Tamarisk and other non-native invasive plants established along the Middle Colorado River Basin (MCRB) during the 20th Century have significantly impacted riparian and aquatic habitats. In terrestrial areas, stands of tamarisk displaced native plants, degraded wildlife habitat, reduced livestock forage, limited human access, interfered with the natural fluvial processes, and increased the risk of severe wildfires. The project facilitates collaboration between recreation, fire fuels and ecological goals providing opportunities to link this conservation work to the larger community of Moab and its visitors. In 2004, as part of a statewide effort Grand County released tamarisk leaf beetles (Diorhabda elongata and D.carnulata) in several locations on the Colorado River. By 2007, tamarisk along the entire Colorado River corridor from Cisco to Potash "browned out", and the leaf beetle was fully established in this region. In 2006 and 2007 State, Federal, County, non-profit and private organizations began treating over 4,000 acres of impacted riparian habitat dominated by tamarisk and other invasive plants. This was primarily done in an effort to restore native vegetation and improve the quality of riparian and aquatic habitats in high priority locations. Today tamarisk trees continue to decline and in some areas along the river they are beginning to die, either falling into the river or standing dead on the banks. Monitoring efforts by Grand County, Rim to Rim Restoration and USGS suggest that in some areas native plants are beginning to establish under the declining tamarisk, although in many areas Russian knapweed, Russian olive, elm, tree of heaven, and ravenna grass are more rapidly establishing as the canopy opens. Tamarisk impacts aquatic systems by eliminating habitats that provide critical spawning and nursery habitat for native fish by trapping sediment. This reduction of habitat complexity in stream channels negatively impacts rare native fishes, and reduces the input of key nutrients that support aquatic food webs (Graf 1978, Geological Society of American Bulletin 89:1149-1501; Bailey et al. 2001, Wetlands 21:442-447; Keller et al. 2014, Environmental Management 54:465-478). The proposed project is needed to: (1) re-connect side-channels that provide important backwater habitat for juvenile native threatened and endangered fish while restoring channel complexity (39.50 acres along the river and 245 acres in the Matheson wetlands); (2) prevent Russian olive, elm, tree of heaven, and ravenna grass from dominating areas where tamarisk is in decline along over 200 miles of the river and its side canyons; (3) ensure that previously treated areas continue to improve through monitoring these sites and perform needed follow up treatments; (4) implement active revegetation efforts in areas where passive regeneration has not occurred, or in high use areas where active recreation inhibits restoration; and (5) contain Russian knapweed in areas that regularly flood, and control it in areas that are not often flooded but where can become vector points for seed spread. This proposal builds off of previous WRI-funded projects, and links to projects funded through other sources including agency budgets. It is a continuation of the collaborative project planning and implementation approach adopted in FY 2018, connecting projects throughout the region and improving cross agency coordination and collaboration. By grouping many projects in the region, performing follow up at locations initially treated a decade ago, and linking new work to locations where native plants have gained an advantage over tamarisk and olive in part as a result of these legacy efforts, the Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership has increased our efficiency in regenerating native plant communities and improving riparian and aquatic habitat in connected but distinct areas. A more detailed Scope of Work (SOW) and project matrix includes details about project locations and work anticipated in FY 2020. WRI funding is essential for many of these projects and ensures connectivity between projects. Collaborative projects funded through WRI, facilitate work across administrative boundaries, reducing costs in the long run. This project exemplifies what can happen when multiple state, federal, county, private and nonprofit organizations come together under common goals. This project also incorporates community members and organizations in river conservation. Effective collaboration between recreation, fire fuels and ecological goals provides opportunities to link this conservation work to the larger community of Moab and its visitors.

The goal of this project is to work towards increasing biological diversity and watershed health in locations along the Colorado River and its tributaries and to improve native plant diversity and build ecological resilience as tamarisk continues to decline. Water quality and quantity are expected to improve as well with the restoration of native habitat. (1) Our first objective is to mitigate the continuing loss of threatened or endangered fish species habitat through opening backwaters and seasonally inundated side channels by removing tamarisk in historic Colorado River side channels that were once excellent habitat for native fish species. The lack of high-water scouring flows puts these side channels at risk of becoming permanently vegetated. Once lost, side channels do not seem to reestablish. Clearing the channel openings and then the channel length allows for future spring floods to expand this work by removing debris that slows high water flows in these areas. Leaving the channels choked with tamarisk (particularly at the inlets and outlets) results in rapid channel filling during medium level spring floods as is evidenced by the filling of the side channel 1 mile below Dewey Bridge. In these areas 100% of tamarisk biomass will be removed starting at the inlets and outlets. These areas are at risk of becoming so heavily vegetated that they cross an ecological threshold where they are unable to support native fish populations. 39.50 acres of side channel and backwater habitat along the mainstem as well as 245 acres of backwater habitat in the Matheson wetlands are planned to be treated during the FY 2020s work. (2) Our second objective is to protect the riparian areas throughout the river corridor from rapid growth of other invasive species as tamarisk trees decline. Removing and monitoring the spread of Russian olive, elm, locust, tree of heaven and ravenna grass will help ensure that native plant communities colonize these areas as tamarisk trees die. Ravenna grass is a non-native invasive perennial grass that is increasingly prevalent along the Colorado River and its tributaries. As a grass species it often forms dense stands before being noticed, so effective mapping of current locations and known hot spots (Grandstaff canyon, Mayberry, Castle Creek and others) will help area land managers keep an eye on this new invader. (3) Tamarisk biomass removal is the most visible aspect of this project, but in most areas only a portion of the tamarisk biomass will be removed. Except Colorado River side channels, only 30% of the invasive species biomass will be removed at each site to keep cleared areas small enough that native plant regeneration can outpace invasive plant establishment. In areas of high tamarisk concentration, tamarisk removal will begin around native plants on site. 100% of the tamarisk biomass will also occur in sites where the overall invasive plant composition is 30% or less, which is common in retreating legacy sites. One of the main goals of tamarisk biomass removal is to increase watershed health by improving biodiversity along these rare perennial water sources. (4) Active restoration will be implemented in certain areas to facilitate reestablishment of native plants. These areas include high use areas as well as areas that have been slow to regenerate to stabilize soils and control access. Seeding, pole planting, long stem planting and other containerized materials may be used at each active regeneration site depending on proximity to water, human use patterns, and other site factors. It is expected that at least 89 acres will be either planted or seeded. More detail about active revegetation is included in the attached SOW. (5) Knapweed is present throughout the region and Grand County is actively working on knapweed management. Knapweed found at any tamarisk or olive removal site will be treated and mapped. In 2018 active knapweed treatments at locations where flooding does not regularly occur was curtailed by drought conditions that retarded knapweed growth. During the FY 2020 all retreatment polygons will include knapweed treatment if it is present. Active revegetation efforts will avoid areas of dense knapweed, except areas of seeding. (6) A planned prescribed fire within the Matheson Wetland is critical to maintaining the open waters in the wetlands. Prescribed burning is used as a management tool for bulrush and other vegetation to create and maintain open waters for passerine birds, waterfowl and many other kinds of wildlife. It will also provide nutrients back to the soil and help maintain a healthy wetland. Burning has occurred in the same areas in the past and it has been determined to maintain open water prescribed burning will need to occur every 5-7 year. This year 245 acres are proposed to be burned to improve wetland habitat. Progress will be assessed based on long-term ecological objectives for each project location including: (1) reducing live tamarisk to less than 15 percent of the relative vegetation cover in the long term; (2) reducing other herbaceous invasive, non-native plants to less than 5 percent of the relative vegetation cover, and preventing other woody invasive plants from forming well established thickets from which they will spread; (3) maintaining total vegetation cover equal to or greater than 30 percent even during removal processes; and (4) documenting passive recruitment of native plants towards species-specific thresholds in the riparian corridor.

