The Wood Canyon Fire burned in summer of 2018, project is located in Millard County and is located on Forest Service Property. The need will be to fly seed on the burn scar to allow for grasses, forbs and shrubs to become established and try to out compete noxious weed species. We would like to fly this seed on in conjunction with other seed flights that will be going on this fall. This area is very steep and rough no implementation will follow the seed flight.

Objectives for the Wood Canyon Fire Rehab is to try and get some native and introduced species present to allow for additional forage for Wildlife and Livestock. The need to out compete annual weed species is critical, this are is steep and rough hard to implement with equipment of any type. The Fillmore Forest Service would like to reseed the fire in hopes of adding additional grass, forbs and shrub species on the site that may prevent additional fires in the future.

Threats and risk of not doing anything will be the invasion of noxious weed species like cheat grass and thistle. The need to reseed grass and forb species is critical in prolonging the invasion of these annual weed species. We are also looking to reduce sediment loading within the burn scar as it maybe prone to flooding and heavy debris making its way downstream flooding private properties.

The pinyon-juniper and big sagebrush areas lie within the Lowland Sagebrush and Mountain Shrub Steppe and Gamble Oak Habitat type which is one of the key habitats identified in the Utah Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy Plan: The proposed projects will address some of the habitat management strategies outlined in the deer and elk management plans for herd unit 21 (Fillmore Oak Creek Unit ) including: *Continue to improve and restore sagebrush steppe habitats critical to deer according to DWRs Habitat Initiative. *Maintain habitat quantity and quality at a level adequate to support the stated population objectives while at the same time not resulting in an overall downward trend in range condition and watershed quality. *Work cooperatively with land management agencies and private landowners and or grazing permittee to plan and implement improvement projects for the purpose of enhancing wildlife habitat and livestock range resources in general. *The project also helps fulfill the state mule deer management plan section IV Habitat Goal: Conserve and improve mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges. *The proposed projects will address the following goals and objectives of the Division of Wildlife Resources most recent strategic management plan: *Resource Goal: expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat. *Objective 1: protect existing wildlife habitat and improve 500,000 acres of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state. *Objective 3: conserve sensitive species to prevent them from becoming listed as threatened or endangered. *Constituency Goal: Achieve broad-based support for Division programs and budgets by demonstrating the value of wildlife to all citizens of Utah. *Objective 2: improve communication with wildlife organizations, public officials, private landowners, and government agencies to obtain support for Division programs. *UDWR SR critical big game winter range are important browse communities that need to be enhanced and improved. The Division will employ a variety of methods to achieve this including prescribed grazing, prescribed burning, reseeding and seedling transplants, also mechanical treatments. Priority areas will include sagebrush-steppe and mountain browse communities. Falls within the rangeland focus area for WRI wildlife species for mule deer and elk. Utah Wildlife Action Plan, 2015 Publication Number 15-14, State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources, Effective 2015-2025 -- Promoting and funding restoration that reduces the uncharacteristic and surpluses of older age class, including: Dixie/chain harrow, brush mowing or other treatments that reduce the older age class and stimulate the younger/mid age classes; herbicide or mechanical treatments single tree mulching/cutting of invading conifer. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule deer. Section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This plan 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 C. 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. Strategy f. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. Fillmore Pahvant/Oak Creek Deer Herd Management Plan Unit #21 (2015) - Habitat Management Objectives -- Encourage vegetation manipulation projects and seeding to increase the availability, abundance, and nutritional content of browse, grass, and forb species. Strategies: Habitat Protection, Improvement and Maintenance - Reduce expansion of Pinyon-Juniper woodlands into sagebrush habitats and improve habitats dominated by Pinyon-Juniper woodlands by completing habitat restoration projects like lop & scatter, bullhog and chaining projects; maintain summer fawning areas by increasing beneficial habitat work in summer and transitional habitat areas.(p3-4) Utah Wild Turkey Management Plan Newly treated areas through fire or mechanical means will attract use by wild turkey which are abundant on Oak Creek Management Unit. Insects and new growth will be readily available to support turkey populations, also the availability of more water in the Church Hills and Long Canyon areas. UDWR Wildlife Action Plan This project is geared toward meeting the goals found within this plan for a variety of wildlife species from large to small. The entire proposed project area is found within a UWRI conservation focus area. *This plan is consistent with the Fishlake National Forest Plan for wildlife habitat enhancement and fuels management to improve habitat, reduce fuel loading, and protect against catastrophic wildfire. *Other project have been completed by the Forest Service and UDWR in past years within the Long Canyon and Whiskey Creek HUC 12 area. *Project within the are also benefit the management plans objectives of the lower Sevier River Watershed, as this will reduced sediment run off and create a healthy rangeland communities. *Management Plans are also in conjunction with NRCS overall goals of healthy rangelands and communities, improving watersheds and reducing erosion and sediment. The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment *FFSL CWPP Process is a local Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is a collaborative plan created by the fire department, state and local forestry, land managers, community leaders, and the public.The planning process maps values at risk, and requires actions to reduce risk, such as prescribed burning, fuel reduction, or other measures that adapt a community to better confront their wildfire threat. *Area is also part of the Millard RWPP FFSL Plan which was implemented in 2014, there are Wildfire Codes and Ordinances associated with this plan. Project would also be relevant to NCS Goals and supported through the FS National Cohesive Strategies. CAT FIRE Objectives and Strategies: In 2013, the State of Utah developed the Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy (CAT FIRE) in response to the severe 2012 fire season. Reducing the catastrophic wildfire requires attention to three interdependent goals identified in the National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy -- Restore and Maintain Landscapes, Fire Adapted Communities, and Wildfire Response. These goals have been embraced throughout the development of the state's CAT FIRE strategy. Mitigation of hazardous fuels can change fire behavior making it easier to suppress. The effects of the mitigation, however, are not limited to life and property safety but will also affect forest health, water quality, vegetative species abundance, etc. As we continue to implement projects across the landscapes in Utah, the only way to truly be successful is to integrate existing programs, utilize local and federal partners and continue to educate the general public to create the desired shift towards more resilient communities and ecosystems.

