The overall purpose of this project is to: * Improve vegetative resilience by increasing abundance and diversity of native shrubs and perennial herbs (grasses, forbs and other herbaceous vegetation). * Reduce risk and associated negative impacts from uncharacteristic wildfire to the public, firefighters, structures, private property, and other high values at risk. * Improve wildlife habitat transition and winter range (i.e. Mule deer). * Reduce sediment transfer and TDS into Salina Creek and Gooseberry Creek to improve water quality and improve and protect Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub habitat (Bonneville cutthroat trout is an Intermountain Region Sensitive Species). To accomplish this purpose, the Richfield Ranger District of the Fishlake National Forest (USFS), and Utah Forestry Fire and State Lands (UFFSLs) have determined there is a need to treat ~4,755 acres of USFS lands directly adjacent to private property during this phase of the treatment. This project is located in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area just east of the community of Salina and directly adjacent to the Gooseberry community. This proposed treatments compliment the 177 acres of treatments that have recently occurred on the Bar J Ranch private property as part of this project. The pinion/juniper (PJ) expansion and fading understory in this area is having negative impacts to Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub, along with big game wildlife species (primarily Mule deer; which is a Fishlake National Forest Management Indicator Species) dependent upon this area and these ecosystems. On the ground surveys and site visits have allowed staffs from the Richfield Ranger District to see the lack of understory plants in the PJ complex in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area. A good majority of this project are primarily phase II transitioning to phase III. Some understory brush, grasses, and forbs still exist but these late phase II areas are about to cross the threshold into phase III dominated PJ and lose the remaining understory. A smaller portion of the PJ in the project is in phase I transitioning to phase II. These areas are previously chained and mechanically cut areas that are in need of re-treatment/maintenance. Most of these areas have a good understory still present but PJ expansion continues on a yearly basis into these more productive mountain brush and sage/grass/forb communities. These areas are beginning to have PJ whips present throughout the treatments. The District has determined the need to retreat these areas at an early stage to keep cost down and maintain the integrity of the treatments. Forage productivity has diminished greatly over the past century and the PJ expansion continues on a yearly basis into the more productive sage/grass/forb and mountain brush communities. This PJ expansion largely results from reduced occurrences of natural disturbance. As PJ has become dominant on the landscape and as the loss of understory vegetation increases, big game and small game animals are experiencing a loss of foraging habitat. This expansion of more PJ with resulting decreasing sage/grass/forb and mountain brush habitat has contributed to the overall decrease in Mule deer populations (western portion of project is in a big game focus area) and other wildlife species in these areas. This expansion factor also contributes to the issue of big game moving closer to higher elevation aspen and local agricultural crops in the valleys to find sustainable forage. Elk depredation issues have been a source of controversy with private land owners in the Gooseberry Valley for several years. This project has the potential to minimize big game crop depredation on private lands. The District anticipates the PJ areas that currently have very little understory will likely need to be reseeded. Improving the habitat in these areas will result in multiple benefits, which include but are not limited to, improving habitat for wildlife dependent upon these various ecosystems, improving native species diversity, reducing hazardous fuel accumulations, reducing the risk for large scale, uncharacteristic wildland fires, which in turn creates a fire resilient environment with less risk to public and firefighter safety. This also results in lower risk to sensitive wildlife species (i.e. Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub) This project will also improve ground cover and reduce sediment transfer, reducing TDS in Salina Creek and Gooseberry Creek and further more into downstream irrigation water users and the Sevier River. As PJ are removed and replaced by grasses, forbs, and shrubs, sedimentation into Salina Creek should decrease, thereby protecting Bonneville cutthroat trout, Southern leatherside chub, and associated habitat. Fire risk and associated negative impacts to aquatic habitats and riparian areas - such as erosion, ash flows, fish kills and general habitat degradation - should also be reduced as fuel loads are reduced through project activities. These treatments will create a better-balanced ecosystem diversity that will enhance population viability for a variety of big game, small game, neo-tropical migratory birds, upland game, raptors, small mammals, insects and key pollinator species. These treatments will create a better-balanced ecosystem diversity that will enhance population viability for a variety of big game, small game, neo-tropical migratory birds, upland game, raptors, small