Vegetation: A healthy sagebrush community should consist of a diverse plant community and a variety of wildlife. The sagebrush habitat on the Cedar Mesa is becoming degraded due to encroaching pinyon and juniper. Areas where trees have become dominant, they have out competed understory species for light, moisture, and nutrients. This eventually results in a loss of many understory species. The lack of understory species will deplete the native seed bank, increase soil erosion, and increases non-native weed invasion (cheatgrass). Excessive fuel build up can result in catastrophic wildfires, which further degrades the habitat and increases the likelihood of cheatgrass expansion. Removing some of the pinyon and juniper and seeding with perennial species can improve the degraded sagebrush communities. It will ensure the seed bank maintains desirable species, reduces the chances of catastrophic wildfires, and decrease the risk of weed invasion. There are also several acres of previously used land for annual crops that if left unplanted will serve as a source of weeds for surrounding rangeland. Wildlife: The San Juan 14b deer and herds are at <50% of the population objective for the area. These population declines can be attributed in part to habitat quality and quantity on both summer and winter ranges. These stands are in poor condition as a result drought cycles and high utilization by both deer and domestic livestock. Furthermore, existing stands are being outcompeted by Pinyon and Juniper (PJ) trees thus reducing the carrying capacity for mule deer and other wildlife species. Removing trees in a mosaic pattern will improve winter range condition, because pinyon-juniper trees do provide valuable thermal and hiding cover for deer. Removing some pinyon and juniper trees will improve the quantity and quality of sagebrush in the area. This would provide valuable winter range forage for mule deer with hiding and thermal cover in close proximity. This should aid in both deer over winter survival as well as fawn production. Watershed Health: Areas dominated by Pinyon-Juniper produce limited understory vegetation and the bare soil interspaces are prone to soil loss by erosion. Herbaceous vegetation is important in impeding overland flow and is effective at reducing soil erosion. Both the potential increase in herbaceous vegetation and the masticated tree material should help stabilize the soils by reducing erosion and protect the water quality throughout the watershed. Pinyon and Juniper intercept 10-20% of precipitation according to Horman et al. 1999. By removing P-J this should allow for more precipitation to contact the soil and increase biomass on the ground. In areas where lop and scatter will be used there should be adequate vegetation to avoid soil erosion but this should increase the amount of water into the system instead of evaporating before it reaches the ground. P-J expansion into areas that historically had greater forbs and grasses present impedes streamflow for off-site (downstream) uses (Folliott 2012). P-J presence alters the amount and distribution of water that reaches the soil. Because P-J is very competitive for water this often reduces grasses and forbs within the area, leading to bare soil. "The increase in bare soil, particularly in the spaces between trees, typically leads to increased runoff and soil loss as the juniper infestation increases" (Thurow 1997). Increased runoff and sediment load, decrease water yield and water quality within the watershed. Studies have shown that an evaluation of alternatives using conversion treatments to enhance stream-flow in the P-J should be made (Barr 1956).

1) Promote a healthy understory of grasses, forbs and shrubs to provide quality habitat for wildlife and range species. 1a. 12-20% preferred browse, 20% or less shrub decadency, 10%+ young shrub population. 1b. 8-15% perennial grasses, 5% perennial forb, less than 5% annual grass cover 2) Reduce the encroachment of pinyon/juniper trees in sagebrush meadows, but leave patches of trees for wildlife corridors. 3) Reduce cheatgrass expansion by promoting perennial grass, forb, and shrub cover. 4) Reduce the density of pinyon/juniper trees as a hazardous fuels treatment to protect habitat at risk from a devastating wildfire event. 5) Reduce overland flows of water from rain/snow events where there is heavy pinyon/juniper stands. Allowing water to be infiltrated into the soils and slowly released back into the system. 6) After mechanical treatments have occurred it has been shown that 2 to 3 years post treatment there is a decrease in bare ground on the site. This increase was from grasses, forbs and litter left on site from mechanical treatment (Miller et al. 2014). 7) Increase available forage for livestock for wildlife. 8) Help bring this plant community back into a more natural state with a variety of age classes of plant communities. 9) Maintain and improve ecological site description as described in the NRCS Ecological Site Description.

This project focuses on pinyon/ juniper removal as a means to maintain healthy sagebrush habitat. Sagebrush habitat is at risk of being lost due to excessive pinyon and juniper, subsequent wildfire, and high potential for cheatgrass invasion and other annual weeds. High severity wildfire could lead to an increase in cheatgrass and loss of native species. This project will decrease the risk of high severity wildfire by reducing fuel loading, reduce soil erosion, and promoting the growth of understory vegetation, which are critical to maintaining ecosystem resilience. There is also some reclamation that needs to be completed on an area of annual crop land. If this area is not reclaimed cheat grass and other undesirable annual weeds will take hold and make reclamation in the future harder to accomplish.