Due the the Wood Canyon Fire of 2018, the need to reseed and establish a improved community of grasses, forbs, shrubs and browse species is critical to support wildlife and livestock in the future. Through restoration efforts from the Fillmore Forest Office and UDWR and Private Landowners this will be a partnership that can obtain the goals and objectives through working together to restore and maintain the area effected by the burn. We need to make sure the reseeding efforts are a success to allow for reduction in wildfire behavior due to the resilient seed species being planted that can help suppress fire activity in the future.

Water Quality and Quantity should greatly increase, after seeding efforts and restoration occurs we are more likely to see the improvement of local springs, increase grass, forb, and shrub establishment due to loss of competition from some of the the pinyon-juniper trees that were on site. Water should be better utilized by the perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs that will be seeded increasing the quantity of water on the landscape.

Forest Service Office in Fillmore will address the NEPA concerns on this project, but aerial seeding should be exempt form and SHPO Consultations. Project manager will address these issues with the Forest Service to make sure all steps are properly followed before implementation of this project.

This project will be aerially seeded with the use of a helicopter or a fixed wing aircraft, seed will be applied through a metered seeder that will allow the seed to be distributed evenly. Seed will be delivered in 50 pound bags and the contractor will provide the necessary equipment to load the seed onto the aircraft for seeding to take place. Seeding will be done in the morning so to avoid any wind and if wind does occur we will shut the project down until weather permits the seeding to be successful. UDWR and the FS will work with the contractor to make sure project is successful and seed is distributed at a even rate.

Monitoring of this project will come from the Fillmore Forest Service as they will be looking at the seed establishment in the future to allow for grazing of livestock when the plants are established and have had a few growing seasons. They will also be taking photo points and establish a range trend site looking at the type of seeded vegetation that was successful in the reseeding efforts.

Partnerships on this project will be the UDWR, and the Fillmore Forest Service Filed Office. We will also be seeking partnerships from Sprortsman Groups such as the MDF, SWF, FNAWS and Others as we move forward seeking funding.

Grazing of the specific allotments within the Wood Canyon Fire will be deferred for at least two growing seasons or until establishment of grass, forbs and shrubs are deemed ready to be grazed. When grazing is re-established a grazing management plan will be developed and monitored by the Fillmore Forest Service Range Conservationist allowing for proper grazing management of the reseeding efforts. Forest Service will serve as the lead agency in monitoring the Wood Canyon Fire Rehab efforts for future "At -Risk" conditions that may occur to property, human life and safety and natural resources. Forest Service will also manage the invasion of noxious weed species within the burned areas of the fire. Continue with road and trail repairs, and safety measures that will help the public in the future.

No direct livestock benefit as of right now due to the Wood Canyon Fire, but looking into the future and doing the restoration work that will prepare us for the future benefits in the years to come. Through the restoration efforts will will be able to reseed the Wood Canyon Fire with perennial grasses forbs, shrubs and browse that will contribute to improved rangeland health, increase water production for grasses species, improved water for troughs and less pinyon junipers to add competition to the rangeland plants. Overall permittees should have more production and better weight gain, calf production in the future due to the restoration efforts that are to take place through this fire rehab effort.

11/15/2018

02/18/2019

2019

The Wood Canyon Project was aerially seeded in the fall of 2018, with grasses and forbs, we later returned in February of 2019 to apply the shrub seed. The Wood Canyon Fire Rehab Project was aerially seeded by Hammond Helicopters and was flown on by the use of a fixed wing airplane from the Delta Airport.

This project was proposed and implemented through the partnerships with UDWR and the Fillmore Forest Service, The Wood Canyon Fire burned in the summer of 2018. We worked together to compile the information and submit a proposal through WRI for funding. We were able to obtain funding for the seed and the seed flight. Areas that were seed, where determined to be the more intense areas of the burn. With this information from the Fillmore Forest Service we contracted the early and late seed flights through our State Purchasing Contracting Service's and obtained the seed from the GBRC Warehouse. Coordination of the project went very smooth between the UDWR, Fillmore Forest Service and the contracted pilot.

Future Management of the project will be left up to the Fillmore Forest Service District, they will look to rest this area from grazing livestock and hope that the seed will germinate. No mechanical treatment was implemented to cover the seed, several areas of the burn was steep with lots of rock, the hope was to allow the seed to become established on its own.