USFS and Partners are planning a multi-year forest health improvement project centered around the Duchesne Ridge/Wolf Creek areas. Project work includes Yellow Mill Timber sale along with future planned timber sales, vegetation treatments, Mill Creek Aspen Regeneration Project, stream restoration, reduction of hazardous fuels and West Fork Duchesne RXB. Road reconditioning work will include improved drainage, sediment control, road width via excavation, turn-out construction, clearing, grubbing, culvert replacement, and surface aggregate placement. All designed to improve access for current and future project work. This project will also benefit many facets of recreational use. Specified road package plans and typical drawings designed by Forest Engineers and approved by Forest Supervisor are complete (attached).

Reconditioning road work to enable ingress and egress of heavy equipment such as log truck-tractor, truck-trailer-lowboy, harvesters, grapple skidder, log loaders, masticators and other equipment to facilitate upcoming forest ecosystem restoration projects. Objectives of the forest ecosystem restoration projects; Timber Sales: 1. Recover the economic value through removal of bark beetle killed timber while it still has economic/product value; (Timber Sales) 2. Supplement the existing regeneration of the spruce-fir component in the area to meet forest plan prescribed minimum stocking rates of 285 trees per acre and to promote development of early and mid seral spruce stands to move the landscapes towards Properly Functioning Condition; (Tree plantings) 3. Restore or improve watershed function by ripping and re-vegetating the old logging system road prisms, temporary roads, and skid trails that are no longer needed. Remove drainage structures to reshape the channel and stream banks at crossing sites maintaining continuation of channel dimensions and longitudinal profile through the crossing site. Approximately 3 miles of historical temporary logging system road prisms will be reclaimed in addition to numerous auxiliary skid trials and log landing areas in the Yellow Mill Salvage Timber sale alone(See attached Road Decommission map). Within the Yellow Mill Salvage Timber sale there are ten stream crossings on the temporary road system with associated infrastructure (culverts, rock work etc.) that will be restored to natural contour. Stream Restoration: Unnecessary and temporary stream crossings will be rehabilitated. Opportunistic improvements to stream and riparian function will be undertaken to improve watershed health, through bank stabilization, LWD additions, small tree thinning and riparian vegetation planting. Within the Yellow Mill Salvage Timber sale there are ten stream crossings on the temporary road system with associated infrastructure (culverts, rock work etc.) that will be restored to natural contour. On the Duchesne Ridge Road reconstruction itself six culverts will be replaced to improve and regulate water drainage/passage both off and under the road. Veg Treatments: Aspen restoration and prescribed fire: Aspen stands within the project area are typically classified as either early seral or late climax and are the primary target of vegetation treatments including the use of prescribed fire. Stands characterized as early seral within the project area are currently being encroached upon by local conifer species, including sub-alpine fir and engelmann spruce . Under historical conditions, aspen often act as a natural fuel break during wildfire due to high fuel moisture contents and a lack of vertical fuel continuity in the typical even-aged stands (Howard 1996). Therefore vegetation age class and species diversity will continue to degrade, encroachment and homogeneity will continue to negatively impact the watershed. Forest User Access: The road reconditioning will allow for greater access to recreationalists and sportsmen for dispersed camping, hunting, ATV'ing and other uses. The reclaimed logging system roads will provide for walking and horseman access and effectively block illegal OHV access providing better wildlife habitat and security.

The proposed action is needed now because the affected trees are rapidly losing their value and use as a timber product; sites that will support tree growth are becoming occupied by shrubs and grasses (due to the increase in light with the dead overstory) which will make future recruitment of natural regeneration difficult; and the old logging system road prisms are eroding and causing sediment to accumulate in nearby streams. Wildfire hazard potential and/ or wind-throw/ jack-straw of dead trees presents a high risk of degraded water quality, wildlife and domestic access for feed and recreational uses and functions. Both of these threats/risks are increasing every year and treatment options will become fewer and more risky as the threats increase, i.e. RXB will become more risky as ground fuels increase.