mammals, insects and key pollinator species. Implementation design will be pattern oriented. Patterns of individual leave trees, travel corridors, mosaic islands of leave trees mixed with seeded mechanical treatments that will provide diversity for a wide range of wildlife species. Seed mix will provide added grasses and forbs to the area that will enhance foraging opportunities for ungulates and flowering plants that will provide more opportunities for pollinator species and seed gathering wildlife. A UDWR Range Trend Study plot is found within the western portion of the project. It is the "Triangle Mountain - STUDY NO. 25A-1" A study site summary states: "When established in 1985, this study site was dominated by seeded introduced perennial grass species such as crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) and intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) (Pre-1992 Data). Young two-needle pinyon (Pinus edulis) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) had begun to reestablish following a chaining treatment that took place in 1970, and the site began to transition from Phase I to Phase II of woodland succession as trees increased in size and abundance (Photos, Table 25A-01.14). However, the site was retreated in 2005, and the study has been considered to be within Phase I since 2009 (Table 25A-01.1, Table 25A-01.4). Introduced perennial grasses have maintained co-dominance in all sample years; forbs have remained rare (Table 25A-01.7, Table 25A-01.10, Table 25A-01.11). Shrubs have been a minor vegetation component throughout the duration of the study (Table 25A-01.12, Table 25A-01.13)." For this reason it is imperative that we treat as much winter and transition habitat by seeding combined with mixed mechanical treatment acres or burn acres. Careful consideration has been taken in designing projects with a balance of forage and cover. Not only will treatments enhance habitat for big game but increased diversity will also benefit small game, raptors, rabbits, turkey, as well as predator species. New additional acres of forage will be available for elk and deer adjacent to private land. Treated acres will help minimize crop depredation by big game animals.

Project Goals: 1) Implement a landscape level ecosystem restoration project with an increased pace and scale of implementation across boundaries. 2) Promote landscape level treatments on federal, state, and private lands located in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area with a collaborative effort between USFS, UFFSLs, UDWR and Private Land Owners. 3) Minimize project costs by promoting cost effective treatments along with increased scale and size of treatments that will reduce overall cost/acre. 4) Manage forest cover types to provide variety in stand sizes shape, crown closure, edge contrast, age structure and interspersion. 5) Implement a landscape level ecosystem restoration project that will reduce hazardous fuels and reduce risk of catastrophic fire. Project Objectives: 1) Reduce hazardous fuels while maintaining and improving fire resilient landscapes by improving the fire regime condition class to FRCC 1 and FRCC 2. 2) Reduce sediment transfer and TDS in the long-term and reduce the risk of catastrophic fire through fuels reduction in Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub-bearing streams. 3) Improve and/or maintain the quality of habitat on big game winter and transition habitat by thinning or removing PJ with prior seeding. Design forage to cover ratios to benefit a variety of wildlife species. 4) Improve and protect habitat for sensitive, threatened and endangered species such as Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub. 5) Improve or maintain quality of habitat for wild turkeys and upland game by increasing acres of grass and forb communities. 6) Increase overall forage production, habitat quality, and species diversity by treating in a mosaic pattern of 60% treated and 40% untreated that will create biodiversity across the landscape. *Currently this phase of the project is estimated to treat ~4,755 acres. Overall the total estimated cost/acre is ~$292/acre for this phase of implementation. A more fire resilient ecosystem would be promoted while reducing the risk for large scale, intense wildland fires to communities and watersheds located in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area near the community of Salina. Reducing the risk for large scale, intense wildland fires along with potential fire and smoke impacts to Interstate 70 and the high voltage powerline cooridor that run through the project area is also an objective of this project. Soil erosion from the site will be greatly minimized. This proposal would help maintain the existing sagebrush and grass/forb communities in the area and it would allow for additional acres of sagebrush/grass/forbs to be restored. This would also help improve age class and species diversity in the mountain shrub communities and it would improve habitat for wildlife species dependent upon both the sagebrush/grass/forbs and mountain brush communities. Elk and deer would benefit from increased forage created from the treatments. Small game, upland game, migratory neo-tropical birds and local avian species will benefit from diversity created by treatments. Improved understory through treatments and areas seeded with treatments will improve soil stabilization in the watershed while offering a variety of vegetation for a variety of wildlife and insects species.

