 of the tree. Additionally, there is a tall understory growth of invading conifers and manzanita. The measurable objectives for these stands are to have stand structure move toward the more balanced canopy composition outlined in the attached Scoping Notice, with more than 75% canopy cover as ponderosa pine and dead and downed fuel loading averaging 5 tons/acre.

As highlighted under the "Need for the Project" and "Objectives" sections the current conditions of both vegetation and fuels within the project area and the areas proposed for treatment create an elevated threat for a fire of uncharacteristically high severity within the project area. In areas that are currently overstocked, climate change is likely to further exacerbate the potential threat of uncharacteristically intense and severe wildfires. The risks of an uncharacteristically severe wildfire include, but are not limited to: 1) Increased erosion and sedimentation 2) Stream channel incision and loss of fish habitat 3) Increased risk of flooding and debris flows 4) Loss of soil productivity 5) Potential loss of the Ranch Creek core, remnant population of BCT a. To further elaborate, the loss of this population would potentially reduce BCT genetic representation within the East Fork Sevier River drainage and Southern GMU. Currently the Ranch Creek population has only been replicated in Cottonwood Creek, which has marginal flows. Sampling in 2015 showed that BCT introduced to Cottonwood Creek in 2013 had not dispersed far and were only present in low densities (Hadley & Golden, 2016). The recent detection of whirling disease in Ranch Creek and Deep Creek, the other East Fork Sevier remnant population, elevates the risks present to both these populations and make future increases in redundancy and resilience more difficult, as future translocations will be dependent of the success of stream side egg takes. Creating a more resilient vegetation community/watershed surrounding the Ranch Creek population will reduce the risk of losing these unique genetics, while future translocation efforts are completed. 6) Loss of later seral stage wildlife habitat 7) Threat of noxious weed invasion and a change in plant community type 8) Loss of future commercial timber stands 9) Loss (at least temporarily) of wildlife and livestock forage More specific to treatments of pinyon-juniper throughout the various vegetation types are the risks of continued loss of vegetation diversity and continued elevated erosion rates if left untreated. As further detailed in the "Need for the Project" the allelopathic qualities of pinyon and juniper tree suppress the growth of grass, forbs and shrubs and create larger areas of bare ground, that result in increased erosion. Completing the riparian treatments as quickly as possible should improve the riparian vegetation community, thereby improving the stream channels ability to buffer itself against future disturbance in the uplands. Aspen has decreased throughout the Intermountain West during the 20th century, and aspen-dominated acreage within the five national forests of Utah has declined by 50% or more in recent decades (Kay and Bartos 2000, O'Brien et al 2010). Since aspen does not commonly reproduce from seed the loss of an aspen clone may be the loss of a long-standing aspen presence not easily recovered. Human intervention to reduce natural disturbance has resulted in conifer succession throughout aspen in the project are and across the Dixie National Forest. Not treating these aspen stands elevates that risk that they will be completely lost to conifer succession. The biggest risks to project success are probably natural ignition in the project area prior to the project being completed, overutilization of treatments preventing desired vegetation establishment and maintaining a mosaic of successional stages into the future. As discussed under the future management section, "Once treatments in the entire project area are completed the goal is to manage fire adapted ecosystems through a combination natural fire ignitions (managed for Forest Plan benefits) and low intensity prescribed fire. In terms of riparian and sagebrush treatments monitoring will determine the success of original treatments and maintenance will be conducted as necessary to remove whips and missed trees." We hope that this will increase the potential for maintaining project success. Similarly, the using of fencing and adaptive management outlined in the Future Management section should help avoid the risk of overutilization impeding success.

