The Upper Provo Watershed is in need of vegetation management in order to maintain and improve watershed conditions. Primary focus is terrestrial and aquatic wildlife and fuels reduction. -Mastication & Lop Scatter- Juniper is encroaching into the sagebrush communities, limiting the diversity of plant and animal species and increasing the risk of unwanted fire effects in the event of a wildfire. The invasion of junipers excludes other plant species by limiting water, light and nutrients available to the understory vegetation. As other plant species are excluded, ground cover is decreased and the juniper out competes the understory vegetation and reduces the amount of browse available to big game. Also, the juniper is contributing to ladder fuels. The stage of encroachment is not particularly severe at this time, but conditions will continue to degrade if no action is taken. This stage of encroachment is ideal for implementation of mastication and lop/scatter because the understory is still established, making restoration easier and less costly to treat. -Wetland Encroachment- The project encompassing 178 acres of wetlands and wet meadows includes areas that support both herbaceous and woody riparian vegetation. Many of these features are transitioning to a late seral status where surrounding conifer forest is encroaching, or in some cases, has completely covered over the wetland or meadow area. -Prescribed Fire- a 6,007 acre block near Shingle Creek has been identified for treatment by prescribed fire. Prescribed fire is scheduled to be implemented in spring or fall 2018. The area slated for burning will break up the homogenous stands of beetle killed conifer, increase aspen seedling and sapling, as well as reduce the risk for high severity wildfire to impact the area.

-Prescribed Fire: Near Shingle Creek a block of approximately 6,007 acres has been identified for prescribed fire. The Upper Setting Road borders on the west and Norway Flats on the east. This area has several vegetation types including lodgepole pine, aspen, mixed conifer, brush and oak types and sage brush/grass. Fire would be applied in a mosaic pattern across the unit in order to create patches of early seral conditions, thus increasing age and vegetative composition diversity at a landscape scale. The following objectives have been identified: * Apply fire to 20-80% of beetle killed lodgepole pine within the project area. * Create a mosaic of burn patches within 30-50% of shrub and aspen communities. * Cause 60-80% mortality of mature stems within shrub and aspen burn patches 1 year post-burn. Existing roads, trails and terrain features would be used to contain the fire, thus eliminating the need for extensive fire line construction. There would be some cleaning out along foot trails to reduce fuels adjacent to the tread. The hazard tree reduction along the roads also would strengthen those lines. Ignition would be primarily by hand held drip torch and terra torch along the roads and trails and with helicopter ignition on the interior. Either or both heli-torch and PSD (Plastic Sphere Dispenser) would be utilized during aerial ignition. This treatment would contribute towards the purpose and need by creating early seral patches within the burn area in all vegetation types. Mastication: Mastication of juniper would occur in the north fork area along Highway 150 for a total of 155 acres. Mastication would be accomplished with track mounted mulching heads such as the hydro axe, or drum roller on a rubber tired machine. This would result in the reduction of canopy fuels in the event of wildfire and also encourages early seral stage vegetation development favoring the sagebrush and grasses. In the unit there are valley bottoms being encroached by juniper, primarily in the section east of Pine Valley and near the North Fork snowmobile parking area. In this unit removal of juniper would be beneficial to the sage brush by removing the juniper that competes for available water and sunlight. This treatment would contribute towards the purpose and need by removing potential fuels and returning the units to the sage/grass communities that would have been there in a natural fire regime that periodically burnt the young juniper. Lop Scatter: Lop scatter would occur in areas stepper than 30% slope north of Samak, Utah. The area being targeted has younger aged juniper along a south facing slope. The juniper is encroaching into the mtn mahogany and oak habitat. This treatment will increase the availability of forage for Mule deer and elk as well as increasing there ability to migrate from winter/transitional/summer ranges Wetland Encroachment: This treatment would contribute towards the purpose and need by maintaining the integrity and health of the wetland communities. The wetland treatment units are found near Soapstone campground and the associated Columbia spotted frog population and south of Washington Lake. These wetlands are transitioning to a late seral status where surrounding conifer forest is encroaching, or in some cases, has completely covered over the wetland or meadow area. Generally proposed treatments would result in removal of conifer from the meadow perimeter of 178 acres of wetlands and wet meadows. In most cases only a small portion of the meadow would receive any treatment, leaving a small number of large old trees within the meadow and some large wood in the meadows would help provide for habitat diversity/cover, riparian buffer enhancement, and nutrient cycling. Any treatment would exclude use of mechanized equipment on saturated soils so as to avoid rutting and irreversible damage to these features. Where trees are small they may be cut and left in place, or piled for burning the slash. Larger trees will be cabled/winched out or removed over snow and bucked or piled for burning. Wetlands serve a critical role in natural ecosystems, and provide habitat for a wide variety of species including birds, amphibians, and fish. Conifer encroachment is occurring in many locations and the cause may not be easily determined (Thompson J. , 2007). Removing conifers along the periphery of meadows and wetlands will help maintain a diversity of habitats within the project area. This project may be particularly beneficial for amphibian species some of which use wetlands almost exclusively. Columbia spotted frog breeding habitat requires areas of open water that are exposed to sunlight in order to raise water temperatures during the day (Goldberg & Waits, 2009). Eggs are often deposited in the northwest corner of breeding ponds as this is often the first area to become ice-free. Hossack and Corn in 2007 found that following wildfire boreal toad colonized previously unoccupied wetlands. Although some studies suggest that water yield increases following a timber harvest, it is not possible to know whether the removal of conifers will lead to a measurable increase in wetland size as water that was typically taken up by conifers remains within the wetland. It was found that populations of Columbia spotted frog in large wetlands were more drought tolerant than populations in small wetlands (Hossack et al, 2013). With climate change occurring, maintaining wetland complexes will become even more critical (McMenamin, Hadly, & Wright, 2008

