The project area is priority habitat, and the Uintah SGMA for sage-grouse and crucial summer and winter habitat for big game species. In the project area, Pinyon-Juniper trees have been steadily invading the Wy. sage-steppe habitat over the last decades. As these trees increase in size and density, habitat values for wildlife and grazing are lost as available forage declines. In addition, the increase in trees has also increased the hazardous fuel loading and the risk of unplanned fire events. Studies have shown that the invasion of juniper and other conifers into the sagebrush rangelands degrades sagebrush habitat types. The project area is within Phase I and II development. In Phase II PJ trees are co-dominant with shrubs and herbs and all three vegetation layers influence ecological processes on the site.

The overall objectives of the project area is to improve habitat values across the treatment area by removing the encroaching PJ trees, along with decreasing the hazardous fuel loading. Specific objectives are: -Decrease the present stems/acre of PJ for the treatment, -Reduce the hazardous fuel load, -Remove Phase I & II PJ growth -Maintain and improve under-story vegetation and sagebrush conditions.

The more immediate threat is that with the increased fuel loading from the invading trees, the risk of an unplanned fire event occurring is higher. Since the project area is comprised of Wy. sagebrush, an unplanned fire event would result in the long term loss of wyoming sagebrush, and the habitat values associated with this type. The longer term threat/risk, is the slow but continual increase in PJ trees that out competing the more desirable shrubs, forbs, and grasses. If the invasion continues unabated, then eventually the Wy. sagebrush type will be converted to a PJ type, resulting in a long term loss of Wy. sagebrush habitat and sagebrush obligate species.

The proposed project will meet multiple objectives found within different plans; Elk statewide management plan; the project supports objectives and strategies in this plan to project elk habitat and mitigate loss, habitat improvement projects that increase forage for both big game and livestock, maintains elk habitat throughout the state by identifying and protecting existing crucial elk habitat and mitigating for losses due to human impacts. Deer Statewide Management Plan: the plan illustrates work with land management agencies and private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer habitats, especially fawning and wintering areas, and will improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer. Vernal RMP ROD: the project will help manage the vegetation to attain the ecological stage that will benefit wildlife in crucial habitat and livestock grazing, and manage vegetation in remaining areas that result in high vegetation species diversity, allow mechanical, fire, biological, cultural or chemical methods for vegetation manipulation, using the type of manipulation appropriate to and consistent with the other land use objectives, and incorporating standard option procedures and BMPs, as applicable, to protect other resources, manage the vegetation to attain the ecological stage that will; ensure sustainability, meet authorized use allocations (wildlife, livestock), ensure species diversity, restore or rehabilitate up to 200,000 acres of sagebrush-steppe habitat over the life of the plan. Vernal BLM Fire Management Plan; the project will help achieve the desired mix of seral stages for all major vegetative types, remove PJ and Douglas Fir encroachment from the Wy sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, aspen, and mountain browse types, create fuel breaks n Wyoming and mountain big sage types to reduce the risk of large unplanned fires, and reduce fuel loads, chemical treatments would be utilized in conjunction with prescribed fire and mechanical treatments to achieve desired objectives, and to also control invasive species. Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse in Utah: the project falls within the Uintah SGMA and will help maintain and enhance sage-grouse habitat. The project area will be included in the annual review for a possible adjustment of redrawing of the boundary for non-habitat. Utah Greater Sage-grouse approved resource management plan amendment (BLM); the proposed project area is consistent with the management actions found within the plan by improving and maintaining Greater Sage-grouse habitat. Wildlife Action Plan; the project area is within the mountain sagebrush habitat type, the project will help address threats by removing encroaching PJ from the existing sage-steppe habitat type.

PJ trees have steadily encroaching over the last decade into Wyoming sagebrush habitat. As these trees increase in size and numbers, habitat values for wildlife and grazing are lost as available forage declines. In addition the increase the trees has also increased the hazardous fuel loading and the risk of an unplanned fire event has also been increased. As sagebrush ecosystems shift to mid tree dominance by PJ, fuel loads double. As they shift to full tree dominance, fuel loads double again. An unplanned fire event would result in the long term loss of Wyoming sagebrush, and the habitat values associated with this type. In PJ woodlands, the ability of understory plants to recover after disturbance rapidly declines after pre-fire tree cover reaches about 40 to 50% (Fire science brief, Fire Science Program).

The proposed treatment areas are within HUC 6, Lower Green-Diamond Colorado Utah. Studies have shown that the removal of PJ can improve watershed condition; enhances water yield, enhances groundwater recharge, reduction of trees reduced catastrophic wildlife, and improved spring snow-melt flow. PJ trees can hae a major impact on hydrology. The distribution and quantity of water that reaches soil and other vegetation can be altered by the presence of PJ through many different avenues such as PJ canopy interception of precipitation, evapotranspiration, transpiration, and competition with understory vegetation for nutrients and water (Thurow and Hester 2015). The competition with understory vegetation can increase the amount of bare soil, which can lead to an increase in runoff, soil loss and erosion (Thurow and Hester 2015). Erosion can lead to a reduction in soil productivity and can also increase non-point source water pollution, thus having the potential to affect water quality within a watershed over time (Thurow and Hester 2015).

NEPA will be completed by the VFO. The mastication portion of the project will be contracted out through DNR. SITLA cultural clearances will need to be completed but the BLM portions has already been completed. The VFO will complete the cultural resource reports and SHPO consultations for the entire treatment.

The planned methods of removing the invading PJ would be through a mastication. The project would be contracted out through NE Region DNR. The project will be completed in the fall of 2017.

Vegetation monitoring for this project would be establishment of density studies to determine if the objective of reducing PJ stems/acre was achieved. Density studies will also determine the need for future treatments. Line Point Intercept (LPI) transects will also be established within each treatment area. All monitoring data; trend data, photo points including pre - and post - treatments, will be uploaded into the WRI database.

Multiple partners support this project, DNR, SITLA, and BLM. Through coordination meetings between DWR, NRCS and the BLM identified this area for treatments within sage-grouse habitat.

Existing grazing management of the project area will continue, and no rest will be required, except in areas that may need to be seeded in the future. In two years the BLM will evaluate the need of a herbicide treatment and possible seeding within the bullhog treatment area.

There will be no change to current livestock grazing management. After removal of the Phase I & II PJ, monitoring will be continued to identify the need for any further PJ removal, if necessary. Five to ten years a lop & scatter treatment may be needed within the bullhog treatment area.

09/10/2019

01/30/2020

2020

Tractor and skid steer with a mower were used to mow the green strips along existing roadways. Track-hoe with mastication head was used for the Miner's Mastication areas. Mowing was started Sept 10 and finished Oct 28. Mastication started Oct 15 - Jan 30.

Three years ago the BLM had a 2,000 acre fire near Highway 40 east of Vernal. After the fire, BLM Fuels staff designed fuel breaks around the original fire area and existing roadways which includes Highway 40. These areas contain a high percentage of cheat grass and will more likely continue to burn more often because of the conversion to cheatgrass. Following the fire the treatment areas were treated with herbicide. In the fall of 2019, the MM166 burn area and the mow strips (green strips) were all aerially seeded. The mastication area was designed as a fuel break at the base of Blue Mtn. Blue Mtn is an important Priority Habitat area for Greater Sage-grouse. The mastication fuel break utilized areas that still contained an healthy understory of sagebrush.

Future treatments would include more herbicide and potentially more seeding depending on the success of the original treatments.