The Goose Creek Fire burned 132,220 acres in Utah and Nevada in 2018. Vegetation along Straight Fork Creek and tributaries to Straight Fork were severely burned. During fire rehab, some structures were implemented to stabilize soils in this area, which are highly erodible. Another goal was to prevent down-cutting and erosion in the riparian areas with the potential for large debris flows. A range of structures were implemented to minimize this risk. Following successful project implementation, stakeholders met to determine future habitat improvements. As this is a sage grouse habitat, removing perches for predators is essential. Additionally, adding an exclosure to keep livestock and wildlife out will improve stream health and give us a model area to collect monitoring data. The willow planting will take place in and outside of the exclosure. This exclosure will help show the riparian habitat potential when the area is rested from grazing.

Improve Sage Grouse Habitat Continue to retain sediment and reduce the risk of channel downcutting Improve the functioning condition of riparian areas Accelerate incision recovery Increase channel complexity

This area is at high risk for crossing an ecological threshold. Prior to the Goose Creek Fire, the riparian areas were heavily impacted by livestock grazing, juniper encroachment, and portions of the watershed already have downcutting and channel incision occurring. Following the implementation of phase one, a significant amount of sediment is depositing and reducing these risks. This project will continue to enhance these efforts. Continuing action at this point will continue to reduce the risk of further downcutting, erosion, and channel incision and partnered with post-fire rest from livestock grazing, which will allow for riparian recovery. Without this project, the future, riparian improvement will be unlikely. These structures and willow plantings with exclosures will promote expanding the wet meadow area which will promote habitat for wildlife and livestock.