The greatest risk to this project's success is the possibility of cheatgrass invasive species post treatment. This risk is somewhat elevational dependent on this project. The lowest elevations near valley floor pose the greatest risk. As treatments occur further up slope and/ or on northern slopes, the risk decreases. Seeding will occur on the project to promote grasses and forbs in the effort to outcompete the cheat grass. Forage productivity has diminished greatly over the past century and the PJ expansion continues on a yearly basis into the more productive sage/grass/forb communities. Some areas within the project have lost a majority of the understory sage/grasses/forbs, but other areas have not completely lost the understory. One of the biggest threats realized in this area is if left untreated these areas with some understory of sagebrush/grasses/forbs left will eventually be gone as well. This will continue to be "poor" habitat and range for ungulate animals. A majority of this project is in phase II with portions transitioning to phase III. If left untreated these areas with productive mountain brush and sage/grass/forb communities will degrade in productivity and treatment costs in the future will go up dramatically. A smaller area of the PJ in the project is in phase I transitioning to phase II. If left untreated these areas with productive mountain brush and sage/grass/forb communities will degrade in productivity and treatment costs in the future will go up even more dramatically as well. Also as part of this project, there is a historic treatment that is in need of re-treatment/maintenance to maintain the integrity of the initial treatment. These areas have PJ whips throughout the treatment. If left untreated this area will continue to see PJ expansion and future re-treatments will be more costly. Forage productivity has diminished greatly over the past century and the PJ expansion continues on a yearly basis into the more productive sage/grass/forb communities. Some areas within the project have lost a majority of the understory sage/grasses/forbs, but other areas have not completely lost the understory. If left untreated these areas with some remaining understory of sagebrush/grasses/forbs left will eventually be gone as well. As PJ has become dominate on the landscape and the loss of understory vegetation increases, big game and small game animals are experiencing a loss of foraging habitat. This expansion of more PJ and reduced sage/grass/forb habitat has contributed to the decrease in Mule deer populations, other wildlife species in the area. This expansion factor also contributes to the problem of big game moving closer to higher elevation aspen and local agricultural crops in the valleys to find sustainable forage. If acres of National Forest lands are returned to properly functioning condition it is possible that big game animals will spend more time on these lands and not as much on agricultural lands. The USFS expects that long-term cumulative effects from this project will be positive. If left untreated landowner complaints will continue to escalate as big game depredation on cropland would be ongoing. This entire area is at risk of large catastrophic wildfires that could adversely affect entire watersheds. Completed treatments along with planned and future treatments reduce the risk of fire at a landscape level to multiple watersheds in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area while promoting resilient landscapes. Wildfire suppression costs are extremely high when suppressing fires in similar fuel types as present on this project. When wildfires occur, this could result in damage to private property and numerous structures, potential negative smoke and fire impacts to Interstate 70, increased erosion, greater opportunities for noxious weed establishment, impacts to available short-term forage, stream sedimentation, and possible mud slides/flooding events. Soil movement is especially susceptible in the North Horn Soil Type that is present in areas within and surrounding the project. Restoring uplands will reduce impacts from future wildfires by reducing risk of future impairment and impacts to the North Horn Soils. This project is located in the Salina Creek and Gooseberry watersheds. All of these watersheds are perennial water bodies/riparian systems. Salina Creek is listed as a 303d watershed for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). This project will improve ground cover and reduce sediment transfer, reducing TDS in Salina Creek. Salina Creek also has Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub present. This project will reduce the ecological risk of: 1) Current sediment transfer and associated increasing TDS, and 2) Potential catastrophic impacts of increased sediment transfer and degradation of Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub habitat and population in the event of a wildfire. Water flow from Gooseberry Creek flows into Salina Creek which then flows into the Sevier River that is listed as a 303d waterbody. As Salina Creek and its tributaries are improved and potential catastrophic impacts in the event of a wildfire are reduced, sediment transfer into Salina Creek and subsequent Sevier River will likely be reduced as well.