Utah's Wildlife Action Plan (WAP): The WAP identifies the following key habitats to be addressed by the Ranch Creek Watershed Improvement project Phase 1: Riverine, Aquatic Forested, Mountain Meadow, Mountain sagebrush and Aspen-Conifer. The WAP lists Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity a high level threat for BCT and Aspen-Conifer Ecosystems with the following as potential conservation actions. 2.3.14 Conduct upland vegetation treatments to restore characteristic upland vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. 2.3.15 Conduct riparian vegetation treatments to restore characteristic riparian vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. 2.3.17 Apply or allow more fire in habitats/locations where fire was historically more frequent or intense. The Riparian and upland treatments proposed are designed to restore characteristic vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings with the end goal to be able to allow natural ignitions to be managed for resource benefits in the future. The WAP lists Problematic Plant Species -- Native Upland as a Very High level threat to Mountain sagebrush communities with the following as potential conservation actions. Promoting and funding restoration that reduces the Uncharacteristic and surpluses of older age class, including: Dixie/chain harrow, brush mowing or other treatments that reduce the older age class and stimulate the younger/mid age classes; herbicide or mechanical treatment of non-native invasive species such smooth brome; single tree mulching/cutting of invading conifer. The treatments proposed in this vegetation type are designed to stimulate the younger/mid age classes through cutting or masticating invading conifer. The WAP lists Channel downcutting as a high level threat to BCT, Aquatic Forested habitat and riverine habitat with the following as potential conservation actions. 2.3.6 Restore aquatic habitat complexity. 2.3.8 Restore floodplain connectivity. 2.3.15 Conduct riparian vegetation treatments to restore characteristic riparian vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. The riparian treatments identified in this proposal address restoring more characteristic riparian vegetation and reducing uncharacteristic conifer ladder fuels, with the goal of maintaining and restoring connectivity and complexity to aquatic habitat within the project area. The WAP identifies that Improper grazing is a High Threat for Riverine habitats and BCT and recommends: 2.1.2 Adjust grazing practices -- per the grazing principles of timing, duration, and intensity -- to improve conditions of habitat, water and wildlife. The exclosure to be built around the Ranch Creek meadow is at least a temporary solution to improper use until Permit reauthorization NEPA can be completed to fully evaluate potential improvements to the timing, duration, and intensity authorized on the current permit. While the WAP does not list improper grazing as a threat to Emergent ecosystems, there is abundant evidence in peer-reviewed and gray literature to suggest otherwise and the proposed exclosure around the Horse Creek GDE would help to alleviate that threat. Dixie National Forest Land Resource Management Plan (as amended)- Goal 14 -- Improve the quantity and quality of aquatic habitats through direct habitat improvement and increased coordination with other land use programs (page IV-5). Aquatic habitat will be maintained, protected and improved via riparian vegetation treatments, ATV trail reroute and fencing projects as highlighted in the Project Need and Objectives section. Goal 15 -- Maintain or enhance the terrestrial habitat for all wildlife species presently on the Forest (page IV-5). All the vegetation treatments proposed should increase browse and or forage for Forest MIS species, such as mule deer, elk and wild turkey. Goal 17 -- Managed Classified Species habitat to maintain or enhance their status through direct habitat improvement and agency cooperation (Page IV-6). This project has the potential to benefit a core, remnant population of BCT, as well as two future conservation populations. BCT are an Intermountain Region Sensitive species and is managed under Conservation Agreement and Strategy that both DWR and the Forest Service are signatories or involved partners. Goal 32 -- Design and implement practices on the ground that will reestablish acceptable soil, hydrologic and vegetative conditions that are sufficient to secure and maintain favorable water flow (Page IV-9). As highlighted under the Water quality and quantity section the riparian improvements, ATV trail reroutes and exclosures should have a direct benefit to water quality through decreasing sedimentation and reducing erosion by increasing bank stability. UTAH MULE DEER STATEWIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN The project meets Habitat Objective 2 to improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer habitat (p. 19). Specifically the strategies to Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats improve aspen communities that provide crucial summer habitat by increasing regeneration and reducing conifer encroachment, improve aspen communities that provide crucial summer habitat for mule deer and manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages using various methods including timber harvest and managed fire. Deer Herd Unit # 25C/26 (Plateau Boulder/Kaiparowits) This proposed treatment and overall would continue to the following priority future habitat work identified in the Mule Deer Herd Unit Plan: "Increase browse species in critical winter range, and burned areas. Increase critical winter range opportunities for mule deer. Maintain summer fawning areas by increasing beneficial habitat work in summer and transitional habitat areas. Continue to reduce threats to catastrophic wildfires, by reducing fuel loads and creating firebreaks. Support enhancement and restoration efforts in Quaking Aspen forests unit wide by reducing encroachment of Spruce-Fir forests. UTAH ELK STATEWIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN This project helps to meet Population Objective 2 - Foster support among stakeholders for Utah's elk management program. Specifically the project helps increase tolerance of public land grazers not enrolled in a CWMU or LOA by conducting habitat projects that will benefit livestock and wildlife. The proposed treatments will also assist with meeting Habitat Objectives 1 - Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. Specifically the proposed treatment will contribute toward increasing forage production by treating elk habitat, will be conducted on summer ranges (aspen communities) to improve calving habitat and will manage portions of forests in early succession stages through the use controlled burning and logging. Finally implementation of this and future portions of the project will help to promote let-burn policies in appropriate areas that will benefit elk. Range-wide Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Bonneville cutthroat trout (Lentsch et al. 2000): As outlined in the Project Need, Water Quality and Quantity and Threats and Risks sections of the proposal the treatments within this proposal will support the following objectives and actions from the BCT CAS: Maintain or restore water quality to a degree that provides for stable and productive riparian and aquatic ecosystems; Maintain or restore stream channel integrity, channel processes, and the sediment regime (including the elements of timing, volume, and character of sediment input and transport) under which the riparian and aquatic ecosystems developed; Maintain or restore riparian vegetation to: c) help achieve rates of surface erosion, bank erosion, and channel migration characteristic of those under which the communities developed; c) Restore altered channel and habitat features to historic conditions. Actions may include stream bank stabilization, large woody debris introduction, and vegetation planting for improved riparian areas. d) Restore natural hydraulic and sediment regimes, restore floodplain and riparian function, and expand available spawning and rearing habitat. This action includes securing instream flow needs through water acquisition or regulation.