Box Elder Coordinated Resource Management Plan Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule deer. Section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This plan will address Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2013 (p11-12). Strategy C. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that are being taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. Strategy F. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. West Box Elder CRMP Objectives/Strategies: a) Vegetation cover is managed to promote infiltration and recharge. Continue On-going Public and Private Pinyon/Juniper Treatments. b) To maintain momentum, continue on-going treatment efforts, using mechanical means as well as fire to remove encroaching pinyon/juniper and reseeding areas with shrubs, grasses, and forbs, and ensure maintenance of areas treated in the past. c) Recognize and publicize successful treatments in maps, on websites, and in end-of-season press releases. d) Winter Rangeland Improvement. Implement Forage Improvements. Based on the results of the forage assessment, seek funding for recommended improvements. Start with projects on private land to avoid extended timeframes associated with NEPA review and other agency procedures. This project addresses reseeding for improving species diversity of understory species and browsing species in sage-steppe. This is a cooperative effort involving a CWMU, and four private landowners within important sagebrush habitat. http://www.utahcbcp.org/htm/groups/boxelder UDWR Mule Deer Unit #1 Mgt. Plan Objectives/Strategies: a) Pinyon-juniper encroachment on summer and winter range in Unit 1A is increasing resulting in less forage and increased fire risk. b) Additional threats and losses to deer summer and winter range in the West Box Elder area is the reduction in habitat quality due to the loss of critical browse species (sagebrush, bitterbrush etc). c) To address habitat quality and degradation, habitat improvement projects have been, and will continue to be planned throughout the unit. Through annual grass control and shrub plantings, and pinyon-juniper thinning/removal on summer, winter, and transitional range in West Box Elder. d) In critical winter range habitat, Pinyon-Juniper expansion is a crucial aspect of winter browse species loss. Projects that address the removal of P/J from these areas are of high importance and should be addressed whenever possible. e) These projects should be done on public and private lands when the opportunity is available. Addressing these needs on private land is crucial as a large majority of winter range falls on private lands. All tools that are available should be considered, such as chaining, lop and scatter, bullhog removal, and chemical removal as well. In accomplishing the removal of P/J on private land, private landowners' needs should also be considered. f) Raft River range should be focused on removal of encroaching pinyon-juniper, and reestablishing understory with summer and winter browse species as well as species of plants that can be used in the spring by wintering deer. This project addresses removal of PJ and reseeding for improving species diversity of understory species and browsing species in sage-steppe. This is a cooperative effort involving a CWMU, and four private landowners within important mule deer winter range. http://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/plans/deer_01.pdf Utah Greater Sage grouse Mgt. Plan 2013 Objectives/Strategies: a) Enhance an average of 25,000 acres of sage-grouse habitat in Sage-grouse Management Areas annually. b) Increase the total amount of sage-grouse habitat acreage within Sage-grouse Management Areas by an average of 50,000 acres per year, through management actions targeting Opportunity Areas. c) Removal of encroaching conifers may create new habitat or increase the carrying capacity of habitat and thereby expand grouse populations, or the distribution of water into wet meadow areas may improve seasonal brood-rearing range and enhance greater sage-grouse recruitment. d) Aggressively remove encroaching conifers and other plant species to expand greater sage grouse habitat where possible. e) Livestock grazing is a major resource use in most SGMAs, and can be an effective tool to improve habitat quality and seasonal nutrition, and thereby enhance local populations. f) Removal of trees to less than 5% cover and g) maintenance of at least 10% sage brush cover; h) Maintain forb cover greater than 10% and grass cover greater than 10% during nesting/brood-rearing season; i) Maintain or improve wet meadows, when present; and j) Installation of green-strips or firebreaks to protect existing habitat. k) An improvement to existing habitat that does not result in an acreage gain. For example: Removal of pinon-juniper conifer trees in young open canopy stands still used by sage grouse. This plan will help toward the acreage goals for enhancement and increased Sage grouse habitat by removal of PJ in existing use areas, opening up new habitat and providing a diversity of seeded species for livestock and wildlife. Part of the plan is to enhance wet meadows through seeding. https://wildlife.utah.gov/uplandgame/sage-grouse/pdf/greater_sage_grouse_plan.pdf Utah's Comprehensive Wildlife Management Strategy or Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) Objectives/Strategies: Mountain Sagebrush and Lowland Shrub a) Funding restoration that reduces older age classes and stimulate younger age classes...treat non-native invasive species and...invading pinyon/juniper trees. b) Continue the development of new restoration techniques suited to this habitat. c) Deploying techniques to diversify the understory species composition and age classes of decadent even-aged sagebrush stands. d) Deploying techniques to diversify specie composition in monoculture or near monoculture stands of seeded non-native plants (e.g. crested wheatgrass). e) Promoting management that includes seeding a diversity of grasses, forbs, and shrubs that will lead to increased resiliency and resistance in the plant community. This plan addresses invading PJ, mitigation of non-native invasive species, new restoration techniques, and diversification of understory species composition in mountain and lowland sagebrush steppe. http://wildlife.utah.gov/cwcs/ Governor's Executive Order Objectives/Strategies: The Order ensures state agencies will conform to the Conservation Plan and make management and policy decisions that "maintain, improve and enhance Greater Sage-Grouse habitat." State agencies will continue to work with federal agencies to assure the conservation needs of the bird. The purpose of this plan is to improve and enhance Sage grouse habitat. http://www.rules.utah.gov/execdocs/2015/ExecDoc156045.htm NRCS SGI 2.0 Objectives/Strategies: a) Reduce threats...by grazing sustainably ...re-vegetating disturbed areas and combatting noxious weeds. Avoid further loss of sagebrush grazing lands to wildfire by reducing annual grass threat. b) Accelerate removal of conifer trees. c) Avoid further loss of riparian edges, wet meadows, restore and enhance degraded mesic areas to help increase (Sage grouse) populations." d) Reduce sage grouse fence collisions. This plan will support this initiative by removing conifers (PJ) revegetating disturbed areas and enhancing degraded wet meadows. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0ahUKEwjcn47rzK_KAhWLaz4KHVyACisQFggiMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nrcs.usda.gov%2Fwps%2FPA_NRCSConsumption%2Fdownload%3Fcid%3Dnrcseprd391816%26ext%3Dpdf&usg=AFQjCNHWGtF7AMa-Zb9dz3eZ82IG9FdBbQ Utah DWR Statewide Management Plan for Mule Deer Objectives/Strategies: a) Programs that provide incentives to private landowners to manage their properties for mule deer and other wildlife are critical to the success of the state's deer management program. b) Conserve, improve, and restore mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges. c) Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts. d) Work with local, state and federal land management agencies via land management plans and with private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer habitats, especially fawning, wintering and migration areas. e) Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2019. f) Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that have been taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats, ensuring that seed mixes contain sufficient forbs and browse species. g) Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah. His plan addresses improving and restoring Mule deer habitat, by working in cooperation with partners, mitigating invasive annual species, ensuring that seed mixes contain sufficient forbs, and browse species, and improving sagebrush-steppe. https://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/pdf/mule_deer_plan.pdf Utah Statewide Elk Management Plan: A. Population Management Goal: Improve management of Utah's elk populations Objective 3: Achieve a proper distribution of elk on private and public lands. B. Habitat Management Goal: Conserve and improve elk habitat throughout the state. Objective 1: Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. Strategies: B. Habitat Management a. Coordinate with land management agencies and private landowners to properly manage and improve elk habitat, especially calving and wintering areas. C. Watershed Restoration Initiative. a. Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat.