* The few areas of sagebrush steppe in the project area are at risk due to juniper encroachment. If no action is taken, then watershed conditions and wildlife habitat will continue to degrade. * The juniper trees are creating ladder fuels and increasing the risk of high intensity/severity wildfire occurring. * Highway 150 is a heavily used recreation corridor, and public safety is potentially at risk should a wildfire occur in the area (as identified in a 2005 Fireshed Assessment). Reducing hazardous fuels along the corridor will help mitigate this public safety issue. Encroachment from juniper into sage habitat as well as conifer encroachment into wetlands is already happening and conditions will only degrade further with time, making the process of removal more difficult. NEPA is complete on a watershed scale and other projects are moving forward. There is potential to combine this project with others (mowing, mastication, Rx burning) to lower costs. Habitat for big game will be reduced. Aspen stands within the project area are typically classified as either early seral or late climax and are the primary target of the prescribed fire. Stands characterized as early seral within the project area are currently being encroached upon by local conifer species, including sub-alpine fir and lodgepole pine. Under historical conditions, aspen often act as a natural fuel break during wildfire due to high fuel moisture contents and a lack of vertical fuel continuity in the typical even-aged stands (Howard 1996). Therefore vegetation age class and species diversity will continue to degrade, encroachment and homogeneity will continue to negatively impact the watershed.

-UDWR. 2006. CONSERVATION AGREEMENT AND STRATEGY FOR COLUMBIA SPOTTED FROG (RANA LUTEIVENTRIS) IN THE STATE OF UTAH. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Publication Number 06-01, Salt Lake City, UT. Cites that: "Habitat loss and degradation have been indicated as major causes of the declines in spotted frog populations and distribution" pp.22. -UDWR. 2005. BOREAL TOAD (BUFO BOREAS BOREAS) CONSERVATION PLAN. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Publication Number 05-37, Salt Lake City, UT. Indicates that habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and fire intensity/effect are threatening BT populations. pp.12-17. -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 nonnative 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 Fire / Fuels: This project will remove fuels and yet not likely reduce fire risk as moisture content in treated areas would probable prevent wildfire.

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. Mastication along the highway corridor will directly impact fire conditions by altering fire behavior, allowing resources to respond faster and utilize suppression tactics more effectively. In addition, the change conditions will reduce the risk of unwanted fire effects and increase public and firefighter safety.

These vegetation treatment is expected to result in an overall improvement in Riparian Habitat Conservation Area wildfire resiliency and will contribute to the attainment of the Riparian Management Objectives that have been established for the Upper Provo Project (Upper Provo Watershed Restoration Project Environmental Assessment, 2015), including: * Maintain or improve water quality and attainment of established beneficial uses of surface waters within the project area. * Maintain or improve instream habitat features and characteristics. * Maintain or improve stream channel stability and floodplain function. * Maintain or improve non-point source pollutant filtering capacity of RHCAs. * Maintain or improve timing and variability of water tables in meadows, wetlands, and riparian corridors. Additionally, the treatment will result in an increase in ground cover and a subsequent reduction in erosion potential. Water Quality will not change as BMP's will be utilized to remove potential impacts. Wetland Encroachment- Removal of conifers may increase water quantity. Water Quality will not change as BMP's will be utilized to remove potential impacts.