Current conditions in the areas proposed for treatment are generally Fire Regime Condition Classes of 2-3, where the conditions are moderately to highly departed from historic vegetation conditions. Individual vegetation type conditions are detailed below. 1) Riparian areas - Currently the stands within the proposed treatment area can be classified as an FRCC 2 or 3 where the conditions are moderately to highly departed from historic vegetation conditions. Cottonwood sp. are represented by older age classes with few seedling/saplings present. The reduced abundance and lack of cottonwood regeneration indicates a lack of historic disturbance regimes. Competition from juniper is reducing grass/forb and shrub composition. Similar conditions of conifer encroachment on the west side of John's Valley resulted in riparian areas acting as corridors for fire movement during the 2002 Sanford fire on Mount Dutton, which has had long-lasting effects to fish habitat and native BCT communities. Conifers encroaching into riparian areas provide a drier, more continuous source of fuel that can burn more readily than deciduous riparian vegetation and provide ladder fuels into taller riparian canopies. 2) Aspen -- Currently mortality is increasing as mature seral aspen clones are overtopped by conifer. Climax aspen stands are declining due to age and stand competition. Fuel loading is 4-46 tons/acre with a FRCC 2. Disturbance is necessary in aspen communities to provide for continued sprouting and the development of an uneven-aged structure of trees, including sprouts, saplings, and mature trees; and the control of other, potentially aspen-replacing species. 3) Mountain sagebrush/shrublands -- Currently the stands within the proposed treatment area can be classified as an FRCC 2 or 3 where the conditions are moderately to highly departed from historic vegetation conditions. No evidence of recent fire disturbance can be observed in the proposed stands. Historical disturbance regimes affecting the shrubland community should be stand replacing fires with a mean fire interval of 30-50 years. The typical disturbance of wildland fire tends to reduce the composition of conifers within the shrubland community and promote the development of grasses ad forbs. Mixed severity fires promote the creation of different age classes within the shrubland community. Fire adapted shrub species such as sage and bitterbrush typically exhibit variable age classes representing the occurrence of disturbance events. The current density of juniper spp. is an indication of the lack of disturbance along with a lack of younger age classes of shrub species. 4) Pinyon-juniper wooded shrublands -- Currently these woodlands have more than 50% of their cover in juniper spp., whereas desired conditions for these communities would have less than 25% of the overstory composition in juniper spp. The current composition of pinyon-juniper stands that are largely made up of mature trees with little variation in age classes has resulted in a continuous crown distribution. Fuel loading is 10-12 tons/acre. Juniper regeneration is expanding into adjacent grassland/shrubland areas. FRCC is 2 trending toward 3. 5) Ponderosa pine -- Existing ponderosa stands have an average FRCC of a 3 and are highly departed from historic fire return intervals. Their dead and down fuel loading is 8-14 tons/acre with some Ponderosa trees with canopy base height that extends onto the bottom 1/3 of the tree. Additionally, there is a tall understory growth of invading conifers, and manzanita. The goal of treatment is to improve health and vigor of stands by moving them toward a FRCC of 1 and away from 2 and 3, reduce fuel loading, fuel continuity and to reduce the risk of large scale fires of uncharacteristically high severity that could result in a degradation of watershed conditions, while maintaining down woody debris requirements for wildlife and soils (Forest Plan as Amended, and PFC). The treatments in this proposal would lay the ground work for future mechanical and prescribed fire treatments in mixed conifer and spruce-fir communities in the headwaters of the Ranch Creek, Birch Creek and Horse Creek subwatersheds. These communities have heavy fuel loadings that increase the risk of uncharacteristically high severity fire. As discussed in the Sequoia and Sanford fire examples under Threats and Risks, large, high severity fires can have dire consequences to small, fragmented native trout populations and their habitats. The bulk of negative fire-related impacts to fish and aquatic invertebrate communities occur when large, high severity fires are followed by heavy precipitation events. Extremely high sediment loads, and in some cases debris flows, during the resulting runoff can cause large-scale mortality to aquatic biota and major changes in stream geomorphology (Rinne, 1996; Gresswell, 1999; Benda, Miller, Bigelow, & Andras, 2003; Dunham, Young, Gresswell, & Rieman, 2003; Minshall, 2003; Rinne, 2004). In addition to potential impacts to vegetation communities and species, multiple residential structures exist on the private land along Horse Creek and the private lands downstream form the project area. A wildfire in the project area would most certainly threaten these structures. Any post-fire flooding and debris flows would also have a major impact on the diversion and irrigation facilities of downstream water users.

