Aspen on the Markagunt Plateau continues to decline due largely to conifer encroachment that shades it out. Recent FIA data has indicated that aspen decline has accelerated in recent years and most recently was at a 3% per year rate for the entire Dixie National Forest. Additionally, later successional mixed conifer aspen stands are at risk from high severity/intensity wildfires that threaten wildlife habitat, water quality, and infrastructure. The Brian Head Fire (~72,000 acres) showed the capability for high severity, stand replacing events in mixed conifer stands on the Markagunt Plateau. On August 6, 2019 Congressman Stewart met with the Cedar City Ranger District, Dixie National Forest for a field visit to discuss forest management. Congressman Stewart expressed interest in the Cedar City Ranger District's strategic approach to mitigate future high intensity fire such as the Brian Head Fire, and offered to help us get more work done on the ground. Furthermore, Congressman Stewart offered to try and find additional monies, however, to date none has been allocated. One of the tour stops was the Sydney Valley area, also known as the Markagunt Aspen Restoration for this proposal, and the Congressman stated "can we all agree this needs to be treated?" Also in attendance were County Commissioners from Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington counties; Utah State Forester and Southwest Area Manager Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands; Department of Natural Resources, -Division of Wildlife Resources; Intermountain Regional Office (RO) Deputy Regional Forester (DFR) and other Intermountain Regional Office staff. This proposal aims to help address some of the concerns brought forth in the meeting. This proposal is a multi-phased project that will implement approximately 2,920 acres of aspen improvement treatments and coppice openings in the Cedar City Ranger District, Dixie National Forest. Phase 1 of the project will consist of aspen improvements and coppice openings in a 364 acre treatment. Phase 2 and phase 3 includes 1,220 acres of treatments, which include a combination of mechanical removal of conifers, mechanical creation of coppice openings, and both broadcast and pile prescribed burning. Aspen restoration and forest health treatments at this scale on the Cedar City Ranger District will help improve and maintain population viability for a variety of wildlife species (elk, deer, raptors, neo-tropical migratory birds, small game, insects, etc.) and help to slow the rate of Aspen decline for the Dixie National Forest. Phase 1 of this project is immediately adjacent to Mammoth Creek. Upper Mammoth Creek is identified as a key Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki Utah; BCT) restoration project in the Range-wide Conservation Agreement and Strategy for BCT (UDWR2018). Approximately 14-15 miles of tributaries to Mammoth Creek have already had nonnative trout removed and a conservation population of BCT restored. Mammoth Creek adjacent to the proposed project is slated for BCT restoration in the next 2-3 years. Late successional mixed conifer forests are prone to high severity fire, which has considerable negative impacts to BCT and their habitat as evidenced by numerous fires in the Southern Region in the past two decades. The purpose of this project is to reduce fire risk to the surrounding community, improving wildlife habitat by restoring aspen ecosystems on the Markagunt Plateau, and to protect water quality to Mammoth creek and its tributaries. The risk to the communities, wildlife habitat and water quality are largely due to encroaching conifer within aspen stands that is causing their decline while increasing the risk of high intensity wildfire and risk to insect and disease outbreaks. Restoring aspen communities on the Markagunt Plateau would result in multiple benefits, which include but are not limited to: 1. Improving and increasing the amount of habitat for wildlife species dependent upon aspen ecosystems (i.e., mule deer, elk, and Northern goshawk); 2. Improving and increasing the amount of habitat and forage for domestic and wild ungulates (i.e., elk, mule deer, cattle and sheep); 3. Improving native species diversity; 4. Reducing hazardous fuel accumulations; 5. Reducing the risk for large-scale, intense wildland fires. This results in lower risk to the safety of the public and firefighters as well as to the values at risk (i.e. private land with structures). This also results in lower risk to sensitive wildlife species [i.e. Northern goshawk, and Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki utah)]; and, 6. Increasing the probability that future naturally caused fires can be managed and allowed to play their natural role in the aspen ecosystems on the Markagunt Plateau.

