The Parowan Front project area is dominated by stands of pinyon and juniper trees with a high percentage of young trees encroaching areas of remaining sagebrush, bitterbrush, cliffrose, and other deciduous shrubs causing a downward trend in herbaceous cover. The project area serves as an important winter and transition range for mule deer. The I-15 corridor severly diminishes the amount of winter range accessible to the Panguitch Lake deer herd (unit 28). This project will help address these limiting factors by improving and adding critical high quality transitional and winter range for mule deer and other sage brush steppe species. The Panguitch Lake (unit 28) deer herd is currently above objective. The main limiting factor being winter range (doe tags and expensive re-location projects are being used to address this problem). This treatment will help to expand critical high quality habitat, and in return will help bring mule deer populations within healthy carrying capacities for long term improvements in rangeland health. Accordingly, the Parowan Front Wildlife Management Plan states" due to the extent of the encroachment an aggressive thinning policy is to be carried out on the Parowan Front WMA's to improve habitat for wintering deer." Habitat improvement is important to minimize wildlife depredation on surrounding agricultural lands and to counteract the loss of habitat in surrounding areas due to development.

The overall goals for the project are: restore the sage steppe ecosystem; restore and enhance riparian systems and water quality, and improve big game habitat on public lands. Specifically, the goals are to remove 90% or more of pinyon and juniper trees in the project area while leaving islands of trees in a mosaic pattern for use by mule deer as thermal cover; re-establish perennial grass, forbs and shrubs to as close to ESD percentages as possible; decrease hazardous fuels and the threat of catastrophic fire; and reduce erosion potential and sediment in to the Cedar Valley and Little Salt Lake Valley.

The invasion of pinyon and juniper trees into areas once dominated by grasses, forbs, and shrubs has lowered the carrying capacity for wintering mule deer. Not completing this project we risk mule deer herds being forced to compete for browse and forage on an already crowded winter range, thus decreasing the carrying capacity of the range even further. The increase of pinyon and juniper also increases the risk for catastrophic wildfires in these habitats, resulting in the complete or partial loss of current winter range. A past project identical to (Private land mastication adjacent) the proposed project has proven successful in meeting these objectives. As with any surface disturbing activity in a sagebrush steppe ecosystem there is a low potential for weed invasion. BLM/DWR will aggressively treat any noxious weeds within the treatment area if found.

Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management plan (2008) The encroachment of pinyon and juniper threatens to choke out understory grass, forbs, and shrubs. Increasing risk of catastrophic wildfire. In order for mule deer herds to thrive in Utah, it is essential that extensive habitat treatments be completed. To address the decline in mule deer habitat throughout Utah, restoration projects are being implemented to target habitat improvement on crucial mule deer ranges that have shifted in dominance to less desirable types or have degraded and provide little productivity. Panguitch lake Deer Herd Unit Mangement Plan (#28) 2015 The mid elevation upland site supports a pinyon-Utah juniper community and is generally considered to be in very poor condition for deer winter range. This community is prone to infilling from pinyon-juniper trees which can reduce understory shrub and herbaceous cover if not addressed. It is recommended that work to reduce the pinyon-juniper cover (e.g. bullhog, chaining, lop and scatter, etc.) should continue in this community. Parowon Front Wildlifre management plan All of the units on the Parowan Front WMA have pinyon-juniper forests that are encroaching on the sagebrush flats and choking out many of the browse species important to wintering deer. Several thinning (lop and scatter) and chaining projects have been done in the past to remedy this problem. However, due to the extent of the encroachment an aggressive thinning policy needs to be carried out on the Parowan Front WMA to improve habitat for wintering deer. Southern Utah Support Area Fire Mangement Plan 2004 which states: Mechanicallly treat to convert pinyon and juniper invasion (condition class 3) into sagebrush/perennial grass (condition class 1 or 2) vegetation types. . Utah's Standards and Guidelines for Rangeland Health which address watersheds, ecological condition, water quality and habitat for special status species National Fire Plan (2000) Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 which state protecting forests, woodlands, shrub lands, and grasslands from unnaturally intensive and destructives fires Utah Wildlife conservation Strategy (2005)