The benefits of healthy riparian vegetation and connected floodplains and wetlands to water quality, as well as water storage and release are well documented. Riparian vegetation buffers can trap sediment during overbank flow events and prevent sediment from overland runoff from reaching stream channels (Belt, O'Laughlin, & Merrill, 1992). Fine sediment input to streams can lead to an associated increase in nutrient loading, decreased dissolved oxygen and an increase in waterborne diseases. Stream bank stability is instrumental in preventing excessive erosion. Willow-sedge communities are among the best for maintaining stream bank stability (Winward, 2000). This project proposes to protect and improve hydric species and riparian hardwood communities. As discussed elsewhere in this proposal improving uplands to have more grass, forbs, and shrubs in the understory can also improve water quality by leading to less generation of sediment during overland flow events and thereby delivering less sediment to a riparian area and stream. Relocating roads/trails away from the riparian influence zone will likewise lead to less sediment delivery to streams. Additionally, vegetation treatments reduce the risk of severe wildfire and all of the associated undesirable water quality effects. Streams within the project area drain into the East Fork Sevier River. The East Fork Sevier River in John's Valley is 303d listed for macroinvertebrate community composition. One of the main factors in the poor macroinvertebrate community is probably the variable irrigation flow regime in this area; however, sediment generation and other water quality issues could exacerbate this. Similarly, downstream from Antimony Creek the East Fork Sevier River is 303d listed for temperature and has a TMDL for Phosphorus. Reduced erosion and healthy riparian buffer zones throughout the watershed could reduce the amount of Total P reaching this portion of the East Fork Sevier. Some studies have shown that water yield can decrease (by ~5%) as areas succeed from aspen communities to conifer communities (Jaynes 1978, Bartos 2007). Similarly, some research indicates that pinyon-juniper removal in mountain sagebrush can increase soil water availability (Roundy et al. 2014). The effectiveness of healthy riparian vegetation in enabling precipitation and runoff to infiltrate the soil and pass through to the water table is also well documented. This project proposes to remove pinyon and juniper from sagebrush grass lands, remove conifer succession from aspen communities and improve the amount and diversity of riparian hydric and hardwood species. The combination of these activities should have a net positive effect on increasing water yield/availability. Birch Creek within the project area has shown maximum temperatures greater than 20 °C which violates its 3A Beneficial Use classification. While the initial removal of conifers may exacerbate this temperature issue, improving riparian vegetation may provide additional shading and groundwater inputs that could be beneficial to lowering temperatures in this stream in the long-term.

Scoping Notice for the project was disseminated in August 2016. Comments were received from the Utah Farm Bureau, the Hopi Tribe, Sandberg Ranch Inc. and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The Farm Bureau and Sandberg Ranch comments were general and supportive of the project. The Hopi Tribe comments were focused on protecting any cultural resources in the project area. The USFWS provided recommendations for reducing impacts to migratory birds and raptors. The Draft Environmental Analysis is currently out for the legal Notice and Comment period with a Decision expected by April or May 2018, depending on whether any objections are received