Phase 1 will Improve aspen stands by removing competing conifer and standing dead trees as well as reducing fuel loadings below 15 tons per acre in order to initiate aspen regeneration on 364 acres with at least 1,000 stems per acre. Wildlife Benefit: The intent of this project is to create age class diversity in the aspen ecosystems on the Markagunt Plateau and create a more sustainable aspen landscape over time. Implementation of this project will increase habitat diversity with a mosaic of treated and un-treated acres. Habitat fragmentation should not be an issue for wildlife as care has been taken to have leave areas across the landscape to promote species diversity. Species (elk and deer) that favor early seral communities and early seral vegetation species will benefit from this project. This project will provide increases in habitat effectiveness and benefit ungulates species. The overall outcome will provide much needed plant species diversity across the landscape that will last well into the future. Small game and upland game will ultimately see an increased benefit over time as the project areas develop into a maturing aspen forest. Fire/Fuels Benefit: This project will reduce surface and ladder fuel accumulations in the treatment areas. Current surface fuel loadings range from 20 to 50+ tons per acre. Target fuel loadings are 15 tons per acre ore less. The project will also reduce the risk for large-scale, intense wildland fires. This will result in lower risk to the safety of the public and firefighters and to values at risk (i.e. private land with structures and State Route 143 access and egress). The project will also result in lower risk to sensitive wildlife species like the Northern goshawk, and Bonneville cutthroat trout. Furthermore, this project will increase the probability that future naturally caused fires can be managed and allowed to play their natural role in the aspen ecosystems on the Markagunt Plateau.

This project needs to be completed now to minimize risk of high severity, high intensity wildfire and to begin to reverse the decline of aspen on the Markagunt Plateau. If left untreated a continued decline in aspen is expected at approximately the 3% per year rate as indicated as the current rate by volume for the Dixie National Forest using FIA data. Furthermore, stands will decline to a point where they will never be able to be regenerated back to aspen dominated stands because there will be so few stems left and the root systems may not be healthy enough to sprout back when a disturbance such as cutting or fire occurs. With a decline in aspen, wild ungulates will continue to be negatively impacted. As conifer continues to increase, and aspen decreases, the amount of usable forage for ungulates will decrease. As conifers continue to increase, the risk for large high intensity wildfires will also continue to increase as well as the risk to insect and disease outbreaks in different tree species. This results in forest health and public safety issues. Habitat for sensitive species such as the Northern goshawk are currently at risk from high severity/intensity-wildfire. Implementation of this project reduces the risk of wildfires impacting these sensitive species. The greatest threat/risk to the aspen ecosystems post treatment is the browse pressure from both wild and domestic ungulates. To aid attainment of at least 1,000 to 2,000 aspen saplings per acre and 400 to 600 aspen recruits per acre in areas where mechanical and/or prescribed fire treatments are to occur, browse thresholds and adaptive management response options have been developed and will be implemented. This includes use of prescribed fire in coppice openings to stimulate aspen sprouting and installation of slash arbor (i.e. slash) fencing around coppice openings to protect regeneration.