Beetle monitoring conducted by Grand County has shown tamarisk mortality has been increasing over the past decade since the beetle introduction. Without collaborative active management, areas of the riparian community and adjacent uplands areas along the river may transition to a new set of invasive woody and herbaceous weeds rather than to resilient and robust native plant communities. Acting now to revegetate these important riparian and adjacent upland communities will help them become more resilient and supportive of wildlife and livestock while significantly reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. The following catalogs specific risks and threats addressed by project work: 1) Side channels and backwater fish habitat are currently at risk of transitioning to completely vegetated tamarisk thickets. Once these areas have become vegetated it is increasingly unlikely that high water years will clean these side channels. Active work to open these side channels and keep them open so that mid-level flood flows can help maintain scouring will help reduce the risk that of losing this habitat along the river. 2) Significant increases in recreation numbers has impacted native plant communities in some areas, and has led to increased spread of noxious weeds. In addition, campgrounds and some of these other high use areas are adjacent to high density historic tamarisk stands that have high fuel loads. Fires have occurred along the river corridor in the recent past and could continue to occur should there not be removal of tamarisk and other woody invasives around these high use areas. 3) Altered river flows coupled with the deep root systems and dense lower growth of tamarisk and Russian olive have altered the sediment transport balance and, in some areas, simplified riverine habitat along vast stretches of the Colorado River. Many of these stretches are also dominated by many invasive, non-native plants such as Russian knapweed and kochia. Without treatment we could continue to see armored banks and reduction in the natural flood regime along the river possibly leading to the loss of more native fish habitat. 4) Declining tamarisk as well as tamarisk mortality is resulting in some areas supporting healthy seedlings and saplings of other invasive plants. The phased approach of the work in this project (as outlined in methods and the attached SOW), will help set a trajectory toward a more diverse and sustainable plant community more quickly than it may regenerate on its own and will help ensure that other invasive species and noxious weeds do not dominate the system. Careful and incremental tamarisk removal can prevent these areas from transitioning to thickets of kochia, Russian knapweed and other herbaceous noxious weeds, or to dense stands of Russian olive, elm and tree of heaven. 5) Ravenna grass has been spreading very quickly along riparian areas in southeastern Utah. If we do not keep its population in check now it may become very difficult to impossible to manage in a few years when its population is likely to be significantly larger. 6) Past restoration investments to effectively restore native plant communities to a healthier, increasingly self-sustaining level need follow up to reach completion. In the areas proposed within this project, invasive plant densities are not yet reduced to a level of low-intensity maintenance; failure to build on past work in these areas in a timely manner will detract from previous restoration efforts and increase costs down the road for improving habitat and reducing fuel loads. Vegetation response monitoring in legacy removal locations suggests that sites with some careful follow up work increases resiliency in native plant communities.