1) Maintaining and improving riparian vegetation, bank stability and instream habitat: a. Riparian Conifer Lop and scatter (34 acres) - All juniper will be removed except in areas were only juniper occupy the site. Species preference will favor hardwood species over conifer. Retention of conifer will favor seral species and include ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Species targeted for removal include juniper, pinyon-pine, white fir, and spruce. Trees will be hand felled, bucked by hand into segments no longer than 4 feet and scattered on the upland side of the drainage. b. Riparian Conifer Lop and pile/lop and scatter (46 acres) -- All juniper will be removed except in areas were only juniper occupy the site. Species preference will favor hardwood species over conifer. Retention of conifer will favor seral species and include ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Species targeted for removal include juniper, pinyon-pine, white fir, and spruce. The riparian areas identified for this treatment are widely variable in the stocking level of target conifers. On approximately half of the acres tree densities are low enough to meet resource and fuels' objectives and increasing downed woody debris may be a resource objective on these acres; therefore, on these acres trees will be hand felled, lopped and scattered. Slash will be lopped into no larger than 4 feet sections and scattered to be less than 2 feet high. The remaining acres trees will be hand felled and piled to be burned at a later time by FS personnel. Piles will be placed more than 50 feet from the stream. c. Horse Creek Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem Fencing (0.8 acres) -- Construct approximately 700 feet of wildlife fence around a wetland/spring on lower Horse Creek to alleviate ungulate trampling damage. d. Ranch Creek Headwater Meadow Fencing (3.4 acres) -- Construct approximately 2,290 feet of aspen worm fence from materials gather or cut on site to alleviate domestic ungulate trampling damage from the headwater meadow on Ranch Creek. e. Birch Creek ATV trail reroute - Relocate approximately 1,100 feet of FR 34047/FR 30235 out of the Aquatic Management Zone (more than approximately 100 feet upslope from the channel). The old section of road bed will be decommissioned by ripping, re-contouring, erosion control matting, and the addition of course woody debris. 2) Maintain aspen stands (235 acres): Aspen cover types will receive a pre-commercial thinning prescription on approximately 235 acres. The prescription will be implemented through the application of hand thinning on 201 acres and mechanical thinning on 34 acres. The pre-commercial thinning treatment will remove all sub-merchantable conifer trees (< 8 inches DBH) from aspen stands. In addition, all juniper trees greater than 2 feet in height will be removed. The improvement cut thinning treatment will remove all sub-merchantable and merchantable conifer trees (< 8 inches DBH) from aspen stands. Merchantable conifer trees will either be felled and bucked on site or girdled to create snags. In addition, all juniper trees greater than 2 feet in height will be removed. Due to the high density of trees to remove all slash generated from the thinning treatment will be piled and later burned by the FS. Slash piling and pile burning are required to achieve fuel loading objectives. Up to 2 piles per acre may be left unburned to create small mammal habitat. 3) Improve mountain sagebrush stands (785 acres): Conifer species, in particular juniper have encroached within the sagebrush community and currently exceed the desirable density for conifer. All conifer will be removed from the sagebrush stands via a lop and scatter prescription on 161 acres with cultural concerns and mastication on 624 acres. Mastication treatments will remove all live conifer trees greater than 2 feet in height. In lop and scatter areas conifer trees will be felled and slashed. Slash material will be bucked into segments no longer than 4 feet and treated slash will not exceed 2 feet in height. 4) Improve understory composition, stand structure and fire resiliency of pinyon-juniper wooded shrublands (886 acres): a. Group selection (171 acres) -- This group selection prescription will remove patches of PJ up to 20 acres in size. The matrix portion of the stands will be thinned to a maximum density of 150 trees per acre and a species composition of 75 percent pinyon pine. Hand thinning will occur over 118 acres, with mechanical thinning on the remaining 53 acres. In the hand thinning areas, slash material will be bucked into segments no longer than 4 feet and treated slash will not exceed 2 feet in height. Slash generated within patch cut areas will receive a jack-pot burn. If slash generated from the matrix thinning exceeds fuels objectives, then slash will be piled and later burned by FS personnel. Machine thinned acres will be masticated. b. Individual tree selection mastication and lop and scatter and lop, pile and burn (715 acres) - This ITS prescription will reduce tree densities to between 10 and 15 trees per acre and thin across all diameter classes. Tree species composition will favor pinyon pine over juniper and approximate 70 percent pinyon pine. The intent of this prescription is to achieve an all aged stand dominated by pinyon pine. Of the total acres 460 acres will be masticated, with the remaining 255 to be hand thinned. Approximately 125 acres of the hand thinning are estimated to require piling slash following thinning. The need to pile slash after the thinning treatment will depend on total fuel accumulation. The FS will burn all slash piles. Slash piling and pile burning are required to achieve fuel loading objectives. Up to 2 piles per acre may be left unburned to create small mammal habitat. 5) Maintain and improve health and structure of ponderosa pine community (91 acres): Precommercial thinning - Approximately 91 acres of the ponderosa pine cover type will receive a pre-commercial thinning prescription in which all juniper and pinyon pine less than 8 inched DBH will be removed. The need to pile slash after the thinning treatment will depend on total fuel accumulation. Approximately 50 acres are estimated to require piling slash following thinning. The FS will burn all slash piles. Slash piling and pile burning are required to achieve fuel loading objectives. Up to 2 piles per acre may be left unburned to create small mammal habitat.