This project is directly tied to the Dixie National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan as amended (Forest Plan) (USDA, 1986). The Forest Plan guides all natural resource management activities and provides the overall guidance for management activities by specifying goals and objectives, desired future conditions, management direction, and standards and guidelines. Other management plans that relate to the Upper Mammoth Creek Farm Bill include: 1) Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule deer (2014-2019) section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This plan will address Strategy C, which reads as follows: "Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush and ranges being diminished by encroachment of unwanted conifers into sagebrush, aspen habitats, and ponderosa pine stands". 2) Panguitch Lake Deer Herd Unit Management Plan, Deer Herd Unit # 28 -Habitat management strategies (2015-2022): The project will help to restore essential forage opportunities for wildlife by reducing the amount of encroaching sub alpine fir. In addition, the project will reduce fuel loading that can greatly alter potential wildfire behavior, further protecting this crucial summer range from high intensity, high severity wildfire. 3) North American Mule Deer Conservation Plan (Mule Deer Working Group 2004): A) Mule deer habitat objectives and strategies-develop and implement habitat treatment protocols that reduce the impacts of cheatgrass or other invasive plants. B) 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) (Pg. 7). The project will help in preventing monotypic sub alpine fir stands by reducing the conifer encroachment. 4) Utah Statewide Elk Management Plan (2015-2022): Elk are generalist ungulates and forage on grasses, forbs and shrubs. They prefer to spend a lot of the summer months within or near aspen conifer forests. Conifer encroachment causing decline in aspen stands is a concern in all of Utah. Habitat Management Goal B: conserve and improve elk habitat throughout the State. C. Watershed Restoration Initiative b) Coordinate with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional WRI working groups to identify and prioritize elk habitats that need enhancement or restoration I) Identify habitat projects on summer ranges (aspen communities) to improve calving habitat. II) Encourage land managers to manage portions of forests in early succession stages using controlled burning and logging. This project will directly improve summer elk habitat through thinning and burning, creating mixed seral stages and creating small openings for perennial grasses and forbs to improve. 5) Elk Management Plans for Panguitch Lake Unit #28: Unit Habitat Objectives; Maintain and/or enhance forage production through direct range improvements throughout the unit to achieve population management objectives (Panguitch Lake Unit). Discourage the encroachment of conifer in aspen stands. This project will help accomplish these objectives by improving the understory of grasses and forbs and eliminating conifer trees in aspen stands. 6) National Fire Plan (NFP) - Primary Goals: 1) improve fire prevention and suppression as well as 2) restore fire adapted ecosystem. The project will reduce the amount fuel loading within the mixed conifer and aspen vegetation types that can alter fire behavior and improve these primary goals. 7) Accompanying NFP 10 year Comprehensive Strategy - Guiding Principles: 3) prevent invasive species and restore watershed function and biological communities through short-term stabilization and long-term rehabilitation; 4) restore healthy, diverse, and resilient ecological system to minimize uncharacteristically severe fires on a priority watershed basis through long-term restoration. This project is one of several current or proposed projects on the Cedar City Ranger District were project objectives are aimed at restoring watershed function and biological communities. The major goal is to move towards a resilient ecological system by reducing ladder and surface fuel loading and creating species diversity. 8) State of Utah-Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy-Protecting the health and welfare of Utahns and our lands. Priority Action Areas- Southwest Region 6, Iron County, the project is near the Brian Head community area on National Forest Lands (pg. 19). 9) Land and Resource Management Plan-Dixie National Forest (LRMP 1986): A) Management Area 1 and 2B-Provide adequate forage to sustain big game population levels agree to in approved wildlife management plans on National Forest System (NFS) lands. Improve habitat capability through direct treatments of vegetation and, where possible, conduct habitat improvement projects cooperatively with the UDWR. This project will help maintain and/or increase the quality foraging habitat for big game by removing encroaching conifers and thinning of the overall aspen stands. 10) Utah Support Area Fire Management Plan (2005): protection of critical deer habitat and watershed protection (pg.196). This project will improve and protect critical summer range for mule deer and elk as well as help maintain watershed conditions by reducing fuel loading and sub alpine fir encroachment. 11) Warren-Bunker-Castle Valley Allotment Management Plan - Desired Conditions in the Upland: Improve plant diversity and revert areas that have conifer encroachment issues. This project will aid in reverting areas of conifer encroachment that may improve plant diversity. 12) Bonneville cutthroat trout Range-wide Conservation Agreement and Strategy (UDWR 2018): The BCT CAS identifies large wildfires as a factor that is a threat to the persistence of BCT. As outlined in the Project Need, Water Quality and Quantity and Threats and Risks sections of the proposal the treatments within this proposal will support the following objectives and actions from the BCT CAS: Goal 2: Protect all critical BCT populations (in this case critical = one of the Southern GMU metapopulations). Goal 3, Objective 1: Work with landowners to maintain/improve land management activities. Goal 8, Objective 1: Encourage and enable partners to perform restoration that benefits the BCT fisheries. Additionally, this project supports Southern GMU goals 1 and 2: GMU Goal 1: Maintain all populations within GMU GMU Goal 2: Complete restoration of Mammoth Creek by end of 2022 13) Upper Sevier Watershed Management Plan (2004): Aspen/Mixed Conifer -- Vegetation Composition and Communities at risk of Wildfire were listed as the number 1 and 2 key issues identified. Spruce-Fir fuel conditions were identified as key issue number 9. Loss of healthy aspens stands to mixed conifer was considered undesirable and refreshing aspen stands as is proposed in this project would be beneficial to the management plan. Reduction of fuels that could contribute to severe fires that threaten communities would also enhance the tie to the Upper Sevier watershed management plan.