The SE Utah Riparian Partnership projects in this proposal relates to a number of regional management plans including several BLM planning documents, NPS plans, and State of Utah wildlife plans and vegetation management policies. In addition, it directly relates to the Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA, see item 7 below) that links to efforts in Western Colorado. The following section outlines how this proposal meets various management plan goals for each plan. (1) The Moab Field Office (MFO) Programmatic Invasive Species Management Plan (PISMP) is an integrated pest management approach to eradicate, contain, control and prevent targeted weeds within the MFO. The desired goal is to contain or control the spread of invasive species and eradicate species that pose the greatest threat to the biological diversity within the MFO, and prevent any new weeds from becoming established by utilizing a wide range of treatment options (i.e. mechanical, manual, herbicide, etc.). Proactive vegetation management outlined in this proposal will promote ecosystem health through restoration of diverse native communities maintaining and improving native forbs and grass species, increasing the regeneration of native cottonwoods and willows in riparian corridors, and ultimately preventing the loss of wildlife habitat, species diversity, and reducing wildfire risk. (2) Moab BLM Resource Management Plan (RMP) prioritizes management of riparian vegetation and emphasizes the control of noxious weeds, prevention of the spread of invasive species, and restoration of vegetated areas. Reduction of tamarisk and restoration of native riparian vegetation addresses management objectives for improving the quality and health of riparian habitats while improving the quality of resources used in recreation and reducing fuels in a manner that decreases the likelihood and severity of wildfires. Specific management decisions in the RMP that are directly related to the primary objectives of the proposed project include RIP-9, which calls for restoring riparian vegetation "through biological, chemical, mechanical, and manual methods (e.g., tamarisk control, willow plantings)," and RIP-16, which calls for implementation of strategies to "restore degraded riparian communities" and "protect natural flow regimes." (3) The BLM Utah Riparian Policy states that "riparian areas are to be improved at every opportunity." Under this proposal riparian areas will be improved in terms of native plant distribution, native fish habitat, as well as improved grazing areas for domestic livestock. (4) The NPS Southeast Utah Group conducted an Exotic Plant Management Plan Environmental Assessment in 2009. In particular, pages 3-5 in chapter 1 outline specific herbicides and management goals which are supported through this WRI proposal. "1. Restore native plant communities to reduce the need for ongoing exotic plant management. 2. Prevent unacceptable levels of exotic plant damage, using environmentally sound, cost effective management strategies that pose the least possible risk to people, park resources, and the environment." One of the goals of this proposal is to reduce invasive species along the river corridor to low intensity level maintenance which addresses both of these goals. (5) The Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan calls for an emphasis on improving riparian habitat and use of seed mixes that include sufficient forbs and browse species. One of the strategies for actively revegetating some of the tamarisk treatment areas includes reseeding with native locally sourced seed mix. In addition, the greater access to the river provided by the reduction of dense tamarisk stands will improve riparian habitat for mule deer. (6) Pursuant to the Utah Noxious Weed Act, Section 7, to every person who owns or controls lands in Grand County, Utah, that noxious weeds standing, being, or growing on such land shall be controlled and the spread of same prevented by effective cutting, tillage, cropping, pasturing, or treating with chemicals or other methods, or combination methods, or combination thereof, approved by the County Weed Supervisor, as often as may be required to prevent the weed from blooming and maturing seeds, or spreading by root, root stalks or other means. Listed species include, tamarisk, Russian knapweed, and Russian olive. Almost all of the individual projects listed under this proposal targets tamarisk, Russian knapweed, or Russian olive for treatment and/or removal. (7) Middle Colorado River Watershed Cooperative Weed Management Area Cooperative Agreement - partnering organizations working along the Colorado River work towards the CWMA's goal "to promote an integrated weed management program throughout the MCRW-CWMA that includes public relations, education and training in the non-native invasive weed arena as well as inventory, monitoring, controlling and preventing the spread of non-native invasive weeds, sharing of resources, and designing other desirable resource protection measures relative to weed management." (8) BLM Healthy Lands Initiative: The project area has been identified as a focal area of this vegetation- resources enhancement initiative to restore and improve the health and productivity of western public lands. The Healthy Lands strategy increases the effectiveness and efficiency of vegetation enhancement treatments by focusing on treatments on a significant percentage of lands -- both Federal and non-Federal -- within six geographic locations, rather than focusing on the local project level. The strategy increases opportunities to leverage cooperative solutions across ownership's and jurisdictions. (9) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Utah Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Strategic Plan: This project falls within a priority area, priority habitat (riparian), and addresses threats to priority species (SWFL and YBCU). (10) Conservation Planning for the Colorado River in Utah: With the help of local and regional natural resource professionals, The Nature Conservancy, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and Utah Forestry Fire and State Lands developed a broad-scale, spatially-explicit assessment of 146 miles (~20,000 acres) of the Colorado River mainstem in Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah that will function as the basis for a systematic, practical approach to conservation planning and riparian restoration prioritization. For the assessment we have: 1) acquired, modified or created spatial datasets of Colorado River bottomland conditions; 2) synthesized those datasets into habitat suitability models and estimates of natural recovery potential, fire risk and relative cost; 3) investigated and described dominant ecosystem trends and human uses; and 4) suggested site selection and prioritization approaches. Partner organizations and others collaborating with the SE Utah Riparian Partnership are using the assessment and datasets to identify and prioritize restoration actions to increase ecosystem resilience and improve habitat for bottomland species. Primary datasets include maps of bottomland cover types, bottomland extent, maps of areas inundated during high and low flow events, as well as locations of campgrounds, roads, fires, invasive vegetation treatment areas and other features. (11) Utah Wild Turkey Management Plan: Goal A. Maintain and Improve Wild Turkey Populations to Habitat or Social Carrying Capacity Objective1.Stabilize populations that are declining outside of natural population fluctuations; especially through catastrophic events (i.e. following fires, severe winters, etc.). Strategy c: Conduct habitat projects to address limiting factors. Objective 2. Increase wild turkey habitat, quality and quantity, by 40,000 acres statewide by 2020. Strategy d: Conduct habitat improvement projects in limiting habitat(s). By removing dense tamarisk stands and increasing plant diversity along the river we are increasing possible turkey habitat as well. (12) Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve Habitat Management Plan 1994 outlines ecologic goals including: Preserve Wetland and Associated Habitat Patterns b-spring and fall migratory stopover -nesting, young rearing, and year-round habitat for local resident wildlife; and, Enhance or create habitat for rare and/or desirable species, where possible, without damaging important existing habitat or wetland functions. By slowly returning areas to native vegetation this project will create more bird habitat. By removing tamarisk in a patchwork pattern, it will prevent the removal of all bird habitat and will allow for native shrubs and trees to grow for birds to use. The prescribed burn in the wetlands will keep the pond area open for birds and other wildlife. (13) The attached document at the end of the proposal outlines a list of management plans and objectives which the BLM compiled for project number 3342 and 3572 for the Courthouse Wash Watershed, as well as another attached document outlining the BLM's management plan compliance for this current WRI project proposal. The BLM has completed the NEPA document and Pesticide Use Plans (PUP) to fully cover this work on BLM lands.