Riparian vegetation -- Within the project area the Dixie National Forest has established five Riparian Level III inventories (Winward, 2000). The inventories monitor trend in vegetation composition along the greenline throughout the drainage and will help to evaluate changes in riparian vegetation composition along with repeat photography. Four of the five of the inventory locations are within the riparian conifer removal treatments (two along Ranch Creek, one along Birch Creek and one along Horse Creek). Additionally the Birch Creek Riparian Inventory is also just downstream of the proposed ATV trail reroute. The final inventory is located on Horse Creek outside of areas proposed to be treated. Inventory sites are read on a rotating five year interval and will continued to be monitored for Forest riparian objectives. Results of riparian inventories are detailed in annual monitoring reports by the Dixie National Forest and can be uploaded to the WRI web site (see attachments). Stream habitat -- Dixie National Forest personnel have also begun collecting data on bank stability, bank cover and greenline to greenline width using the Multiple Indicator Monitoring protocol (Burton, Smith, & Cowley, 2011). Bank stability, bank cover and greenline to greenline width have been evaluated at three of the Riparian Inventory locations in the project area, two of which are within the riparian conifer removal treatments on Horse Creek and Birch Creek. Additionally, a transect for monitoring bank stability, bank cover and greenline to greenline width has been established in the Ranch Creek headwater meadow to be protected by the proposed aspen worm fence. The goal is to resurvey these sites for bank stability, bank cover and greenline to greenline width every 5 years. Results of Partial MIM monitoring are detailed in annual monitoring reports by the Dixie National Forest and can be uploaded to the WRI web site (see attachments). Fish -- UDWR has three monitoring stations on Ranch Creek that are visited every 5-7 years to monitor the status and trend of the remnant BCT population in this stream using density, standing crop and occupied stream miles (Hadley & Golden, 2016). Similarly the Dixie National Forest has monitoring stations on Birch Creek and Horse Creek to track the status and trend of nonnative brook trout, which are currently the Management Indicator Species (MIS) for those streams until they are restored with BCT. DNF attempts to monitor quantitative fish stations on a rotating 5 year interval to track status and trends in density and standing crop of MIS. UDWR and DNF both summarize results of their sampling efforts in reports that can be uploaded to the WRI web site (see attachments). Upland vegetation -- Within the project area the Dixie National Forest has established three upland vegetation trend studies. One of the units proposed for conifer removal in a sagebrush meadow has a DNF long-term upland vegetation monitoring plot. Similar to the riparian inventories these studies are repeated every 5 years and are detailed in annual monitoring reports by the Dixie National Forest and can be uploaded to the WRI web site (see attachments). Aspen regeneration - Within aspen and conifer regeneration treatment areas, stocking surveys will be conducted following the first, third, and fifth growing seasons as directed in Forest Service Handbooks. Adaptive management actions will be defined within the project's Decision Notice to assure satisfactory stocking. Wildlife monitoring - The Utah Division of Wildlife regularly conducts mule deer and elk population estimates in and surrounding the project area. Horse Creek GDE monitoring -- Transects indicating the percent of bare soil and other ground disturbances will be conducted every 2 years to monitor some of the recovery of the GDE. Fuels monitoring -- Eleven transects have been established to measure fuel loading throughout the project area, including one of the aspen units proposed for treatment in this project.

The planning for this project was a direct result of the Range-wide Bonneville/Colorado River Cutthroat trout Team 2012 summer field tour and adheres to the recommendations of that team to design proactive vegetation treatments to create fire resilient watersheds around core and conservation population of cutthroat trout. In October 2017 field tours were conducted with UDWR, National Wild Turkey Federation, Mule Deer Foundation and Trout Unlimited personnel, all of whom expressed support for the project. A downstream landowner (Sandberg Ranch Inc.) has been consulted and commented favorably on the Scoping Notice. Their land is almost exclusively in production and not amenable to the types of treatments being proposed. Discussions have occurred with another downstream landowner (Flying V Ranch) that has expressed support for the vegetation treatment portion of this project. They are expecting and are preparing for possible changes to their grazing rotations on the Horse Creek Allotment. This would include but is not limited to resting part of a pasture, time of grazing, herding, temporary fencing, change of salting locations, and other possible ways to achieve our goals. Additional private land parcels are present within the project area along Horse Creek. The landowners (Strattons) have received a scoping notice and efforts are being made to have a discussion with them to determine if they have an interest in treating some of their land. The riparian conifer removal treatments being proposed along Horse Creek are applicable within at least some of these private land parcels. Initial conversations were had with Forestry, Fire and State Lands during the early portions of project planning and attempts were recently made to reinitiate. Conversations have also been initiated with Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife in the hopes that they might be able to assist with treatments across land ownership boundaries with any willing private landowners. Additionally, Garfield County has been made aware of the project and support was expressed in discussions with one of their representatives.

The treatments proposed in this project are part of a larger effort to improve the function and resilience of the Ranch Creek, Birch Creek and Horse Creek subwatersheds. The Dixie National Forest has invested a considerable amount of time and money to put our management focus toward MIS and Sensitive wildlife species in this area, including motorized travel plan implementation, aquatic organism passage projects, forage production projects and monitoring. As mentioned elsewhere in the proposal, Ranch Creek holds a remnant, core BCT population and the UDWR and Forest Service have plans to expand this BCT population into historic habitat in Horse and Birch Creeks. Ensuring that representation of the Ranch Creek BCT population is maintained and expanded is a UDWR and FS priority. Both UDWR and the Forest Service are signatories to the Range-wide Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Bonneville cutthroat trout which will continue to direct management toward maintain and improving watershed function, through road and trail, instream habitat and riparian and upland vegetation projects, such as those contained in this proposal. Once treatments in the entire project area are completed the goal is to manage fire adapted ecosystems through a combination natural fire ignitions (managed for Forest Plan benefits) and low intensity prescribed fire. In terms of riparian and sagebrush treatments monitoring will determine the success of original treatments and maintenance will be conducted as necessary to remove whips and missed trees. The Horse Creek cattle allotment is partially overlain by all of the proposed projects. The allotment is run as a three pasture, deferred rotation with a permitted use of 245 cow/calf pairs. Temporary fencing to exclude livestock and wild ungulates from the riparian treatment areas will be used if average woody browse exceeds 40% of new leaders on willow and cottonwood under browse height or if there are less than 300 stems/acre of aspen trees without the leader being browsed within aspen stands. Livestock use of upland treatment areas will be adaptively managed using a combination of long-term vegetation monitoring coupled with annual use and utilization compliance monitoring to determine if any adjustment to Annual Operating Instructions are necessary to achieve the goals of the project. Herding, salt placement, timing of grazing, fencing, and rest are tools that will be used to achieve upland treatment objectives should they be necessary.