The majority of the area is at moderate to extreme on the fire risk index. There is a large fuel load build up along the Parowan Front and an alteration in fuel types. Pinyon and juniper trees have expanded and moved into areas once dominated by shrubs, forbs, and grasses. Without this project, fuel conditions are such that a wildfire may be difficult to contain, leading to an increased risk to firefighter and public safety, suppression effectiveness and natural resource degradation. Fire Regime Condition Class within the project areas is predominately FRCC 3 which is where fire regimes have been extensiviely altered and risk of losing key ecosystem components from fire is high. Treatments identified within this proposal, including seeding with more fire resistant vegetation, would help reduce hazardous fuel loads, create fuel breaks, and reduce the overall threat of a catastrophic wildfire which could impact the communities of Cedar City, Summit and outlying residential properties and infrastructure. Treatments in and around the sagebrush areas would break up continuous fuels and reduce the risk of wildfire entering these sensitive areas. Removing pinyon and juniper in a mosaic pattern would also break up continuous fuels and reduce the risk of a high intensity wildfire. Because there is a geater risk of conversion of shrublands to annual grasslands under a high intensity fire, managed, pro-active treatments proposed would reduce the likelihood of cheatgrass invasion and help perennial grasses and forbs persist long-term.

In the mastication process much of the bare soil will be covered by small pieces of woody debris which will aid in the establishment of vegetative cover, which will reduce water runoff and decrease soil erosion into Cedar Valley and Little Salt Lake Valley. Implementation of this project will also greatly increase water infiltration into the soil, recharging groundwater systems in the area. Recent research Roundy, et. al.(2014) has shown that mechanical treatments to remove pinyon and juniper increase time that soil water is available. Even four yhears after treatment, treated areas showed from 8.6 days to 18 days additional water availability at high elevation sites. Additional research by Young, et. al. (2013) also showed a relationship between tree removal and soil climates and wet days on these sites, which while providing more available moisture for desired vegetation could also provide moisture for weeds. Numerous studies have shown that increased infiltration rates and less overland flow improve both water quality and quantity.

The NEPA/Final decision have been completed. Current project is being analyzed by the Cedar City Field Office, DNA (Determination NEPA Adequacy) expected to be completed Febuary 2018. The treatment would be rested from livestock grazing for a minimum of two growing seasons following project implementation to ensure adequate rest and seedling establishment. Archaeological clearances will be completed prior to project implementation. Sites will be avoided where required and incorporated into the mosaic design of the project where possible.

Pinyon and Juniper, which currently occupy and are encroaching upon the site will be removed through mechanically chipping/shredding/mulching(1929 acres) pinyon and juniper trees. There will also be a portion of this project that will be hand thinned/ lopped and scattered (461 acres). Islands and corridors of pinyon and juniper would remain untreated throughout the unit, creating a mosaic pattern of treated and untreated vegetation. Before mechanical implementation, treated areas would be broadcast seeded with a mix of native and non-native shrubs, grasses and forbs important for improving wintering mule deer habitat, and stabilizing of soils.

There are two long term range trend study sites adjacent to the proposed project boundaries. These plots will continue to be read in the future and used to monitor treatment response. Photopoints will be established throughout the project for before and after pictures. UDWR Habitat and Wildlife biologists will establish a monitoring site within the treatment area that will monitor pellet counts for utilization as well as point intercept plots that will monitor establishment and overall health of the plant community. This will not be an established plot that is read by the DWR Range Trend Crew. This plot will be read annually in the spring by DWR habitat and wildlife biologists after winter utilization has taken place to determine rangeland health and carrying capacity on WMA properties, and should correlate closely to surrounding treatment areas on BLM, and Private Land.

Spring 2017 BLM was approached by the Division of Wildlife Resources and the NRCS with the idea of doing some land restoration treatments along the Parowan Front to restore and enhance wintering mule deer range. This project entails 696 acres of BLM, 130 acres of SITLA, 867 acres of WMA, and 697 acres of private ground (461 acres of the private are lop and scatter and 236.5 are mastication. The Division of Wildlife has been heavily involved in the layout and planning process of this project, because much of it entails land they manage. During the planning stages we also consulted with Great Basin Research Center on appropriate plant species to use in the seed mix. Private landowners were contacted and are excited and involved in creating and implementing this project as well.