The National Fire Plan *Designed to manage the potential impacts of wildland fire to communities and ecosystems and to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildland fire *The NFP focuses on strategies for improving fire preparedness, restoring and rehabilitating burned areas, reducing hazardous fuels, assisting communities, and identifying research needs BLM National Policy Guidance on Wildlife and Fisheries Management *This manual provides direction to restore, maintain and improve wildlife habitat conditions on public lands through the implementation of activity plans Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule Deer 2014-2019 Section VI Statewide management goals and objectives. This plan will address 1: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range. 2. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that are being taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. 3. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. 4. Work with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize mule deer habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration. 5. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that are being taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. 6. Continue to identify, map, and characterize crucial mule deer habitats throughout the state, and identify threats and limiting factors to each habitat. 7. Work with land management agencies and private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer habitats, especially fawning and wintering areas. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Elk 2015-2022 1) Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. 2) Reduce adverse impacts to elk herds and elk habitat. 3) Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat. 4) Coordinate with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize elk habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration. Elk herd unit #14 management plan Winter Range - Maintain and improve winter foraging areas through browse regeneration and pinyon-juniper removal projects. Deer Herd Unit #14 management plan-habitat objectives -Protect, maintain, and/or improve deer habitat through direct range improvements to support and maintain herd population management objectives. -Work with private landowners and federal, state, and local governments to maintain and protect critical and existing ranges from future losses and degradation through grazing management and OHV and Travel Plan modifications. -Work with federal, private, and state partners to improve crucial deer habitats through the WRI process. -Work with federal and state partners in fire rehabilitation on crucial deer habitat through the WRI process -Maintain and protect critical winter range from future losses. Acquire critical winter range when the opportunity arises. San Juan County Master Plan Fuels Management *Objectives a. Impacts of wildfire on the health, safety and property of County residents as well as valuable natural and cultural resources are prevented or minimized. b. Natural fuel load conditions benefit or improve watersheds and forage conditions and are appropriately maintained by natural and prescribed fire. 2. Support the use of prescribed and natural fire to avoid catastrophic fire, encourage aspen regeneration, remove dead standing trees, manage bark beetle impacts, and increase vegetation and diversity in plant communities. Prescribed fires should be coordinated with the State Smoke Coordinator prior to ignition and follow the requirements of the State's Enhanced Smoke Management Plan. 3. Use fuel reduction techniques such as conifer reduction, grazing, prescribed fire, chemical, biological, and mechanical treatments appropriate for site characteristics. Livestock Objectives a. The livestock industry is a viable and sustainable component of the County's economy, heritage, and culture. 3. Support the implementation of rangeland improvement projects including brush control, seeding projects, pinion and juniper removal, noxious and invasive weed control, and livestock water developments. 4. Support continued properly managed livestock grazing on grazing allotments rather than conversion to conservation, wildlife or other uses even when a permitted may propose relinquishment or retirement of grazing AUMs for other purposes.

This project will decrease the risk of high severity wildfire by reducing fuel loading, reduce soil erosion, and promoting the growth of understory vegetation, which are critical to maintaining ecosystem resilience. Fuels in the current state pose a hazard to fire personnel, the private citizens, structures and infrastructure. The current fire regime condition class is moderate (2), and would be reduced to low (1) immediately after treatment. The habitat type has been identified in the 2015-2025 Utah Wildlife Action Plan that lowland sagebrush is a key habitat and the threats associated with this key habitat are inappropriate fire frequency and intensity. This project will help bring to achieve this goals. The removal of trees would create a break in the tree canopy where firefighter could begin to manage the fire. According to the Utah DNR Wildfire Risk Portal (Cat. Fire Map or UWRAP) the area has a risk score of low/moderate and a threat score of low/moderate. The area is remote and does have the potential to grow to large acre before being noticed. Treatment in this area could reduce the potential for fires by creating a gap in the tree canopy allowing for potential place to begin fire management.

Watershed Health: Areas with limited understory vegetation and the bare soil interspaces are prone to soil loss by erosion. Herbaceous vegetation is important in impeding overland flow and is effective at reducing soil erosion. Both the potential increase in herbaceous vegetation and the masticated tree material should help stabilize the soils by reducing erosion and protect the water quality throughout the watershed. Pinyon and Juniper intercept 10-20% of precipitation according to Horman et al. 1999. By removing p/j this should allow for more precipitation to contact the soil and increase biomass on the ground. In areas where lop and scatter will be used there should be adequate vegetation to avoid soil erosion but this should increase the amount of water into the system instead of evaporating before it reaches the ground. Results of the Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative study in Nevada (Desatoya Mt.) found that by removing (lop and scatter) P/J (130 trees/acre) there is the potential to increase water recharge yields 4% on wet years. On wet years this will increase recharge, but does not increase streamflow. Wet meadows and upland plants benefit by utilizing the increase soil moisture, providing for better resiliency during drought years. This provides for an increase in water quantity for herbaceous plants on sites where p/j is removed. A recent publication by Roundy et al. 2014 showed that phase 3 juniper removal can increase available moisture for more than 3 weeks in the spring. And removing juniper from phase 1 and 2 stands can increase water from 6-20 days respectively. Because juniper are prolific water users they readily out compete understory species which eventually die off.