The treatments within this proposal all fall on the active Horse Creek cattle allotment. The Horse Creek allotment is managed on a three pasture, deferred rotation with a permitted use of 245 cow/calf pairs. The vegetation treatments outlined in the proposed action all involve remove overstocked conifers. Within the targeted vegetation types, early successional species following treatment will be grass, forbs and browse species more palatable as forage to both wild and domestic ungulates. Additionally these preliminary treatments will help pave the way for larger treatments throughout the more than 14,000 acre project area which encompasses over half of the more than 24,000 acre Horse Creek allotment. Phase 1 proposes a total of 1,751 acres of conifer removal treatments in mountain sagebrush/shrubland, wooded shrubland and PJ woodland habitats that have a high potential for increases grasses and forbs, as well as more palatable browse species. Phase 1 also proposes for conifer removal in 841 acres of treatment in aspen and ponderosa pine vegetation types, which also should have increases grasses and forbs and/or produce more palatable browse species. These treatments will occur in the Riddle Swale and Grass Lakes pastures. These treatments should pave the way to increase pasture flexibility and allow for additional prescribed fire and other treatments in the spruce-fir and mixed conifer vegetation types in the Grass Lakes pasture. Additionally similar treatment are slated for future phases in the neighboring Horse Creek pasture and forage increases from Phase I treatments should provide additional flexibility for rest of those treatments. With an increase in available forage, these treatments should help with alleviating current utilization issues on the allotment by improving livestock distribution.

10/01/2018

05/14/2019

2019

UDWR worked with the Forest Service to contract with Giles Construction to contract 1,078 acres of Pinyon-Juniper Mastication. In Using an existing IDIQ the Forest Service using Jackson Excavating to decommission 0.25 miles of ATV trail from within to Aquatic Management Zone and create a new route outside of the Aquatic Management Zone. UDWR worked with the Forest Service to contract 56 acres of lop and pile and 701 acres of lop and scatter of pinyon and junipers. Finally, UDWR worked with the Forest Service to contract construction 764 feet of wildlife fence around a spring and 1788 feet of fence around a critical meadow for Bonneville cutthroat trout along Ranch Creek.