This project will decrease the risk of high severity wildfire by reducing dead stands of beetle impacted dead and declining tamarisk trees. Recent occurrences of wildfires in this river stretch have been high intensity with negative consequences including mortality of all native vegetation and up to 100% invasive weed infestation. Studies have shown that these stands of tamarisk as well as associated Russian olive can serve as ladder fuels, carrying fire into the crowns of native cottonwoods. Fire spread and intensity are enhanced when there is a buildup of dead and senescent material in the tamarisk crowns, as is currently the case. Treatments focus on clearing these ladder fuels from around cottonwoods and other native plants to protect them in the event of catastrophic fires. Treatments in following years will expand these clearings as the cleared areas stabilize with lower growing grasses and forbs. Ravenna grass, a non-native invasive species that is spreading along riparian areas in this part of the state, is at risk of becoming a ladder fuel in riparian areas. Ravenna grass can reach heights of 12 feet and older stands of ravenna grass may be able to carry fire that would not otherwise burn in these areas. Removing this fuel loading will promote the establishment of under-story native vegetation and will reduce soil erosion, which is critical to maintaining riparian ecosystem resilience. Dead and declining tamarisk poses a fire hazard to numerous recreation sites, campgrounds, roadways, structures, energy infrastructure, fire personnel, recreating citizens and endangered species habitat. The current fire regime condition class in the tamarisk galleries is high (3), and would be reduced to moderate (2) immediately after treatment. Additionally, the removal of dead tamarisk trees would create breaks in the tree canopy where firefighters could safely begin suppressing wildfires. According to the Utah DNR Wildfire Risk Portal (Cat. Fire Map or UWRAP) the area is at risk of low to high intensity fire. The project area has had increasing wildfires over the past ten years since the release of the tamarisk beetle in 2004. Studies have shown that contiguous stands of tamarisk in the riparian zones lead to fire return intervals that are too frequent for the successful establishment of native cottonwoods and willows -- a key component of our restoration efforts on the Colorado and its tributaries. Treatment areas will improve fire safety near campgrounds and high use recreation areas. other sites will protect critical seed sources for cottonwoods and other native plants critical for passive regeneration. Natives will be planted in some treatment areas to replace tamarisk removed.

Tamarisk thickets tend to have higher cumulative rates of evapotranspiration than the native upland plant communities that it tends to displace in floodplain and adjacent upland habitats. Reducing these thickets in areas outlined for this project has the potential to reduce water lost through evapotranspiration in riparian and floodplain habitats and therefore increase water quantity. Removing tamarisk and Russian Olive from the banks of streams and riverbeds will help establish natural hydro-morphological processes and more effectively distribute water resources throughout the project watershed area. After invasive species are removed, targeted seeding and planting of trees and shrubs as well as passive restoration of native plants will stabilize natural drainage conditions. With more stable and natural conditions, soil erosion and sedimentation rates will be reduced. Decreased erosion and sedimentation rates would be a direct improvement to water quality conditions. By removing tamarisk and Russian olive from the watershed in selected areas can promote channel dynamism and therefore a more complex channel platform. Work during the first phase of this project created access to historically high flow channels and potential backwater areas. The opening access to these areas will allow for these projects to continue to clear vegetation from these channels, increasing the potential for fisheries restoration in some areas. This can in turn improve water quality in the river over the long term.

NEPA has been completed by the BLM Moab Field Office's Programmatic Invasive Species Management Plan (PISMP). The project area has a current federal Pesticide Use Plan (PUP). Archaeology clearance is usually not required for work within riparian lands adjacent to the river on State sovereign lands. However, if any cultural resources are suspected or discovered throughout work on this project all work will cease until expert archaeologists can assess and determine appropriate action. The State of Utah does not have a formal NEPA process to follow for restoration work but will defer to the federal partners involved to ensure compliance with any applicable federal restrictions or reporting requirements. The Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands can assist in any compliance documentation necessary to complete work on this project and looks forward to closely working with federal partners to complete all necessary permitting. This project is also broadly supported by the Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership's plan, and many of its members are listed as partner organizations. There is a current MOU under review by the last few agencies and should be completed by the end of this year. DWR will write/update the burn plan for the Matheson Rx.

In general terms, the treatments will be as follows: Russian olive, elm, locust, and tree of heaven tree treatment: These are to be removed (when in groupings over 3 trees) or treated and left standing (when trees are individual, using herbicide in a frill or girdle cut treatment). Triclopyr is the herbicide of choice based on BLM documentation and Pesticide Use Proposal (PUP) for most of this work, except when species treatment suggests otherwise. Ravenna grass treatment: Ravenna grass will be dug out when found and its seed heads bagged. GPS locations will be recorded for future follow-up work. In some situations where digging may be too disruptive or time consuming ravenna will be treated with glyphosate. Tamarisk treatment: At all the identified restoration areas throughout the river corridor, a phased approach is planned for denser stands of tamarisk, removing no more than 30% of the non-native trees during this phase, leaving at least 60% of the existing vegetation and associated multi-storied canopy intact. In areas of high tamarisk concentration, tamarisk removal will begin around native plants found on site, and move out from these native plants in irregular patterns until 30% removal is completed. This phased approach allows for better shading and cooler surface temperatures to promote passive restoration of native vegetation as well as habitat benefits for bird species. In areas where backwater occurs, as well as where there are historic side channels 100% of tamarisk biomass will be removed. This will open side channels to future scouring during high flow years increasing native fish habitat. Removal of 100% of the tamarisk biomass will also occur in sites where the overall invasive plant composition is 30% or less. This occurs in some retreatment sites. See notes for each specific site for clarification. Cut areas will be seeded in winter, and trees/shrubs will be planted in the fall in areas where passive native plant regeneration has not been occuring. Tamarisk cutting will be done with chainsaws and will be treated with Triclopyr. See notes for each specific site for clarification. Crews will focus on the removal of tamarisk in high use areas, and around areas of native trees such as oak, cottonwoods, netleaf hackberries and willows. These areas are being targeted to reduce fire risk, and promote the expansion of native vegetation and wildlife habitat. The removal of tamarisk from underneath cottonwood groves will promote the expansion of cottonwoods, and reduce the fire risk. Areas of high recreational use are at risk of human caused fire, which will damage native vegetation habitat areas; therefore, these areas will also be targeted. Many project areas are adjacent to busy roadsides that see a lot of tourist traffic. Previous tamarisk treatment areas have had the unintended effect of attracting visitors to previously unseen river beaches. This has caused riverside degradation and loss of plant life. Future treatment areas will be careful to prevent unsustainable access to recreation areas. Revegetation: In appropriate areas, we will plant cottonwoods and other species of trees and critical shrub species. Natural recruitment of cottonwoods and other tree species along the large river systems throughout the desert southwest is extremely limited due to changes in flood patterns and encroachment of non-native tamarisk and Russian olives. Attached with this document is seed mixes to be used for revegetation. Tree species such as netleaf hackberry and box elder as well as shrubs such as fourwing saltbush, New Mexico privet, and three-leaf sumac will be seeded. Local seed collection in calendar year 2018 and earlier years means that local genetic stock can be used in replanting projects. In some areas plantings will be irrigated using barrels and drip irrigation systems. In other locations, long stem planting techniques will be used to establish trees and shrubs like cottonwoods, hackberry, oak, New Mexico privet and three-leaf sumac with little to no follow up watering planned. Long-stem planting is more expensive up front, but this technique has proven itself at locations up Mill Creek among other places. For the prescribed fire within the Matheson Wetland to maintain the open waters, the burn plan will be written/update by FFSL. Implementation will involve partners from FFSL, DWR, Moab Valley fire and other certified fire personnel. FFSL (Lone Peak or Twin Peak) crews will use equipment to prepare the burn lines. We will use local volunteer fire departments when available to help with the prescribed burn. The attached SOW and table of projects, along with the mapped areas, gives more detail about exact locations of work with a summary of the work to be done. The project locations detailed in the SOW are listed below starting upstream and going downstream: * Westwater put in * Below Onion RR * Above Professor RR * Above New Rapid and Sorrel River Ranch Resort river right * Mayberry * BLM Below Zuckerman's * Grandstaff Canyon * Goose Island * Lower Goose Island area * Bills Site (191 Bridge) * Matheson Wetlands * Mouth of Mill Creek to Kings Bottom river left * Nelson Property (now Kane Creek Campground) * Along the Potash Road from Jaycee Park to Williams Bottom * Kane Creek from mouth of Kane Creek to Amasa Back parking * Jackson Bottom