The Markagunt Aspen Restoration Project treatments would be implemented to effectively restore resilient, fire-adapted aspen ecosystems on a landscape-scale by moving the stands toward desired condition in terms of composition (species diversity) and density (crown spacing, ladder, and surface fuel loadings). In addition the treatments will improve structural diversity, promote aspen regeneration and recruitment, reduce the current hazardous fuel loadings ranging from 20 to 50+ tons per acre, and reduce the continuity of fuels across the Markagunt Plateau; thus mitigating the risks and damage associated with high intensity, high severity wildfires and, where appropriate, expand opportunities to manage fire for resource benefits and meet Forest Plan objectives. Currently the area is in a Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) of 2 (moderate departure from historic conditions) with the goal of converting the project areas to FRCC 1 (within historic conditions). This project will reduce the overall risk for high intensity and high severity wildfires in the area. Values at risk and resource concerns: Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) involving Private Property with structures: subdivisions include Ireland Meadows, Castle Valley, Rainbow Meadows, Meadow Lake where there are approximately 238 structures, 5.2 miles of power lines, 11.3 miles of State routes, two Drinking Water Source Protection Zones, one SNOTEL site, and 21 historic properties. Priority wildlife habitat: Goshawks within and adjacent to project areas identified high crown fire potentials due to crown connectivity. In addition, there are 16 miles of fire sensitive streams in the area. This includes streams slated for future BCT restoration as part of the Upper Mammoth Creek project. If untreated- continued decline in aspen. If untreated- uncharacteristic high intensity/severity wildfire effects.

Project treatments will considerably lessen the risk of large-scale high intensity and high severity wildfires that could result in long-term watershed degradation. By maintaining watershed function, long-term water quality will be maintained or enhanced. The 2004 Upper Sevier Watershed Management Plan listed Aspen/Mixed Conifer - vegetation composition and communities at risk of wildfire as the number 1 and 2 key issues identified. Spruce-Fir fuel conditions were identified as key issue number 9. Loss of healthy aspen stands to mixed conifer was considered undesirable and refreshing aspen stands as is proposed in this project would be beneficial to the management plan. Reduction of fuels that could contribute to severe fires that threaten communities would also enhance the tie to the Upper Sevier watershed management plan. The results of research on the volume and longevity of water yield increase following conifer removal from aspen communities, such as the proposed in this project, has been variable with some studies showing fairly substantial, relative long-term increases (Gottfried 1991) and others show little increase, or only short-term increases (Troendle et al. 2010). Perhaps the most compelling local study shows that aspen stands had 34-44% higher snow water equivalents than adjacent conifer stands and a 42-83% greater potential water yield for runoff and groundwater recharge (LaMalfa and Ryle, 2008), indicating that removal of conifer and maintaining and improving aspen stands should result in higher water yield. By removing conifer, it is anticipated that water quantity will be enhanced (seeps, springs, bogs--improved). While no TMDL is applied to the reach of streams within this project area, lowering of the risk of severe wildfire and the impacts that are created by fire even moderately severe fires will protect downstream reaches of Mammoth creek which has a TMDL applied for total Phosphorus. Also this will protect the Upper Sevier which also has a TMDL for total Phosphorus and Habitat Alteration.

Cultural surveys will be conducted with funding from this proposal and a report will be submitted to SHPO. Concurrence was received from USFWS that this project can be implemented. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): All NEPA has been completed for this project. The NEPA decision has been loaded in the Documents portion of this proposal.

