There is a need to protect and improve Mule Deer crucial winter range to support population goals in the La Sal Mule Deer Management Unit. Current population is estimated at approximately 50% below objective. Protecting and maintaining Mule Deer winter range from encroachment of Pinyon and Juniper trees that reduce crucial winter ranges supports this need. There is also a need to maintain sagebrush and shrub-steppe habitats for sagebrush obligate birds. The Project Area provides critical winter range for Mule Deer on the La Sal Mountain Unit and nesting habitats for sagebrush obligate birds on the BLM lands. Much of this range has experienced significant encroachment of Pinyon and Juniper trees into historical and chained sagebrush & shrub-steppe habitat. Maintaining and reclaiming areas experiencing this encroachment is crucial to maintaining the shrub components that are crucial to deer on the winter range and also to sagebrush obligate birds such as Brewers Sparrows, Sage Sparrows and Sage Thrasher. Brewers Sparrows breed primarily in shrub steppe habitats and are considered to be shrub steppe obligates, Sage Sparrow prefers shrubland, grassland, and desert habitats, nesting low in a shrub or on the ground and the Sage Thrasher nests in greasewood and sagebrush communities.

The objective of this project is to protect mule deer winter range habitats by maintaining sagebrush and shrubsteppe habitats in previous chained areas through the removal of encroaching Pinyon and Juniper trees. This is expected to free up moisture and nutrients that will then be available for browse and herbaceous plant species. Increased shrub density and herbaceous ground cover is expected to increase forage productivity and improve watershed health, providing improvements in water quality and quantity. This is further quantified below. Within past chained areas where sage brush exists, PJ cover should be reduced 100% except for PJ growth adjacent to drainages. These trees would be left intact to provide soil stability and travel corridors for big games. Surrounding denser PJ woodlands will remain intact, thus PJ obligate bird habitat will not be altered. The Moab MDF Chapter, the Moab BLM and the La Sal USFS have closely coordinated to identify important sagebrush parks that are experiencing PJ encroachment.

Without treatment, P/J will continue to encroach into these important sagebrush habitats resulting in a reduction in available habitat within deer crucial winter range, loss of sage/shrub obligate birds habitat and a reduction in watershed health, water quality and quantity. Currently the stands of P/J in this area are younger trees with a fairly healthy and diverse under-story. As these trees reach maturity, removal treatments will increase in cost and effort and potential success will decrease as under-story species are reduced, especially if drought conditions prevail. Fuel conditions within the project area is class two and three.

1) UTAH DIVISION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES STATEWIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR MULE DEER 2014-2019. Section VI 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 2019 (p19-20).* Strategy D: Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that have been taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats, ensuring that seed mixes contain sufficient forbs and browse species. * Strategy E: Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah. * Strategy G: Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. * Strategy N: Promote and enhance programs that encourage volunteer participation in habitat restoration projects that benefit mule deer. 2) LASAL DEER HERD MANAGEMENT PLAN, Deer Herd Unit # 13 (March 2012) Habitat Management Objectives: * Maintain and protect existing critical deer ranges sufficient to support the population objectives. * Seek cooperative projects to improve the quality and quantity of deer habitat. Habitat Management Strategies * Habitat Improvement; Cooperate with federal land management agencies and private landowners in carrying out habitat improvements such as reseedings, controlled burns, water developments etc. on public and private lands. 3) UTAH WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN (WAP) 2015-2025 Lowland Sagebrush - Improving Condition * Promoting and funding restoration that reduces the Uncharacteristic class, including cutting/mulching/chaining of invading pinyon and juniper trees, herbicide or mechanical treatment of nonnative invasive species such as cheatgrass and secondary perennial weed species, and rehabilitation of burned areas following wildfire. 4) MOAB BLM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN Oct 2008. * Fire-14 To reduce hazards and to restore ecosystems, authorized fuels management actions include wildland fire use, prescribed fire, and mechanical, manual, chemical, biological, and seeding treatments. * GRA-21 Conduct new vegetation treatments (6,900 acres) for increased forage in the following allotments with prescribed fire, chemical, mechanical or other means: Floy Canyon. * VEG-3 Reclaim and restore up to 257,809 acres of sagebrush habitat and shrub-steppe ecosystems where appropriate in accordance with the BLM sagebrush conservation guidance. * VEG-8 Control noxious weed species and prevent the infestation and spread of invasive species. * WL-40 Manage UDWR current deer habitat of 534,329 acres in the Bookcliffs and 313,551 acres on the La Sal Mountains as mule deer habitat by improving or maintaining vegetative conditions to benefit both livestock and wildlife and by maintaining or improving the ecological condition of rangelands. 5) CANYON COUNTRY FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN - September 2004- Maintenance Update 2013: Fuels Treatment Objectives: Fuels management strategies such as prescribed fire, mechanical, chemical, etc. will be used to reduce hazardous fuel conditions. Fuels in condition class two and three will be treated to change them to condition class one. 6) MULE DEER WORKING GROUP. 2003. MULE DEER: CHANGING LANDSCAPES, CHANGING PERSPECTIVES: Develop cost-effective ways to reduce pinyon-juniper invasion, and place a priority on developing a patchwork of habitats so that mule deer have woody cover near places to forage. 7) NORTH AMERICAN MULE DEER CONSERVATION PLAN (2004): Manage mule deer habitat in a fashion to control type conversions (i. e., conversion of rangeland to croplands, and shrublands to monotypic pinyon-juniper stands). 8) BLM NATIONAL POLICY GUIDANCE ON WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES MANAGEMENT (Manual 6500). This manual provides direction 'to restore, maintain and improve wildlife habitat conditions on public lands through the implementation of activity plans. 9) FEDERAL LAND POLICY AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 Sec 103 (C); The BLM is directed to manage public lands in a manner that will best meet present and future needs of the Nation. 10) BLM GRAZING MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS, 43 CFR Subpart 4120.2, objectives are to promote healthy sustainable rangeland ecosystems; to accelerate restoration and improvement of public lands to properly functioning condition...requires development of guidelines to address the restoration, maintenance and enhancement of habitats to promote the conservation of Federal proposed, Federal candidate, and other special status species. 11) GRAND COUNTY MASTER PLAN * Public Lands Policy 2- Grand County will work to protect watersheds. Public agencies are encouraged to adopt policies that enhance or restore watersheds for Moab * Public Lands Policy 11- Grand County contains a number of damage areas and the County encourages public land agencies to restore these lands * Sensitive Lands Policy 1- Sensitive lands are defined as watersheds; seen areas of elevated benches, mesas, ridges and slopes; and significant geological, biological and archeological sites. * Implementation Actions- Encourage responsible re-vegetation, preservation of existing native plant communities and control of noxious weeds.