2003 Land and Resource Management Plan, Uinta National Forest. Forest:https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/uwcnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5076960&width=full pg 3-17, 3-20. Environmental Assessment: North Heber Salvage Project (2015) https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=45097 Wasatch County General Plan: Timber Resources and Woodlands: It is the position of Wasatch County that: a. All forestlands shall be managed for multiple use and sustained yield. Ensure realistic targets are established and outputs are sustainable over the long-term. b. Forest management plans shall be written and effective management techniques adopted to promote a stable forest economy and enhanced forest health, in accordance with the National Healthy Forest Initiative. (Act of 2003, P.L. 108-148) Efficient and effective use of National Environmental Policy Act Documentation for limited timber harvest will be encouraged. Use of Interim Directive (ID) 1909.15 -- 2003-2 will be encouraged for timber harvest projects that do not require further analysis and may be categorically excluded as outlined in categories 12, 13 & 14 of said ID. c. Opportunities for harvesting forest products shall be promoted. d. Management strategies shall protect timber and adverse impacts to other resources from the devastating effects of fire (in accordance with the National Fire Plan and the National Healthy Forest Initiative), insects, disease, wind throw, blow down, ice storms, or imminent risk of such epidemics because of conditions on adjacent land. e. Harvesting techniques shall be employed that will prevent waste of forest products. f. Sound fuel load management techniques shall be used to minimize fire potential at the urban interface and prevent catastrophic events. g. Forest management techniques shall be implemented that will maintain or enhance watershed health and long-term water quantity, yield and quality. h. Management programs must provide opportunities for citizens to harvest forest products for personal needs, economic value and forest health. Public Access and RS 2477 Roads: a. Access to and across public lands, including RS 2477 Roads and rights-of-way should remain open and maintained to allow safe and reliable public access. Range Wide Conservation Agreement for Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki Utah) UDWR Publication Number 00-19, December 2000. Stream Restoration projects in Mill Hollow drainage will expand viable BCT stream miles. Boreal Toad (bufo boreas boreas) Conservation Plan 2005. UDWR Publication. Identifies needs for habitat improvement. Sediment reductions and decreased shading will increase habitable acreages for BT. Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan 2014 The project is designated crucial summer range for Mule Deer. Section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This project 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 F. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. https://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/pdf/mule_deer_plan.pdf Utah Elk Statewide Management Plan (2010) The project is designated crucial summer range / calving habitat for Elk. It will address Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of forage and cover on 250,000 acres of elk habitat with emphasis on calving habitat and upper elevation elk winter range by the end of this plan. Under this objective, strategies D and F apply. Strategy D. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve elk habitat with emphasis on calving habitat and winter ranges. Strategy F. Encourage land managers to manage portions of forests in early succession stages through the use of controlled burning and logging. Controlled burning should only be used in areas where there are minimal invasive weed and/or safety concerns. This project area is of minimal weed concern. https://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/pdf/elk_plan.pdf

There are approximately 414 acres within the Wildland Urban Interface in the North Heber Salvage NEPA (90,000 acres EA). Timber Lakes is listed on Utah's Communities at Risk (Utah FFSL 2013) and is located approximately 3 miles to the west of the western most treatment unit. Timber Lakes has an overall score of 11 for the Fire Risk which is toward the Extreme Risk end of the scale. YMCA youth camp is located one mile from the Duchesne Ridge Road and Piuta Girls Scout Camp is also listed and is 2.4 miles north of the northern most treatment unit and it has an overall score of 8. Diamond Bar-X is also listed and is located 4.8 miles North West of the northern most group of treatment units it has an overall score of 11. The "Overall Score" represents the sum of multiple risk factors analyzed for each community. Examples of some risk factors are fire history, local vegetation, and firefighting capabilities. The Overall Score can range from 0 (No risk) to 12 (Extreme risk). This score allows Utah's fire prevention program officials to assess relative risk and create opportunities for communications with those communities on the list. All of these WUI areas are within or adjacent the the larger Vegetation Management Project area that this project will support. As conifers die there is an interesting fuel cycle; in the beginning as the trees are dying and the needles turn red the fire danger is high. As the needles fall off the trees, but the trees are still standing the fire danger drops. As the trees start to fall over 10-15 years after they are dead the fire danger dramatically increases, due to the fuel loading on the ground Fuel loading would decrease in the area with the removal of timber for lumber and the burning of slash piles. The fuel model would likely move from the TU2 to a TU1, where the primary carrier of the fire would be a low load of grass and/or shrubs (Scott & Burgen 2005). The rate of spread would be between 0-20 chains per hour and the flame lengths would be between 0.3 feet and 4.5 feet depending on the winds (Scott & Burgen 2005). However, with the decreased fuel loading, should a wildfire occur there will be decreased smoke due to the decrease in smoldering that would occur due to the lack of larger fuels. The purpose for this project is largely fuel reduction projects. Timber sales, mechanical fuels projects and RxB will all benefit by these road improvements. Large equipment will be able to access fuels for removal or conversion (Timber sales, mechanical). Crews will be able to access RxB treatments with increased ease and safety. Fuel breaks can be better defined and defensible. If wildfire does break out in the area, suppression will be easier for all the above reasons and crew safety will increase. The road improvement will dramatically increase the ability for fire personal to access any human or natural start in this area. The road improvements will allow fire management to better utilize the terrain and road feature to engage fire in the area.