Monitoring will be conducted as part of this project to evaluate the success of the treatments and to evaluate any additional treatment needs. Monitoring efforts will be conducted prior to treatment, immediately after treatment, several times over a one-year period after treatment and several years later. Local researchers may conduct bird surveys in coordination with UDWR staff. Other monitoring efforts include assessing which treatments were most successful in order to improve treatment techniques over time. An initial monitoring report will be completed after treatment implementation. Rim to Rim Restoration has been collecting vegetation response data at tamarisk and olive removal sites along the main-stem Colorado River periodically since 2007 and completed new data collection at all river sites in 2018. In 2019 a summary report of the 10 years of data collection will be completed for review by project partners and others interested. Rim to Rim has found that annual data collection is not necessary at these sites after the first few years, but rather data collected every 3 to 5 years provides a good indication of site conditions once the initial disturbance has stabilized. Data collection at sites along the River will occur again in the next two years. The SE Utah Riparian Partnership will be conducting a re-assessment of ALL tamarisk and olive treatment sites along the river and side canyons where work has been done since 2007 in an effort to better understand the impacts of these projects over the long term in the spring and early summer of 2019. Rim to Rim Restoration will collect this data and make it accessible to the entire group during the summer and fall of 2019, and use it to evaluate the current conditions suggest any further follow up at legacy project sites In select locations, BLM Aquatics and Terrestrial Crews will conduct monitoring according to recently implemented Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) protocols. This will include randomly located vegetation transects with the purpose of measuring both overstory and understory vegetation change. Measurements will include line-point intercept cover, tree density, species richness, and seeded species frequency using BLM's AIM protocols. Repeat photography will be conducted from year to year for visual comparison. A sample monitoring report from Rim to Rim Restoration is available upon request, the file is too large to upload to the WRI database at this time. A summary report generated from monitoring data collected over the past ten years, as outlined above, is nearly complete and will be made available by the middle of 2019. A draft version of the summary report is attached to this proposal, as are two relevant detailed site reports generated through this effort.

Most partners on this project work together through the Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership, a group of land management agencies, local governmental units, and other organizations interested in riparian work and health in Southeast Utah. This group has been collaborating on projects for 10 years; and writing joint proposals for work on the Colorado River and its tributaries since 2017. Bureau of Land Management The BLM Canyon Country District is fully involved with this project and restoration effort. The following BLM programs have supported and contributed to this project; Fire & Fuels, NEPA, GIS, Archaeology, Wildlife, Hydrology & Water Quality, Riparian, Botany, Weeds, Range, and Recreation. Additionally, Fire & Fuels crews will help implement tamarisk removal and restoration work. The Weeds program will contribute time and herbicide for noxious weed control. Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands; Sovereign Lands The Division will assist through in-kind labor working with crews on the ground, as well as project planning and monitoring support. FFSL has committed ample amount of time in helping to write and plan for this grant and the work to be completed throughout the watershed area. FFSL will write/update the burn plan for Matheson Rx as well as they will be lead agency on the Rx. National Park Service The National Park Service is supportive of the project and some NPS lands are included in the proposal along the Colorado River in Arches National Park. Rim to Rim Restoration (non-profit) Rim to Rim Restoration (RRR) is involved in ongoing vegetation monitoring throughout the watershed area and has provided expertise in riparian restoration design and planning. RRR will assist with project coordination, continue data collection for long term vegetation monitoring along the Colorado River, and assist land management partners in planning restoration projects and non-native tree removal throughout the watershed area. RRR has many years of experience and expertise to contribute to this project. RRR is uniquely qualified to perform these tasks for the project due in part to their role coordinating the Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership. RRR has worked with FFSL, BLM, Grand County, City of Moab, DWR and other local nonprofits and contractors for over 15 years, and can bridge administrative boundaries. RRR also has direct experience with running removal crews, revegetation implementation crews and growing locally collected native plants in Southeast Utah. Plateau Restoration Inc. (non-profit) Plateau Restoration Inc. (PRI) will use WRI funding from this project to continue work at Jackson Bottom as well as assist at other revegetation areas on the Colorado River. PRI is uniquely qualified for this work as they have been working in this area for over 10 years with the land owner as well as the County Weed department, FFSL and the BLM. Their ability to bring volunteers to worksites has been a valuable means for keeping costs low. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources This state agency provides technical assistance (e.g. surveying for side-channel project) and monitors the avian community along the Utah portion of the Colorado River to increase understanding of how restoration affects bird and aquatic species. UDWR also owns and co-manages lands with the project area. They have actively removed tamarisk and Russian olive from their properties. UDWR promotes wetland and riparian habitats in and along the Colorado River and is an active partner is this project. The Nature Conservancy They own and co-manage lands with the treatment areas. TNC has actively removed tamarisk and Russian olive from their properties. TNC promotes wetland and riparian habitats in and along the Colorado River and is an active partner is this project coordinating the prescribed burn on the TNC owned Matheson wetlands. Utah Conservation Corps The Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership is open to working with all conservation corps that want to work in SE Utah, but over the past two years the UCC has worked closely with the Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership on this project. UCC is uniquely qualified to provide consistent and efficient logistical support and project implementation on projects along the Colorado River. The regional coordinator is intimately familiar with these project sites and what treatments work best in our region.