Conifer encroachment can contribute to large catastrophic fires. This project will provide a direct long-term benefit by reducing the threat of large fires through reducing fuel loading. While, the initial removal of conifers will increase fuel loading; after the needles fall in 2 to 3 years and the loped trees begin to decay, the long term effect will be a reduction in hazardous fuel build-up. Additionally, removing encroaching conifers will reduce the risk of catastrophic fire and increase the likelihood of fire suppression if a fire did happen to occur.

This project spans 4 HUC 12 units, East Coyote Wash, Headwaters Mcintyre Canyon, Lisbon Canyon and Big Indian Wash. This project attributes to Watershed Heath as the Middle Mesa Sagebrush Improvement Project completed in 2015 and 2016 included reducing P/J woodlands on over 700 acres in the Lisbon Canyon and East Coyote Wash HUC 12s. Two large, multi-year projects, Ray Mesa and Black Ridge Fuels Reduction and Vegetation Improvement Projects where completed on watershed just north of the Eash Coyote Wash HUC 12. In some areas of the project area there is limited under-story vegetation and the bare soil interspaces are prone to soil loss by erosion. Herbaceous vegetation is important in impeding overland flow and is effective at reducing soil erosion. Both the potential increase in herbaceous vegetation and the masticated tree material should help stabilize the soils by reducing erosion and protect the water quality throughout the watershed. Pinyon and Juniper intercept 10-20% of precipitation according to Horman et al. 1999. Removing P/J should allow for more precipitation to contact the soil and increase biomass on the ground. In lop and scatter areas there should be adequate vegetation to avoid soil erosion but this should increase the amount of water into the system instead of evaporating before it reaches the ground. Roundy et. al. 2014 found that mechanical tree reduction increased soil water availability. As pinon and juniper trees leach the soil of water; this project will help retain water for more desirable vegetation that will aid the ecosystem in retaining water as a whole. Reducing the conifer encroachment will increase the amount of shrubs, grasses, and forbs which will reduce surface water runoff and debris flows (which causes soil erosion and poor water quality) and aid in retaining the moisture in the ecosystem. Roundy B. A. Roundy, K. Young, N. Cline, A. Hulet, R. F. Miller, R. J. Tausch, J. C. Chambers, and B. Rau. 2014. Pinon-juniper reduction increases soil water availability of the resource growth pool. Rangeland Ecology & Management 67(5) September 2014. Results of the Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative study in Nevada (Desatoya Mt.) found that by removing (lop and scatter) P/J (130 trees/acre) there is the potential to increase water recharge yields 4% on wet years. On wet years this will increase recharge, but does not increase stream flow. Wet meadows and upland plants benefit by utilizing the increase soil moisture, providing for better resiliency during drought years. This provides for an increase in water quantity for herbaceous plants on sites where p/j is removed. Additionally, this project will also facilitate water quality and quantity improvements. Junipers are highly competitive with the under-story vegetation for water and nutrients therefore reducing the amount and distribution of water reaching the soil. The increase in bare soil in the spaces between larger juniper trees also leads to increased runoff and soil loss if these woodlands are allowed to mature. Lop and scatter methods are most desirable treatment because it reduces surface runoff and erosion by providing better vegetation and litter cover which protects the treatment sites from raindrop impact and provide an obstacle to overland flow, thus impeding erosion. In Utah, several studies evaluated the effects of chaining and debris management on site hydrology (Williams et al. 1969, Gifford et al. 1970). The chained with debris-left-in-place sites produced equal or less runoff and sediment than the undisturbed sites, thus potentially improving water quality.