Restore or improve watershed function by ripping and re-vegetating the old logging system road prisms, temporary roads, and skid trails that are no longer needed. Remove drainage structures to reshape the channel and stream banks at crossing sites maintaining continuation of channel dimensions and longitudinal profile through the crossing site. Within project areas add LWD, stabilize eroding banks and plant riparian vegetation to increase water quantity and quality though improving function of RHCA's and decreased sediment and nutrient inputs. Downstream benefits will also be realized. Deer Creek Reservoir, a receiving waterbody of Mill Creek, is currently under WQ non-attainment status and has a TMDL in place. Any reduction of nutrients will help achieve a functioning system.

The NEPA is complete under the North Heber Salvage EA. Forest Engineered Specified Road Package and Typicals signed and approved by Forest Supervisor.

Standard Specifications for Construction of Roads and Bridges on Federal Highway Projects, FP-03, U.S. Customary Units www.wfl.fha.dot.gov/designs/specs/fp03.html and Forest Service Supplemental Specifications (FSSS)

Forest Engineering staff will monitor and inspect road construction work to ensure it is meeting specifications and design criteria. Before during and after photos will be uploaded to the WRI database.

USFS: Forest Engineered Specified Road Package and Typicals, contracting and inspection of implementation of project. UDWR: Funding via WRI, future design considerations. Wasatch County: Wasatch County General Plan,Timber Resources and Woodlands.

Duchesne ridge road will be added to the UWC road maintenance schedule. Contractor use road maintenance provisions; contractors will maintain the road when they are working a project. Future management regarding forest ecosystem restoration projects: Supplement the existing regeneration of the spruce-fir component in the area to meet forest plan prescribed minimum stocking rates of 285 trees per acre and to promote development of early and mid seral spruce stands to move the landscapes towards Properly Functioning Condition.

Grazing: The timber sale areas often have large meadows within the forested areas that are grazed by livestock. Most of the areas within the proposed timber sale have some transitory range as a result of previous timber sales. This transitory range is not considered part of the base forage need for the allotment. These areas are grazed lightly while livestock move through the area on their ways to more suitable forage. The amount of grazing in these areas depends largely on the amount of residual trees, the amount of downfall and ease of being able to move through the forested area to more suitable range. The removal of dead trees will allow greater access to this transitional area, easing movement to adjoining pasture as well as increased forage available in the treated area. Timber: The action proposed by the Forest Service to meet the purpose and need is to use commercial timber harvest (salvage sales) to remove the dead overstory, reforest with spruce seedlings where needed, and close the no longer needed roads. This would move the forestlands and watersheds toward conditions that more closely represent the historic vegetative composition and structure by creating acres of young forest (early to mid-seral structural stages) and reducing road density and erosion potential. Recreation: The area provides views of high mountain meadows, the Uinta and Wasatch mountain range, conifer and aspen forests, make this area quite scenic. Recreation use is moderate. Recreation activities include dispersed camping, hunting, and fishing, as well as snowmobiling during winter months. The road system within the area provide motorized opportunities for ATV and motorcycle use. The Mill Hollow Campground and Wolf Creek Summit Campground are located within the area. Recreation use is anticipated to increase over the next several years. Reconstruction of the Duchesne ridge road will enable greater public access to these areas.