Archaeological Clearances will be completed for the project areas, significant sites will be avoided. SHPO concurrence will be completed before any project activities begin. A RIP will also be submitted with SITLA.

Treatments would be implemented through a combination of mechanical and hand thinning techniques. Hand thinning will be used on 532 acres that were previously chained and a desirable understory is present. Mechanical treatments will utilized a bull hog or mechanical shredder for masticating the juniper and pinyon trees on 587 acres. Areas requiring seed will be aerial seeded with grasses, forbs, and shrubs prior to mechanical treatment so the seed can be incorporated into the soil for establishment. Mechanical treatment will be done in areas where there is little to no understory in the pinyon/juniper and seeding will need to be done before the project begins. A second flight will take place seeding any species that need to be on the surface instead of incorporated in the soil. A range land drill will need to be used to seed the 560 acres of previously farmed wheat fields.

Monitoring will include both qualitative (photo plots) and quantitative vegetation monitoring transects. This will include line intercept to monitor vegetation results. Mule deer and elk counts will continue with DWR biologist in the area. Pellet transects will be identified with the veg. monitoring and will be read when veg. transects are monitoring. All methods will be done pre-treatment and 3 years post treatment. See Images/Documents for detailed methods.

This project has had several agencies involved and on the ground to look at potential treatment sites and project alternatives. A field tour brought both UDWR and NRCS together to look at the project to see where both agencies could help the project further itself. There has also been communication between UDWR and SITLA to discuss the treatment areas and methods to be used. The project has also been discussed with GIP who is supportive of it.

The project area falls within an active grazing allotment. In areas where seeding will occur the BLM will work with the permittees to rest seeded areas for 2 growing seasons. Fencing will not be constructed as part of this project. The project will be evaluated after treatment to determine if any follow treatments will need to occur, particularly if additional herbicide applications are needed. The project area is on BLM lands and will continue to be managed for multiple use, including grazing, hunting, wildlife watching and many other recreational activities. The area is within the The Deer Herd Management Plan for the San Juan Unit 14b dated October of 2015. The herd objective is 7,000 deer with a 3 year average of 25 to 35 buck per 100 does post season. The area will continue to managed for these numbers. The area is under objective and this project would help work toward achieving this goal. The San Juan Elk Herd unit 14 Management Plan states that population objective is 1,300 elk the current population estimate is slightly under objective. The area will continues to be managed for increased elk numbers. The area will also be monitored for cheat grass and if it is needed treatments will take place to control the cheat grass while perineal grasses and forbs establish.

This project is within a active grazing allotment. The treatment area will be rested for 2 growing seasons post treatment. Bullhog activities will increase forage for livestock in the area and the lop and scatter areas will maintain current forage conditions for wildlife and livestock. The bull hog areas would allow for more forage and allow for less utilization once new forage is established. This would allow for better distribution of livestock within the allotment. In the lop and scatter areas the removal of trees would decrease of competition between P-J and herbaceous vegetation for limited water resources in the area allowing for better plant vigor.

11/27/2018

12/05/2018

2019

Drill seeding was conducted with two range land drills pulled in tandem behind a tractor. Drills started on the outside and worked their way in completing 50-75 acres a day. Lop and scatter treatments were also conducted with hand crews clearing the previously chained areas.

The project started out with dry conditions and the drills were becoming plugged with Russian thistles. This was a reoccurring problem where the operator would have to lift the disks and drive to a rabbit brush to clear the disks out. Several days in it snowed 2-4 inches. The snow was melted by early morning however with the increased moisture the drills were not plugged as often. Several days after the first snow storm it snowed again however this time it did not melt. Seeding operations continued with seed to soil contact occurring however late in the days with temperatures dropping the soil disturbance was less. The lop and scatter treatment was started in late October (week of October 22). As the crew started cutting the amount of lower live limbs was an issue that took several trips to the job site to meet with the crew. Eventually we were able to communicate what we were looking for and then the crew did fine. The lop and scatter was completed by 11-9-18

The area will be monitored for several years to determine seeding success. Winter of 2018-2019 was a good snow year. Weedy species including Russian thistle and cheat grass were pervasive in spring of 2019. The lop and scatter will be monitored and maintained when a re treatment is deemed necessary.