Lower elevation portions of the Coal Hollow fire below 6,800 feet will benefit from seeding. Cheatgrass and noxious weeds are also a problem in the area and seeding additional perennial grasses and forbs will help control these problem plants and improve wildlife habitat. Soil on the burned area consist of greenriver shale parent material which is easily eroded. Seeding and chaining will help control erosion and excessive runoff from the burned area.

Establish perennial grasses to a cover value of 12% by the end of the 3rd growing season. Establish perennial forbs to a cover value of 5% by the end of the 3rd growing season. Establish desirable shrubs to a density of 500 plants/acre by the end of the 3rd growing season. Prevent serious headcuts and down cutting of gullies on the treatment area. Prevent debris flows from reaching the Spanish fork river adjacent to highway 6.

There is a risk of cheatgrass increasing in density and cover as well as expanding into other areas on the WMA without additional seeding. There is a risk of erosion without establishing perennial grasses and forbs. Noxious weeds are prevelent on the WMA and establishing perennial grasses and forbs will provide increased competition with noxious weeds.

1. The pinyon-juniper and big sagebrush areas lie within the sagebrush steppe type which is one of the key habitats identified in the WAP. 2. The proposed projects will address some of the habitat management strategies outlined in the deer and elk management plans for herd unit 16C (Central Mountains, Manti) 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 to plan and implement improvement projects for the purpose of enhancing wildlife habitat and range resources in general. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. WMA management plan to reach their potential as critical big game winter range, browse communities 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, and mechanical treatments. Priority areas will include sagebrush-steppe and mountain browse communities. 6. The project will also help meet the goals and objectives of the Spanish Fork River Coordinated Resource Management plan including: To reduce sediment coming from uplands by over 5,000 tons/year by applying BMPs on 16,000 acres of rangelands.

Not applicaple

Project will inprove water quality by reducing erosion.

Chaining areas will be cleared for ARC before any chaining takes place

Aerial seed treatment polygons. One-way chain burned areas leaving unburned trees intact if possible. Seed bitterbrush with seed dribblers on bulldozers during chaining. Fly sagebrush and kochia with secondary flight in early December.

Establish photo points to monitor seeding establishment.

USFS, BLM, FFSL,

The Dairy Fork WMA portion of this project will continue to be managed for big game winter and transitional range. Forest Service portions of the project will be managed by the Sanpete Ranger District out of Ephraim. Any seeded areas will be rested from grazing for at least 3 growing seasons.

Project will provide more livestock forage to establish faster than if no seeding was done. Livesock grazing will have to be eliminated from the burned areas for at least 2 growing seasons.

10/01/2018

11/30/2018

2019

Aerial seeding took place on 3,727 acres of the fire on DWR, USFS, BLM and Private lands. Seeding took place on October 31st and finished on November 1st using a helicopter. In addition, approximately 53 acres of bulldozed fire lines were also seeded. Sagebrush seed at a rate of 1lb/acre was applied to specific areas totalling 500 acres. These areas contained sagebrush prior to the fire. Sagebrush seed was added to the primary seedmix for these areas, instead of requiring an additional flight. A one-way chaining treatment was started on November 19th with the goal to chain 1,776 acres (1,328 acres DWR and 448 USFS & Private). Due to early heavy snow, the project had to be halted on November 30th of 2018, with only 1,523 acres treated. Most of the Dairy Fork WMA that was planned to chain was finished but only about half of the USFS/private land was chained. A dribbler was mounted on each bulldozer and fourwing saltbush and bitterbrush were planted. The fourwing saltbush was planted mostly on the north end of the Dairy Fork WMA at lower elevation. BAER annual/grass seeding began 12/8 and was completed by 12/11. 994 acres of seed was flown on with a plane over the snow. The forest service installed monitoring plots to assess seeding establishment.

Snow came early in 2018. We usually have until the 2nd week in December to finish chaining treatments. We needed another week of good weather to finish chaining. Sagebrush seed, at a rate of 1lb/acre, was flown on specific areas on the Dairy Fork WMA. These areas contained sagebrush prior to the fire and sagebrush seed was added to the primary seedmix in order to avoid an additional flight.

The burned areas will be rested from grazing for at least 2 growing seasons. The Dairy Fork WMA was not being grazed prior to the fire but grazing may take place on the unburned portion of the WMA in the future.