Objectives will be met by using mechanical and/or hand thinning treatments on approximately 364 acres to remove conifers and dead trees from seral aspen stands, piling these materials in openings, as well as creating coppice openings on about 36 acres. Pile burning of residual slash from the treatments and within coppice units will occur post thinning treatments. These prescribed fire treatments will be accomplished by force account. The mechanical thinning, hand thinning, piling and prescribed fire preparation will be completed approximately between the fall of 2022 and the summer of 2023. The prescribed fire will then be applied after the piles are removed by a commercial contract or if the sale of the piles goes no bid. During the summer/fall of 2022 a seasonal Forest Service Timber Crew will complete the layout, marking, and surveys of aspen, mixed conifer and spruce fir stands on approximately 350 acres in preparation for phase 2 of the project to be implemented starting in 2023.

Fixed radius regeneration plots will be measured the fall after initial treatments and after snow melt annually after to ensure that regeneration is occurring, and height growth is being achieved. The initial goal of at least 1,000 to 2,000 aspen saplings per acre will guide whether prescribed burning treatments and arbor (slash) fencing installation will be necessary. The final recruitment goal will be at least 500 trees per acre over 10 feet tall. A long-term vegetation monitoring plot and transect also occur within the treatment area and will continue to be monitored throughout the treatments and after to determine if aspen regeneration is sufficient. In order to develop the prescribed burn plan photo fuels plots will be used to estimate the fuel loading and be used in modeling that will develop the burn plan. Once successful regeneration is achieved, a report can be submitted for the final project summary. UDWR and the Forest Service have established several fish monitoring stations both upstream and downstream of the project area. Stations are monitored every 5-7 years. Once BCT restoration is complete, these results will be available in UDWR publications on BCT status (see attachments), which can be uploaded to the database. Wildlife monitoring - The Utah Division of Wildlife (UDWR) regularly conducts mule deer and elk population estimates within the Panguitch Lake Unit 28 area. In addition, post treatment wildlife monitoring will take place annually for Focal Species during goshawk territory monitoring efforts.

On November 24, 2015, Forest Fire Management Officer Kevin Greenhalgh participated in the Southwest Area Catastrophic Wildfire working group meeting. The group proposes action plans to reduce catastrophic wildfires in Utah. Members of the group include the State of Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, Kane County Commissioner, Iron County Commissioner, Garfield County Commissioner, Beaver County Commissioner, Bureau of Land Management, State Senator, Director of the Five County Association of Governments, Hurricane City Fire Chief, Iron County Extension Agent, and the Director of Utah Association of Conservation Districts. This group identifies communities at risk and actions to mitigate the risks as part of implementing the National cohesive strategy. The community of Upper Mammoth was identified by the state as a high priority. On July 11-12, 2016 the Cedar City Ranger District hosted a Collaborative Open House for the public to learn about the proposal for the Upper Mammoth Creek Project and provide the Forest with feedback and recommendations. Collaboration participants included homeowners from private in-holdings such as Ireland and Rainbow Meadows, Iron County Natural Resource Management, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, Resource Specialists from the Color Country Bureau of Land Management and a Biologist from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Feedback was positive and recommendations included expanding the project area, performing fuels reduction work on private lands and allowing some of the areas to be made available for fuelwood collection during project implementation. As highlighted in the Project Need Section, Congressman Stewart, County Commissioners from Garfield, Iron, Kane and Washington counties; Utah State Forester and Southwest Area Manager Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands; Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources; Intermountain Regional Office (RO) Deputy Regional Forester (DFR) and other Intermountain Regional Office staff visited the area and identified the need for treatment. This proposal aims to help address some of the concerns brought forth in the meeting as well as benefit wildlife through improving aspen stands on the Markagunt Plateau. In February and March of 2019, the Cedar City Ranger District staff met with Kane County Commissioners and Resource advisory board, Iron County commissioners, Utah Forestry and Fire and the Public Land Policy Coordination Office State of Utah to discuss the project and seek input on treatments and locations of treatments. In April 2019 the Cedar City Ranger District met with the Catastrophic Fire Committee as well as the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and NRCS to discuss the project. All groups were in support of the project and only commented that more acres should be treated.