Most partners on this project work together through the Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership, a group of land management agencies, local governmental units, and other organizations interested in riparian work and health in Southeast Utah. This group has been collaborating on projects for 10 years; and writing joint proposals for work on the Colorado River and its tributaries since 2017. Bureau of Land Management The BLM Canyon Country District is fully involved with this project and restoration effort. The following BLM programs have supported and contributed to this project; Fire & Fuels, NEPA, GIS, Archaeology, Wildlife, Hydrology & Water Quality, Riparian, Botany, Weeds, Range, and Recreation. Additionally, Fire & Fuels crews will help implement tamarisk removal and restoration work. The Weeds program will contribute time and herbicide for noxious weed control. Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands; Sovereign Lands The Division will assist through in-kind labor working with crews on the ground, as well as project planning and monitoring support. FFSL has committed ample amount of time in helping to write and plan for this grant and the work to be completed throughout the watershed area. FFSL will write/update the burn plan for Matheson Rx as well as they will be lead agency on the Rx. National Park Service The National Park Service is supportive of the project and some NPS lands are included in the proposal along the Colorado River in Arches National Park. Rim to Rim Restoration (non-profit) Rim to Rim Restoration (RRR) is involved in ongoing vegetation monitoring throughout the watershed area and has provided expertise in riparian restoration design and planning. RRR will assist with project coordination, continue data collection for long term vegetation monitoring along the Colorado River, and assist land management partners in planning restoration projects and non-native tree removal throughout the watershed area. RRR has many years of experience and expertise to contribute to this project. RRR is uniquely qualified to perform these tasks for the project due in part to their role coordinating the Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership. RRR has worked with FFSL, BLM, Grand County, City of Moab, DWR and other local nonprofits and contractors for over 15 years, and can bridge administrative boundaries. RRR also has direct experience with running removal crews, revegetation implementation crews and growing locally collected native plants in Southeast Utah. Plateau Restoration Inc. (non-profit) Plateau Restoration Inc. (PRI) will use WRI funding from this project to continue work at Jackson Bottom as well as assist at other revegetation areas on the Colorado River. PRI is uniquely qualified for this work as they have been working in this area for over 10 years with the land owner as well as the County Weed department, FFSL and the BLM. Their ability to bring volunteers to worksites has been a valuable means for keeping costs low. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources This state agency provides technical assistance (e.g. surveying for side-channel project) and monitors the avian community along the Utah portion of the Colorado River to increase understanding of how restoration affects bird and aquatic species. UDWR also owns and co-manages lands with the project area. They have actively removed tamarisk and Russian olive from their properties. UDWR promotes wetland and riparian habitats in and along the Colorado River and is an active partner is this project. The Nature Conservancy They own and co-manage lands with the treatment areas. TNC has actively removed tamarisk and Russian olive from their properties. TNC promotes wetland and riparian habitats in and along the Colorado River and is an active partner is this project coordinating the prescribed burn on the TNC owned Matheson wetlands. Utah Conservation Corps The Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership is open to working with all conservation corps that want to work in SE Utah, but over the past two years the UCC has worked closely with the Southeast Utah Riparian Partnership on this project. UCC is uniquely qualified to provide consistent and efficient logistical support and project implementation on projects along the Colorado River. The regional coordinator is intimately familiar with these project sites and what treatments work best in our region.

The removal of tamarisk and Russian knapweed will improve the quality of recreational opportunities in the area as well as improve grazing conditions which will benefit livestock and wildlife. Most of the project sites are located in high use recreation areas in the Moab area. The project will improve the area's aesthetics as well as improve public safety by reducing fire fuels. Knapweed treatments in high use areas will help contain the spread of these seeds, helping reduce spread into areas where water is present farther from the River. Grazing permits from the BLM are active in some of the project areas above New Rapid along the Colorado River. Livestock forage will be increased through seeding and distribution will benefit from further access to the area. The project is expected to benefit domestic livestock in three ways. First, it will facilitate the reestablishment of perennial grasses, native forbs, and shrubs that have much higher forage value than tamarisk. Past knapweed treatments within the project area have led to rapid reestablishment of perennial grasses, even in the absence of seeding. However, targeted broadcast seeding will be used to accelerate recolonization of native grasses in selected areas where native grasses are sparse in habitat adjacent to the treatment site. Second, control of tamarisk can make managing livestock easier. Previously dense stands of tamarisk that have either been removed or thinned (depending on site-conditions) increase access for ranchers to monitor and manage cattle on public allotments. Therefore, grazing and animal distribution will increase since more river bank is accessible for watering livestock and wildlife. Third, Russian knapweed is known to be toxic to horses, potentially causing facial paralysis, malnutrition, dehydration, and necrosis (USDA Agr Info Bulletin Number 415). Controlling this noxious weed will reduce the potential for these and other livestock health issues.

