The 3 Creeks project has been a collaborative effort from numerous groups to address problems across an entire watershed. Problems currently present are that standard range conditions are not being met on riparian areas, impaired water quality conditions are present on 2 streams (Big Creek and Sage Creek) listed on the state's 303d waterbodies list, rangeland health conditions have a measurable departure on the spring use pastures, sensitive wildlife like Sage Grouse and Bonneville Cutthroat Trout are present but have some measurable risks like nesting habitat and water quality that need to be addressed simply through improved grazing management practices. The need for this application is to facilitate an improved grazing management plan with increased pastures and watering areas that will focus more attention on the other multiple uses across this area.

The goal for this application is to assist in a larger, more overarching goal of sustaining the ranching industry in this project area and focusing efforts to create a more holistic approach to the multiple uses of these important lands. Specific objectives of this application are to 1. Provide livestock watering access onto areas of rangeland that have insufficient water which also draws livestock pressure away from sensitive riparian areas. 2. Install fences that create more pastures that addresses time and timing of grazing and allowing for intensity of grazing to be managed better. 3. Work with state wildlife managers to document changes to sensitive species in the project area.

Threats and Risks associated with this project are numerous. The current threats on this project that will be addressed are decreasing pressure on early brood rearing/nesting habitat for Greater Sage Grouse, decreasing habitat degradation of aquatic species such as the Bonneville Cutthroats, improving the water quality of Big Creek and Sage Creek and potentially delisting them from the 303d list, slowing down and potentially reversing the departure of rangeland health conditions across the watershed scaled area but especially in the historic early use spring grazing pastures, and preventing the loss of permitted livestock AUM's from local ranchers that support the local rural economy. The risk of not completing this project now is that momentum may be lost after a 9 year planning phase to get the project to the point it is at now. Risks also continue to occur for the same threats that I have listed.

The UDWR and the USFWS completed a Utah Northern-region wide environmental assessment (2012) that covers the construction of fish barriers and conducting rotenone treatments, including on Big Creek. Utah Wildlife Action Plan: The Utah Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy identifies "species of greatest conservation needs" including BCT [Tier I; Table 5.1 on page 5-3] and several other species that this project will benefit. The plan identifies and describes a series of strategic actions designed to benefit these and other at-risk species and their habitats. Consistent with those strategic actions, this restoration project on Big Creek will address specific high priority threats and conservation actions [Table 6.1 on page 6-41], including (1) "hybridization and competition with non-native species" and (2) "chemically or physically remove non-native salmonids". The work on Big Creek is within a Utah WRI riparian focus area and a WAP Conservation Action Area and benefits mountain riparian habitat, one of the top ten keys habitats in the state as identified in the Utah Wildlife Action Plan. UDWR Strategic Plan: this project will help the UDWR meet its Resource Goal, which is to "expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat. This project will specifically address objectives 2 and 3 of the UDWR Resource Goal, which are to (1) "increase fish and game populations to meet management plan objectives and expand quality fishing and hunting opportunities," and to (2) "conserve sensitive species to prevent them from becoming listed as threatened or endangered." UDWR Upper Bear River Management Plan (hydrologic unit 16010101): Identifies native and nonnative interactions as a resource and biological issue in this watershed [page 9]. Management strategies for BCT include (1) "chemical treatment of streams or lakes to remove nonnative fish" [page 11]. Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Conservation Agreement and Strategy (signed by all states within historic range): The goal of the BCT CAS is to (1) "ensure the long-term existence of BCT within its historic range [page 2]. Specific actions include (2) the selective control of nonnative species [page 34, sections 4(a,b, and c)], as well as (3) subsequent introduction/re-introduction actions [page 35, sections 5(a, b and c). This project will also help to address the specific objective of additional BCT conservation populations in the Bear River in Utah [Table 2]. Rich County Long Range Management Plan- This project correlates to the improvement of water quality on an impaired waterbody. This plan also states that it intends to support the livestock and agriculture industry in the county which is done on the private lands involved. Rich County Conservation District- This project corresponds to its long-range management plan to improve habitat for sensitive species. BLM, Three Creeks Proposed Decision: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/legacyProjectSite.do?methodName=renderLegacyProjectSite&projectId=71505 USFS, Three Creeks Proposed Decision: https://data.ecosystem-management.org/nepaweb/nepa_project_exp.php?project=36707