Healthy riparian - fire breaks, fire-resistant landscapes. Keeping riparian areas in proper functioning condition will prevent massive erosion impacts and can act as a fire break and prevent streams from excessive degradation post-fire.

This project will improve water quality. Slowing the flow and reducing erosion will decrease levels of fine sediment in the water. It will also help to reduce a large sediment load from filling up Etna Reservoir. It will improve riparian condition and filtration capabilities. The in stream structures will help hold back water later into the season so it can be available for wildlife and livestock use. Raising the water table and expanding the riparian area will help hold more water.

NEPA is not required as it is part of ESR efforts. This project was included in ESR plans but not funded. Additionally, this project would fall under Box Elder BDA DNA. Stream alteration permit would be required -- support of water users of Etna reservoir. Additionally, due to post-fire rehabilitation, state regulations regarding BDA structures and temporary water storage permits do not apply. Cultural Clearance has already been completed on the SITLA lands where the exclosure will be built.

A variety of low tech handbuilt structures, including beaver dam analogs and post assisted structures, will be constructed to mitigate post-fire run-off and sediment delivery. Additionally, these structures will promote stream and riparian restoration. Burnt P/J trees will be removed via hand cutting on the affected SITLA lands. These materials will then be used to build the in-stream structures. In an attempt to provide stream sections with a more permanent vegetative bank armor, willow plantings will be done by planting the cuttings within an exclosure that will be tailored to the stream morphology in an adaptive management style. The actual exclosure will be no more than 200 yards in length and 80 yards in width. It will be 6 strand barb wire. This structure will also have a gate so that permittees can let cattle out if they get in. Exclosure will be potentially be removed once willows have become established.

Monitoring will take place annually to collect data inside and outside of the exclosure. We will obtain photo points that will be uploaded to the database. The monitoring data will be used to be utilized to determine if a third phase is necessary to achieve desired conditions.

BLM, SITLA, FWS, Box Elder CRM, Grazing Permittee, USU Extension, landowners with water rights from Etna reservoir, UDWR BLM- expertise on streams and aquatic ecosystems, helping with project site visits and inspections. SITLA- building and maintaining the exclosure. Project site inspections and project lead. USU- Work with private land owners and water right users. UDWR- expertise on stream and aquatic ecosystems. Help with willow planting. FWS- Grant money to help with project. Grazing Permittee- input on future project ideas and specs of exclosure.

Changes in grazing management will be considered on the next Grouse Creek Allotment Permit renewal. These changes will include moving a pasture fence out of the riparian area, implementing a grazing rotation schedule, and developing off site watering sources to reduce pressure on riparian area.

Implementation of these structures will improve riparian areas for wildlife as well as mesic areas for sage grouse. Additionally, the improvement of these areas will improve forage availability for livestock.

10/27/2020

06/30/2021

2021

2 miles of BDAs/PALS build in Straight Fork to prevent erosion and mitigate post fire run-off. Riparian exclosure was built to protect the stream from heavy livestock grazing and be a showcase of riparian recovery with grazing rest.

A variety of low tech handbuilt structures, including beaver dam analogs and post assisted structures, were constructed along two miles of stream to mitigate post-fire run-off and sediment delivery. Burnt P/J trees were removed via hand cutting on SITLA lands and these materials were used to build the in-stream structures. These structures were built in fall of 2020. They were still holding up this spring and doing their job to catch sediment. The stream actually had a good amoung of water in it for being a drought year. A riparian exclosure was built approx (150 ft by 285 ft.) The exclosure was built with 4 strand barb wire. It was built sturdy with 10ft post spacing with a wooden dancer in-between each post. There is a let down gate that was built into the corner to let any livestock out that may get caught inside. The portions of fence along the creek were built to wash out if high flows come so that we just have to replace a short section instead of the whole exclosure. The lop and scatter of the burned PJ trees did not get completed due to the small size. The contractors doing the stream structures did use quite a few of the trees for their work.

SITLA will continue to monitor the exclosure. We will check it multiple times a year and make sure that any maintenance is completed to keep it in working order. We are currently trying to work with BLM to change the grazing plan for the allotment to provide more rest to Straight Fork. We will apply for additional phases of BDA/PALs work if needed. The work that has been completed had worked well. The first phase was washed out in high flows but the second phase is holding strong and the stream is responding well to the structures. They are catching sediment and the riparian area is holding more water than previous drought years.