09/15/2019

06/30/2020

2020

The Colorado River Restoration 3.0 project coordinators successfully implemented work across property boundaries and amongst agencies. Coordination took many forms including planning meetings, as well as site visits with contract crews, interagency work, and final assessments of sites. On the ground methods were primarily: * Hand removal and herbicide treatment to clear tamarisk from important native plants including willow and cottonwood. * Spraying knapweed and other high priority exotics along the river corridor focusing first at high traffic sites that can be a vector for seed transportation. * Mapping and removing Ravenna grass, a newly emerging invasive exotic that has shown explosive growth in this area lately. * Manual removal of goatheads at high-use sites along the river corridor. * Monitoring legacy tamarisk removal sites along the Colorado River to assess if further removal work is needed. * Revegetation with longstem plantings, containerized plantings, and seeding at tamarisk removal sites. * Frill cut treatment of Russian olive and elm along the river corridor. RRR: Coordination Rim to Rim Restoration successfully facilitated and supervised many projects this season working across property boundaries and between different agencies. There has also been continued progress on creating and communicating project procedures to contract crews on the ground, especially when there is limited contact with those crews. Site Evaluations Last year's site assessments were used to plan and highlight areas that needed retreatment this grant cycle. The site assessment form developed last year was developed by the BLM into a tool through Survey 123 that can be used in the field on either tablets or smartphones for gathering site data, updating projects after performing work or for future planning. The development of this tool in association with a GIS database is ongoing. FFSL: As part of its contribution to the Colorado River Cross-Watershed Phase III collaboration; FFSL worked with Grand County Noxious Weeds to identify and treat secondary herbaceous weeds through spot applications of herbicide within tamarisk removal sites previously established through work done in Phase I. Each polygon was visited periodically throughout the year. Spot applications were completed at a much higher rate than if workers had been dependent on backpacks alone. FFSL staff also helped in post hitch data collection and management for several UCC projects. TNC/DWR Matheson Preserve: The Nature Conservancy (TNC) contracted the services of Smoking Goose Consulting LLC, to prepare a burn plan to be used in the implementation of the Matheson Wetland RX Burn. The burn plan was prepared in coordination with the state officials and the completed burn plan including maps of the burn unit, was provided to the southeastern area FMO in early June 2020. Plateau Restoration Inc. Jackson Bottom: The focus of this phase of the Jackson Bottom restoration project was to start rehabilitation of the access road that runs through the NE half of the property, in addition to overall maintenance, including monitoring for invasive species. The original plan was to spray the roadside for annual weeds prior to ripping the road and subsequent revegetation. However, due to high water last year, the site was inaccessible by vehicle as the kochia was setting seed. Instead, we planted saltgrass at intervals along the road to encourage gradual revegetation. To ensure survival, a gravity-fed drip irrigation system was proposed. Project work involved 33 site visits, starting in Fall, 2019 and continuing beyond the end of the fiscal year. Manual clearing dead annual weeds and wildflower stalks was done in fall and spring, 2020 to maintain access for monitoring and to clear planting areas. Covering a total of 1.5 acres, these dead stalks were smashed as mulching material to inhibit future weeds. In addition to areas dedicated for planting, main areas for removal were established routes to the river on the SW end and in the upper 2/3 of the site, where Russian Knapweed and Perennial Pepperweed have been observed. Some seeding was also done over winter in areas where chain saw crew cut tamarisk last spring. 460 tublings of saltgrass and 4-wing salt bush were purchased in anticipation of our Alternative Spring Break college volunteers scheduled for March. The COVID-19 stay home orders prevented students from coming and, without the labor, we planted 147 plants, including tublings and 1-gal to 5-gal pots of rabbitbrush, 4-wing saltbush, saltgrass and alkali sacaton. The remaining 360 tublings had to be re-potted and staged for planting this fall. Due to drought conditions, delaying this planting should have a better outcome. Several suaeda and greasewood seedlings from within the site were also transplanted into planting holes. Planting was done in late March to mid-May along both ends of the road, with irrigation supplying water only in the NE end. Shrubs and grasses were also planted on this end on the slope east of the road. These are now being watered by hand since the irrigation system struggled to supply adequate water uphill. 23 saltgrass tublings were planted at about 15 ft intervals along about 300 ft on both sides of the road on the S end near the cable gate, also being hand-watered weekly. Plants were placed in amended soil and protected from the sun using slash. Crushed weeds were also placed on the ground around plants to reduce reflective heat. The irrigation system supplies water to 500 feet of the roadway. The system is fed by two 50-gallon barrels placed about 10 feet above the road, with a battery operated timer set to run for 90 minutes every 4 days. A loop of about 1000 feet of line delivers water to 40 planting holes. A native seed mix consisting of 11 species of shrubs, grasses and wildflowers seed was refined and ordered. A portion of this was hand broadcast in all areas where weeds were smashed down in the upper half of the site, and a distance of approximately 15 feet around these areas, in addition to along the roadway. BLM: Canyon Country Fire and Fuels staff thinned and burned an area near Jaycee Park, using a new biochar kiln on-site and a BLM owned bullhog. The BLM also converted the site assessment form developed by RRR into a site assessment tool that can be loaded onto a phone or tablet through Survey 123. Grand County Weed Dept (GCWD): Grand County Noxious Weeds worked with to identify and treat secondary herbaceous weeds through spot applications of herbicide within tamarisk removal sites previously established through work done in Phase I, including areas in campgrounds. Each polygon was visited periodically throughout the year. The GCWD also scouted several large areas for Ravenna grass.