NEPA is completed and includes Section 106 (SHPO) and Section 7 (ESA) compliance. Archaeology clearances completed, June 25, 2014. ACoE consultation will occur and Section 404 permits will be obtained if needed.

Wetland Encroachment- Generally proposed treatments would result in removal of conifer from the meadow perimeter and in most cases only a small portion of the meadow would receive any treatment. Leaving a small number of large old trees within the meadow and some large wood in the meadows would help provide for habitat diversity/cover, riparian buffer enhancement, and nutrient cycling. Any treatment would exclude use of mechanized equipment on saturated soils so as to avoid rutting and irreversible damage to these features. Where trees are small they may be cut and left in place, or piled for burning the slash. Larger trees should be cables/winched out or removed over snow. Prescribed Fire- The 6,007 acre burn was black-lined in fall 2017, we would target the western portion in spring 2018 with aerial ignition and firing devices before green up. Next we will target the upper portion in the beetle killed spruce and lodge pole with aerial ignition late summer/fall 2018. Resources needed will be 3-6 engines, 1-2 10 person squads, 1 water tender. All prep work is complete and unit is ready to be finished. Juniper Encroachment- Methods will include both mastication and lop/scatter depending on slope. The area north of Samak will be lop/scatter due to slope and the area near north fork parking lot will be mastication. Chainsaws will be used for lop scatter and excavator/skidsteer will be utilized for the mastication.

Monitoring by USFS personnel will be on-going and consist of two parts. The first will be to determine reencroachment by non-riparian vegetation and the second will be assess aquatic and semi-aquatic organism uses, particularly amphibians. 12 established vegetation plots will be revisited and walk through surveys will be completed at least once posttreatment by USFS personnel. 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.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources - Northern Region Aquatics have assisted in selection of meadow encroachment treatment areas and jointly (with USFS) monitor amphibian populations. Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands- Worked with Northern region FMO on identifying areas targeted for lop scatter and mastication. USFS- Fuels program and wildlife biologist identified and laid ground work for areas identified. Town of Samak Permittee's- Allotment permitee willing to work with USFS on grazing in areas looking to have work implemented, understanding the benefit to grazing.

If FS monitoring efforts show renewed encroachment further treatments will be undertaken. Grazing will continue where currently allowed. Forest visitors will continue to access the area as at current levels. Re-treatments of RX fire, lop scatter and mastication will be undertaken if veg plot surveys indicate a need.

About 1/3 of this project is within the Kamas Valley allotment. Maintaining surface water increases watering sources and forage. Available Forage is expected to increase post-treatment with the reduction in juniper and othyer conifer canopy density, increases in aspen cover and nutrification from Rx fire.

10/01/2018

06/30/2022

2022

Mastication using excavator, prescribed burning using hand and aerial ignitions, lop and scatter using hand crews.

Phase 3 of the Upper Provo Watershed Restoration Project was completed in 2022 using a combination of WRI, NGO, and USFS funding. These funds ran through the fiscal years of 2017-2022 and incorporated a combination of treatment types including mastication, lop & scatter, tree well burning, and broadcast burning. Phase 3 spanned over 4,700 acres along the Mirror Lake Highway in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. This phase is part of a long-term project to create a system of fuel breaks and decrease fuel loading in a critical watershed. By utilizing the existing road network, a connected system of fuel breaks will be established that can be used to manage future fires. The focus of this phase was to reintroduce fire onto the landscape through broadcast burning and tree well burning. The broadcast burn involved multiple entries during 2018 & 2019 and was successful at clearing ground fuels in 2819.25 acres. This phase also incorporated tree well burning Ponderosa Pine within six units totaling 314 acres. 998 acres of juniper were masticated by forest service personnel in three different areas along Mirror Lake Highway. 178 acres were treated in 2018, 197 acres in 2019, and 623 acres between 2020-2022. By not contracting out this treatment and keeping it in-house, the cost per acre was lower and more acres could be treated than planned (998 vs. 155 acres). Two lop and scatter treatments totaling 587 acres were completed in 2018 (409 acres were conifer removal and 178 acres for wetland improvement). Funds leftover from the mastication project were used to increase the scope of lop and scatter from 409 acres to 587 acres. Over a period of 5 years, 4,718 acres of overstocked forest were treated and returned to resilient and managed conditions.

We will continue to treat the entire Upper Provo Watershed from the head waters to the reservoir until desired conditions identified in the NEPA are achieved. Once that happens this project will be put on a maintenance program for eternity.