The BLM portion of this project falls within two authorized livestock (cattle) grazing allotments within the treatment area; Fiddlers Canyon and Webster Hill. Fiddlers Canyon is divided into 6 pastures that are grazed from 10/01-6/30 on a deferred rest rotation. A portion of this project will be in Pasture 3&4 where grazing occurs in the spring (either 4/15-5/31, 05/15-6/30 or rest.) Webster Hill is divided into two pastures that are grazed from 05/01-06/15. All areas seeded will be rested for a minimum of two growing seasons to ensure adequate rest and seedling establishment. Vegetation will continue to be monitored for utilization, cover and trend. Future maintenance projects to protect investments made by UWRI/BLM have been addressed and allowed through the project planning document (NEPA) planning process to allow other methods in the future. Parowan Front WMA's will be managed primarily for the benefit of wildlife. Grazing of cattle will be used on the WMA properties to reduce grasses and promote the growth of browse if deemed necessary by habitat management staff. Grazing will only be administered through a high intensity short-term period strategy, from early may to early June. Regional UDWR personnel will evaluate each unit for habitat quality on a yearly basis. At that time it will be decided what units, if any will be grazed by livestock (primarily cattle) the following year. Current grazing plans on private lands are different because of the operations size, number of livestock and available property. Currently on the farthest north property, previously listed, the producer is grazing 40 head of cattle for 60 days in late summer (August 1- September 30). Because of the treatment type and condition of the range, NRCS Prescribed grazing tool indicate that's the producer could increase their stocking rate for the same time period, but they have decided not to. The property in Summit canyon is currently grazed for 90 days with 25 head of cattle. Due to the understory and number of trees per acre (phase III) mastication has been recommended for the treatment. Following NRCS practice 314 Brush Management (mastication), and 550 Range Planting (seeding), practice 645 Upland Wildlife Habitat Management will be scheduled that requires that the property be rested for two years and that low intensity monitoring takes place (trail camera, weed control and monitoring, and so on...). There will also be a non-contractual prescribed grazing plan attached to this producers plan, providing technical assistance concerning the grazing management on the property. This will be provide information is non-binding and will not require the producer to follow it, but will provide the producer with important information for future management. The property that lies above the town Parowan is not under NRCS contract. Currently no grazing of domestic livestock is taking place on the property, nor does the owner have future plans of grazing, and solely has the land for wildlife. This property boarders the P Hill WMA along the south west.

Rangeland conditions are expected to improve following implementation of the proposed vegetation project. The health, vigor, recruitment and production of perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs would improve which would provide a more palatable and nutritional source of forage for both livestock and wildlife. Implementation of this project would eventually improve overall livestock performance (e.g. increased cow weights, increased calf crops, increased weaning weights, etc) and improve the economic stability of the permittees due to an increase in the quantity and quality of grasses and other herbaceous forage which are important to livestock grazing. The private landowners should increases in available forage, and areas that will be used by livestock. Thick woodlands have deter use by livestock, simply because there is easier and more desired areas to feed. Opening these areas and increasing the amount of forage through planting will allow for livestock to disperse, potential providing relief to other areas that have been utilized historically.

10/31/2019

06/08/2020

2020

In an effort to combine smaller project with larger projects in the same area, the contract manager waited for the Parowan Front Brafits creek contract to go out to bid, but due to lack of communication the Braffits Creek went out to bid without this 170 acres. So separate contracts were written and put out to bid. The 170 acres were aerial seeded as per NRCS plan. Mastication was to start in Nov. of 2019 but the once the contract was award the lowest bidder TLC excavation backed out because of the steepness of the terrain (before awarding the bidder, the contract manager had confirmed that they had looked at the project and understood the terrain and access). Working with State purchasing we were able to do a convince order and then award the bid to the next bidder, Giles Construction to complete the Mastication of 170 acres.

On Oct. 31, 2019 Hammond Helicopter seeded the 170 acres with the approved seed mix that was obtained from GBRC and transported to the airport by the project manager. The mastication contract was awarded the first of November, but due to heavy winter snows that came at the end of the month, Giles was not able to access the project area till May, and after they finished Pinto Creek and Parowan Front. Giles complete the treatment on June 8, 2020.

Grazing will be deferred for 2 growing seasons, since the late mastication, and every dry spring and early summer, the landowner has been given permission to graze in 2020 with careful monitoring by the Farm Bill Biologist. Through the NRCS conservation plan, the landowner will also build a fence to protect a spring and quaking aspen stand that had the conifers removed from it, and spray for thistle for one more year. Grazing management has also been planned and will be followed for two growing season after the treatment.