The total proposed area for this project was 580 acres. 3 projects were not executed, totaling 284 acres, leaving 296 acres. Due to mapping issues of overlapping treatments, and shapes being mapped by multiple agencies the acreage mapped as terrestrial treatments underestimates our work along the River this year. Please see the attached kmz files for treatments by type as executed. Mapping methods will be changed in FY 2021 to remedy this situation. The planned prescribed burn could not be completed due to a high water year resulting in extremely damp conditions n the Matheson Wetland. The grand county weed department also performed extensive scouting for Ravenna grass, totaling 780 acres of scouted terrain. Adding in the ravenna scouting, the total area comes to 1074 acres. In order to classify the polygon data for the projects to fit into the WRI categories for upload, some projects were marked as affected area. The uploaded polygons will not reflect those changes. COVID-19 impacted the capacity for large numbers of people to work on projects together, and also made scheduling a challenge as the overall safety situation evolved. RRR: Coordination Coordination has been fine-tuned over the course of Colorado River Restoration 1 (WRI 4009) and Colorado River Restoration 2 (WRI 4374) and this project. Expanding upon and improving these WRI projects years after year has greatly improved coordination between agencies and other partners including Rim to Rim. Other coordination improvements being implemented in Colorado River 3.0 include more active oversight and overall project orientation and training by RRR with youth corps crews at the start of the project, and tighter and faster post-project reporting. UCC: Below is a list of lessons learned/important project considerations moving forward from UCC crew leaders. General Making a large overall polygon for each worksite and then using FFSL and DNR mapping data to create smaller target polygons allowed UCC crews using phones with Google earth to easily check their locations while working, and make sure they were hitting all specified areas at a site while staying within project boundaries. They also focused on remapping each work area after treatment resulting in more accurate but slightly smaller estimates of treated area. Colorado 3.0 BLM goathead treatment: Due to COVID-19, UCC crews were available in the summer months, which was earlier than past years. Having the crews available earlier meant that it was an excellent time to manually remove goatheads, which have normally seeded by the start of the fall work season. As a result of this earlier availability, crews were able to treat large amounts of goatheads, which has been a goal for invasive treatment for several years but has never been fully implemented. If it is possible to include manual summer goathead treatments in the future, it would help keep this plant under control. FFSL: Secondary herbaceous weeds are a consistent and predictable complication of tamarisk removal efforts along the Colorado River. Following an initial entry within the project focus area, it should be expected that Russian knapweed, Canada thistle, and Perennial pepperweed will become established unless follow-up treatments are completed. To that end, FFSL and Grand County and UCC consistently treat previously cut sites to decrease competition from exotics. TNC/DWR: Coordination with Utah State University went smoothly and UCC did a great job with the execution of the work, especially in light of the COVID-related scheduling and safety challenges. Nicole Croke, project manager for UCC, ensured the terms of the contract were satisfactorily met. The prescribed burn was not implemented in 2019 due to dry conditions. As conditions allow the prescribed burn will be implemented in 2021 or 2022. Plateau Restoration Inc.: Tamarisk removal and restoration have been conducted on 67 acres at Jackson Bottom since 2010 by PRI and Grand County, Utah DNR, and USFWS partners. PRI has used college students as volunteers for much of the labor. This private land near the Potash mine has been set aside as valuable wildlife habitat and is ideal for experimentation and training of future resource managers in SW riparian restoration. During the last decade the site has been flooded twice, in 2011 and 2019. Most other years have seen abnormally low water, with 2020 starting off as the driest April on record with above average temperatures and the lowest water levels since 2013, peaking near 14,000 cfs in June. Monitoring vegetation trends over this period of time has given us a lot of insights into rehabilitation of this site. With this project we attempt to expand native plant diversity in areas that are being slow to recover, especially on the east side of the service road at both ends. Both areas see abundant wildlife use and have good water access. Ensuring that native species are now on both sides of the road achieves our goal of biodiversity throughout the site. Several differences were noted this spring. Native western sea purslane (Sesuvium verrucosum) had expanded across the access road towards the east for the first time in the northern end of the site, and hundreds of suaeda seedlings had emerged. Flooding is suspected of causing 4-wing saltbush and alkali sacaton to die off in low areas, although some of the alkali sacaton that appeared dead has since started to sprout. A relatively cool spring extended plantings until mid-May. Gnat hatches around the plantings in early June (the only moisture available) caused very rapid decline of the 4-wing saltbush seedlings with leaves becoming blotchy and drying out. Most of the 4-wing saltbush seedlings eventually died, although at least 10 out of the 60 or so planted remained relatively strong at the end of June. Saltgrass has shown remarkable resilience, often rerouting after complete drying out. Many of the saltgrass plugs have grown to extend over 10 inches within 6-8 weeks of planting. Very significant expansion has occurred with the saltgrass on drip irrigation, although even those hand-watered by the gate have expanded to over a foot in diameter. The suaeda transplants are also growing particularly well. Russian Knapweed and Perennial Pepperweed continue to emerge as isolated shoots in new scattered spots and these will be monitored. The site continues to be actively used by wildlife with a herd of 7 bighorn sheep and a herd of 8 deer seen regularly. BLM: Canyon Country Fire and Fuels staff conducted Jaycee Park work with a BLM owned bullhog. There was an incredible amount of biomass at this location and several methods for reduction were used including, cutting, piling, fuelwood removal, biochar, pile RX and bullhog. A strong focus for the area was protecting native vegetation with minimal damage while clearing tamarisk. Rim to Rim Restoration staff located native plants to avoid and Grand County applied herbicide to cut stumps. The fuelwood was transported to a corral located next to Jaycee Park campground with a rented Bobcat. The public can obtain a firewood permit from the Moab Field Office for collection and visitors are allowed to burn the fuelwood at the Jaycee campground. GCWD: GCWD spot treated herbaceous weeds at five sites for a total of 7.5 acres. They also scouted more than 700 acres for Ravenna grass.

The work on Colorado River 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 has built strong collaborative relations between land managers at the local BLM Field Office, NPS office, the local FFSL Sovereign Lands office, the County and nonprofit land managers. With the many administrative boundaries in our area the continued communication through the SE Utah Riparian Partnership is creating continuity across these boundaries and across intra agency boundaries as well. RRR: Coordination: RRR coordination efforts will continue through Colorado River Restoration 4.0 as well as through the SE Utah Riparian Partnership. Colorado River 4.0 projects begining at multiple sites and the legacy site assessments will help refine future planning efforts. Site Evaluations: Site evaluations along Mill and Pack Creek have begun and will be completed over the next few months. Sites may be added along river corridor as well as more tamarisk and olive removal happen. FFSL: Through continued monitoring of restoration sites, FFSL will be able to determine areas where the need for active revegetation is greatest. Such sites will be candidates for seeding or planting depending on specific site conditions. In areas where native species are rebounding and naturally recruiting, emphasis will remain on reducing exotic competition. Matheson: The TNC and DNR plan to continue active management of the preserve to improve fisheries habitat, and bird habitat. As conditions allow the area will be burn as prescribed in the burn plan that was developed under this project. Plateau Restoration Inc.: PRI has an agreement with landowner, Intrepid Potash to work on this site through 2021. Noxious weed control will be managed by Grand County Weed Department and Utah FFSL. The land owner has pledged to leave the property undeveloped and has offered to rip the road in the center of the property when it is no longer needed for the project. Since the property is prone to decade scale flooding, its value other than open range (or recreation) is limited. BLM: The BLM will continue to provide vital project support, and will help coordinate the progression of the Survey 123 tool. GCWD: Via a new herbaceous weed management plan the GCWD will be able to coordinate more efficiently with grant partners, improve communication and more easily track work areas. This plan will be an important tool in future planning, laying out the vision and plan for tackling herbaceous weeds as successfully as past projects in tamarisk and Russian olive.