Phase 1 of the Markagunt Aspen Restoration Project includes aspen improvement units from the Upper Mammoth Creek and Assay Creek Farm Bill decisions signed in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Once the mechanical or hand treatments are implemented, piles not sold to commercial buyers will be burned to reduce fuel loading or stimulate aspen sprouting in coppice openings. Range permittees will be contacted for the range allotment in the area of treatments. Sheep herders will keep sheep out of the coppice openings until aspen is successfully regenerated. Aspen sprouting will be monitored until regeneration is fully successful. If necessary to protect aspen regeneration, slash arbor fencing will be installed around the coppice openings. A project summary report will be submitted once treatments are complete and can be updated when regeneration is successful. Future aspen improvement will occur in phase 2 that will include 350 acres of treatments that will include mechanical and hand treatments as well as prescribed burning. These treatments, along with successful regeneration of aspen in the Brian Head Fire area will eventually begin to reverse the trend of aspen decline on the Markagunt Plateau. These treatments will also help to manage high severity wildfire within aspen and mixed conifer on the Markagunt Plateau and aid in better management of high intensity and high severity wildfire.

Aspen stands are among the most diverse in both fauna and flora on the Forest. The value of the aspen stands in this project will improve as a forage resource for livestock and as forage and cover for wildlife. Through hand and mechanical thinning and prescribed fire treatments, conifer encroachment is addressed, and aspen regeneration/recruitment is promoted. With the removal of conifer, the amount of usable grasses and forbs in the aspen understory is expected to increase significantly. Many areas that are currently unproductive due to overgrowth will become desirable for future uses by both wild and domestic ungulates. While these treatments will create additional forage for both domestic and wild ungulates, short term browse pressure from both domestic livestock and wild ungulates is a concern with the implementation of this project. However, past coppice treatments adjacent to this project have been successful. These included mechanical removal of aspen and prescribed burning but did not require resting of domestic ungulate browsing. The aspen regeneration in this project is expected to also be successful. To help aid in the success, range permitees that graze sheep in the allotment that the treatments are in will be contacted to have the herders keep the sheep out of the coppice openings until the aspen has fully regenerated. Aspen sprouting will be monitored and if necessary, to protect the aspen regeneration in the coppice openings, a temporary slash arbor fence may be installed by the Forest Service after the initial mechanical removal of the trees. These treatments are expected to yield commercial timber to be used possibly as firewood or other non-sawtimber products. A similar project is currently occurring to the south where the buyer is utilizing all wood from aspen clear-cut treatments. It is expected that the cost of doing the work will exceed the value of the timber and thus the treatments will require WRI funding for implementation. However, it is expected that at least some of the material greater than 6" diameter will be utilized by a purchaser. If a commercial buyer does not purchase the decks they will be burned to help stimulate aspen regeneration. Mammoth Creek is a popular recreation fishery and improved aesthetics and fish population maintenance from this project will enhance recreation fishing. A 2017 report by the Outdoor Industry Association showed that nationally, outdoor recreation generates $887 billion in consumer spending annually, supports 7.6 million jobs and generates $59.2 billion in state and local tax revenue. The USFWS's 2011 national survey of fishing, hunting and wildlife-associated recreation estimated that more than $1,000,000 was spent on hunting and fishing in Utah alone in 2011.

06/29/2023

11/28/2023

2024

Hand Crews - Lop and Scatter (187.11 ac) and Lop and Pile (101.43 ac) conifer trees less than 5 inches dbh. Mechanical Crew - Cut and pile (283.34 ac) conifer from 5 to 18 inches dbh using shears and hot saws.

Phase 1 of the Markagunt Aspen Restoration Project was designed to regenerate about 350 acres of aspen forest on the Markagunt Plateau by mechanically removing and piling conifer 5 to 18 inches dbh and lopping and scattering or lopping and piling conifer less than 5 inches dbh using hand crews. Hand crews ended up treating a total of 288.54 acres while the mechanical crew cut and piled just over 283 acres.

Because of funding shortages additional funding will be needed to finish the project. Future needs to complete the project will include pile and broadcast burning to remove fuels and stimulate aspen suckering. Fire lines will need to be constructed in some areas to reduce the risk of fire spreading to heavy fuel loads.