Lop and scatter activities will have 'no potential effect'. SHPO concurrence has been done by BLM. NEPA was completed in 2016. Treatments activity will not occur from March 1st through August 31st therefore USFWS Sec 7 not needed for Phase 3. Methods: This project would be handled under a contract. Removal of encroaching conifers will be done with hand crews using chainsaws. Trees would be cut in a mosaic pattern with all limbs being completely severed from the stump, no slash larger than 4 feet in length and higher than 2 ft. off the ground. Cut materials will be left on the site or lopped and scattered. There will be no piling, slashing, or burning of cut materials. Treatments will occur from mid-summer to fall. Existing roads will be used to access the project area. Further access will be by foot. No new roads would be constructed.

This project would be handled under a contract. Removal of encroaching conifers will be done with hand crews using chainsaws. Trees would be cut in a mosaic pattern with all limbs being completely severed from the stump, no slash larger than 4 feet in length and higher than 2 ft. off the ground. Cut materials will be left on the site or lopped and scattered. There will be no piling, slashing, or burning of cut materials. Treatments will occur from mid-summer to fall. Existing roads will be used to access the project area. Further access will be by foot. No new roads would be constructed.

Monitoring for re-encroachment and maintenance of project area will be conducted on an as needed basis utilizing dedicated hunter programs, Moab BLM Fire Shop, Moab BLM and the DWR and through subsequent habitat proposals.

Utah DWR has an interest in duplication efforts in adjoining and adjacent habitats on State lands. Moab Chapter MDF has expressed an interest in potentially helping to fund this project. DWR Nicole Nielson has participated in developing project.

The area being treated is federal lands that area managed for multiple use. The area will continue to be managed for multiple uses such as grazing, recreation including hunting, wildlife and overall ecosystem health. While fire is an important part of this ecosystem, due to constraints, the use of fire is limited in the project area and hand treatments will continue to be a way to maintain diverse age classes and vegetation communities in the area. The sagebrush areas have an herbaceous understory component, so the need for seeding is not anticipated. No changes to livestock management are anticipated at this time, but utilization and trend monitoring will continue and adaptive management can be applied if required. The La Sal deer herd is well under 50% of population objective. Elk on the La Sals are at objective. DWR will continue to strive to achieve and maintain objectives for big game according to management plans on the La Sal Mountains.

Maintenance of areas that have been historically chained and maintenance of sagebrush parks by reducing P/J encroachment facilitates forage availability. This area is currently in an active grazing allotment and will continue to be grazed in the future. It is the goal of the BLM to manage and maintain multiple use within the project area. The area will continue to provide opportunity for multiple use such as hunting, recreation, oil/gas extraction, grazing and many other uses. There will be no change in grazing practices, the project managers feel that there is no need for changes at this point. There is still forage for livestock in the area.

05/08/2019

06/03/2019

2019

Encroaching pinyon and juniper was cut by a skilled chainsaw crew. The treatment area was 1,636 acres where past chaining's have occurred. Trees were not removed within 200 feet of 28 active bird nests. Survey crews were on site looking for bird nests while lop and scatter crews were working, areas were resurveyed if longer than 7 day had passed between bird nest searches and lop and scatter crew coming into the area.

The 1,636 acre project area was previous chained and had many younger age class tree encroaching into the area. The understory of sagebrush, grasses and forbs was still present. By removing the encroaching pinyon and juniper trees we will maintain the vegetation that is on the site. This will benefit wildlife, fuels reduction and grazing in the project area. This area is important for wildlife and continue to be managed for wildlife and grazing benefits. Project activity occur during the nest season for migratory birds. To ensue no active nests where removed, nesting surveys occurred several days before project work moved through an area. Active nest were flagged, avoided and re-checked. Data was also gathered on species that occupied the area.

The project area is BLM lands and will continue to managed as multiple use. The mule deer and elk populations will be managed as stated in the management plans. The BLM did pre treatment monitoring and will do post treatment monitoring to make sure vegetation response is what was anticipated. The area will be monitored with the same methodology post treatment. If monitoring shows a lack of desirable vegetation we will evaluate if seeding efforts are needed.