With the exception of the road relocation, the bid price for virtually every project component came in higher than we had estimated in the original project proposal, which resulted in some changes to project implementation on the ground to avoid budget overruns. 1) Fencing - We attempted two pre-bid meetings for the fence with no contractors showing up. The third attempt we did not require a pre-bid and got two estimates both of which were double or more the estimated price. The lower bid came in at almost $15/foot (estimated at $8/foot) for the net mesh 8 foot fence and $21.50 per foot (estimated at $9/foot) for the aspen log worm fencing. We remapped fence lines and were able to reduce the distance of aspen log worm fence but had to slightly increase the distance of net mesh fence to avoid some pipelines and an outflow channel. In the end we installed 764 feet of net mesh fence and 1,788 feet of aspen log worm fence. Without a pre-bid meeting the contractor did not realize the lack of access for a Bobcat to the project site; however, they adjusted and completed the project by hand and with horses. 2) Mastication -- We had two companies attend the pre-bid and both companies submitted bids that were higher than we had estimate. The low bid came in at $439/acre (estimated $400/acre). In order to meet budget and assist with the hand thinning and fence contract costs we removed 105 acres from the final project. In addition nearly 150 acres were inaccessible because of rocks and slope. We exchanged those acres for similar treatment acres in Lower Horse Creek that would have been included in Phase II of the project but were completed under this contract instead. New mastication shape files have been loaded to represent acres actually treated. 3) Hand treatments -- a. Lop and pile -- Prior to implementation the Forest Service Interdisciplinary Team decided to change the prescription on the riparian lop and pile out of corners that the contractor would not be able to get material away from the stream and/or that bids would come back considerably higher than expected. The decision was made to masticate up to the edge of hydric vegetation and lop and scatter the material remaining in the inner gorge. Shape files have been modified to reflect riparian hand work versus mastication. Based on the costs of the Riparian fencing we decided to forgo piling some of the project, opting for future broadcast burning instead. We had 2 contractors attend the pre-bid and two contractors place a bid. The low bid had costs substantially higher than the we estimated for all treatments. We had estimated costs of $450/acre to lop and pile conifers encroaching on 201 acres of aspen. The low bidder came in with costs of $1,475/acre. Since treating just these acres at that cost would have precluded almost all other treatments we dropped these acres from the final contract. For lop and pile of the 56 acres of Mountain sagebrush/shrubland we had remaining the bid came in at $1014/acre ($600/acre estimated). We completed these 56 acres. b. Lop and scatter (Sagebrush shrublands) Bids came in at $202/acre for lop and scatter treatments of Pinyon/juniper in Mountain sagebrush/shrublands which were originally estimated at $150/acre. All these acres were completed. c. Lop and scatter (Riparian) Bids came in at $202/acre for 39 acres of riparian lop and scatter on Birch Creek and $516.58 for 37 acres of riparian lop and scatter on Ranch Creek. We had originally estimated $150/acre for 34 acres of lop and scatter and $600/acre for 46 acres of lop and pile. Lop and scatter work was completed along 38 acres of Birch Creek and 37 acres of Ranch Creek. Reduction in acres over the original proposal was the result of masticating as close to the stream as possible. d. Lop and scatter Pinyon Juniper woodland -- Bid came in at $308/acre for lop and scatter treatment on 118 acres of Pinyon Juniper woodlands. We estimated this treatment at $150/acre. All these acres were completed. e. Individual tree selection/Group selection (lop and scatter) Pinyon-Juniper woodlands -- Bids came in at $407 per acre on 255 acres of Individual tree selection/Group selection (lop and scatter). We estimated this treatment at $600 for a lop and pile on 178 acres and $150/acre for the remaining 77 acres. We opted for future broadcast burning over the lop and pile treatment. All these acres were completed. f. Precommercial thinning (lop and scatter) Ponderosa Pine -- Bids came in at $233/acre for 91 acres of precommercial thinning/lop and scatter in ponderosa pine stands which were originally estimated to cost $250/acre. Originally 50 of these acres were planned to be piled at an additional cost of $200/acre; however, we opted for future broadcast burning instead. All 91 acres of precommercial thinning/lop and scatter were completed. Lessons learned Two major lessons learned on this project were: 1) Complex prescriptions and contract language were difficult for the contractors to understand when bidding and led to issues with debatable language during implementation. We had slightly different objectives for each vegetation type and developed timber stand prescriptions in primarily sagebrush and pinyon juniper woodlands. While most of the treatments were still just mastication or hand thinning of Pinyon Junipers we feel like the length and complexity of the various prescriptions may have resulted in increased bud prices. Additionally, one sentence in several of the prescriptions was ambiguous about whether to take or leave trees over a certain size which resulted in some larger trees being left in some of the hand treatments. This language also led to a large increase in price for the riparian acres on Ranch Creek in order to get 100% removal of PJ from these acres. 2) At one point in November 2019 we had 6 masticators, three hand crews and a fence crew all going at the same time. This made administration more difficult and resulted in more inspectors on the ground and different message being conveyed to contractors. In the future we hope to phase the contracts so they are not all occurring on top of each other, as well as look into hiring seasonal workers to complete project inspection so that the contractors are hearing one message consistently. Summary In summary we completed 1,078 acres of Pinyon Juniper mastication in sage brush-shrublands, mesic riparian areas, pinyon Juniper woodlands, and ponderosa pine habitats. We also completed hand thinning and piling of Pinyon Juniper on 56 acres pf sage brush shrublands and hand thinning and scattering of pinyon and juniper from 701 acres of sage brush-shrublands, riparian areas, pinyon Juniper woodlands, and ponderosa pine habitats. We also removed 0.25 miles of ATV trail from within the Aquatic Management Zone by decommissioning the existing trail and replacing it with one out of the Aquatic Management Zone. Finally, we protected 4 acres of riparian area with a combination of livestock and wildlife exclusion fencing.

The treatments proposed in this project are part of a larger effort to improve the function and resilience of the Ranch Creek, Birch Creek and Horse Creek subwatersheds. The Dixie National Forest has invested a considerable amount of time and money to put our management focus toward MIS and Sensitive wildlife species in this area, including motorized travel plan implementation, aquatic organism passage projects, forage production projects and monitoring. As mentioned elsewhere in the proposal, Ranch Creek holds a remnant, core BCT population and the UDWR and Forest Service have plans to expand this BCT population into historic habitat in Horse and Birch Creeks. Ensuring that representation of the Ranch Creek BCT population is maintained and expanded is a UDWR and FS priority. Both UDWR and the Forest Service are signatories to the Range-wide Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Bonneville cutthroat trout which will continue to direct management toward maintain and improving watershed function, through road and trail, instream habitat and riparian and upland vegetation projects, such as those contained in this proposal. Once treatments in the entire project area are completed the goal is to manage fire adapted ecosystems through a combination natural fire ignitions (managed for Forest Plan benefits) and low intensity prescribed fire. In terms of riparian and sagebrush treatments monitoring will determine the success of original treatments and maintenance will be conducted as necessary to remove whips and missed trees. The Forest is in the process of developing a Phase II Implementation proposal for submission to the State FY2021 round of UWRI.