The Three Creeks project's future management plans with the facilitative practices that are planned will help with wild fire occurrences that may happen. Rested pastures may act as insurance in a way for species that need to have habitat available in case other habitat is lost. Rested pastures are also a way to prevent cheat grass conversion that leads to severity of future wildfires by giving perennial bunchgrasses a way to grow and set seed with no competition.

Water quality is one of the very major factors to be addressed across this whole project. It is one of the overall objectives to improve through increased grazing management practices. The EA is planned and written to respond to these issues. Monitoring has been completed through UDWQ for 9 years to quantify the conditions and document the proposed changes. The facilitative practices are designed to reduce grazing pressure and provide rest to the sensitive riparian areas be moving livestock to new areas and not be grazed any more than a short time each year. Big Creek and Sage Creek are currently on the state 303d list of impaired waterbodies. It is planned to remove them through grazing management that is more efficient and less expensive than costly alternatives to fix water quality. Water quantity has also been planned and is an important factor to the overall success of this project. While we aren't increasing the amount of water across the project area, we are using it more wisely by installing pipelines, troughs, storage tanks, and other means like valves to use what is present in a more intensive manner. Water will be spread to areas of dry rangeland and away from sensitive riparian areas to reduce pressure from loafing livestock.

The EA for this project has a proposed decision with a final decision to be had before or by July of 2018. The decision includes the archeology for new infrastructure. No new NEPA is required for fence re-construction.

Fencing will be completed using 4-strand barbed wire fences. Mowing will be done under the fence-ways to clear brush and extend the life of the fence. All fence work will be completed by a fence contractor.

The UGIP program has taken information for long term monitoring of this project. The monitoring performed consisted of paired plot production data by species, cover by species, and infrared imaging from satellites that cover the entire project area. The infrared images will calculate the conditions over time and are ground trothed by on the ground range cons that check this method for accuracy. Repeat photography will and has been used for riparian area conditions to visually demonstrate the changes over time on the sensitive streams. BLM and USFS have used HAF protocol using contracted labor from USU. Habitat assessment framework will demonstrate the improvements to sage grouse habitat that is so prevalent to the project area. MIM protocol has been used on streams that are present in the project boundaries to provide local feedback to improving conditions.

Partners contributing financial assistance in this effort both past and present are: 1. The Utah Grazing Improvement Program (GIP) 2. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 3. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners Program 4. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) 5. The Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI) 6. The Utah Division of Water Quality (DWQ) 7. The Bureau of Land Management 8. The U.S. Forest Service 9. The permittees and members of the Three Creeks Grazing LLC.

The future management of this project will be the responsibility of the local grazing company (LLC) on a day to day basis with approval of their activities through the BLM and USFS. The LLC will be responsible for herding cattle 6 days a week and herding sheep 7 days a week. The fence, water system, secretarial, herding and riding will all be the LLC's responsibilities as outlined in the EA. The LLC will pay for additional private monitoring of the range and be in charge of any other livestock management decision. This novel approach is a new method of local control and hopefully will be replicated on other allotments across the west as a success model.

The benefit of the water system and fence construction for the 3 Creeks area will be important for the success of the livestock animals. The EA has planned for the livestock to be out for a greater amount of time without any increase to the AUM numbers permitted. The livestock water and fencing makes it possible for cattle and sheep to access fresh feed throughout the grazing season. This changes the previous management which had problems keeping the livestock out for the permitted amount of time because of the lack of feed and water available for the domestic stock. Calf gains are expected as experienced in other allotments within Rich County who also switched to rotational grazing. Conception rates also maintain high averages since livestock are contained more tightly to the breeding bulls.