This action responds to the goals and objectives outlined in the Fishlake National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (1986) (LRMP). The purpose and need for this project is consistent with Fishlake National Forest goals and objectives found in Chapter IV of the Forest Plan. The proposed treatment units are within management areas 5A- Big Game Winter Range (majority of proposed acres) and 4B - Habitat for Management Indicator Species. This proposal is consistent with and it responds to Fishlake Forest Plan direction for wildlife management in areas 5A and 4B. The relevant goals and objectives are listed below: * Improve or maintain the quality of habitat on big game winter ranges. (Forest Plan IV-4) * Identify and improve habitat for sensitive, threatened and endangered species including participation in recovery efforts for both plants and animals. (Forest Plan IV-4) * Manage forest cover types to provide variety in stand sizes shape, crown closure, edge contrast, age structure and interspersion (Fishlake LRMP p. IV-99) Reduce hazardous fuels: The full range of reduction methods is authorized, consistent with forest and MA emphasis and direction (Utah Fire Amendment, pg. A-41) Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Elk Management Plan: This project will help introduce species diversity back into the Salina Creek area. A mosaic design is part of the implementation strategy to create a pattern of treated and un-treated acres that will create an increase of biodiversity. Habitat fragmentation should not be an issue for wildlife as care has been taken to have leave areas, old growth areas, and treatment areas in good juxtaposition across the landscape to promote species diversity. Implementation of this project will benefit those species that favor early serial communities and early serial vegetation (elk). This project will provide increases in habitat effectiveness and benefit species such as ungulates. Mosaic patterns created by the project will distribute ungulate herbivory across the landscape minimizing overuse to current key areas and allow newly treated areas to have favorable responses to treatments. There will be some short-term (3-5 years) temporary impacts to plant and animal uses of these areas during the implementation phase of the project; however, the overall outcome will provide much needed plant species diversity across the landscape that will last well into the future. Increased vegetation through implementation of this project that will be created through primary succession methods will greatly benefit elk. (Habitat Management Goal B, Strategies C, a. and b.) B. Habitat Management Goal: Conserve and improve elk habitat throughout the state. Habitat Objective 1: Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. C. Watershed Restoration Initiative a) Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat. b) Coordinate with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize elk habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration. This project will help maintain a viable elk herd on the Fishlake NF and the southern area of the Manti LaSal NF. The Greater Plateau Elk Complex Elk Management Plan (2016) lists range improvements in the habitat objectives section. This project specifically addresses the components listed under range improvements in that it enhances forage production and habitat quality through direct range improvements on winter range within the unit. The Greater Plateau Elk Complex goes on to mention that "focus will be on high use areas especially where we can entice animals away from agricultural areas." Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Mule Deer Management Plan: This project will help introduce species diversity back into the Salina Creek and Gooseberry areas. A mosaic design is part of the implementation strategy to create a pattern of treated and un-treated acres that will create an increase of biodiversity. Habitat fragmentation should not be an issue for wildlife as care has been taken to have leave areas, old growth areas, and treatment areas in good juxtaposition across the landscape to promote species diversity. Implementation of this project will benefit those species that favor early serial communities and early serial vegetation (deer). This project will provide increases in habitat effectiveness and benefit species such as ungulates. Mosaic patterns created by the project will distribute ungulate herbivory across the landscape minimizing overuse to current key areas and allow newly treated areas to have favorable responses to treatments. There will be some short-term (3-5 years) temporary impacts to plant and animal uses of these areas during the implementation phase of the project; however, the overall outcome will provide much needed plant species diversity across the landscape that will last well into the future. Increased vegetation through implementation of this project that will be created through primary succession methods will greatly benefit mule deer. Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2019. (p. 19) d. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that have been taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats, ensuring that seed mixes contain sufficient forbs and browse species. Mule deer population numbers are low in the Gooseberry, Salina Creek and Old Woman Plateau areas. Habitat improvement from this project will help provide quality habitat to improve the viability of local Mule Deer populations. Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages using various methods including timber harvest and managed fire. Utah Wild Turkey Management Plan: Newly treated areas through fire or mechanical means will attract use by wild turkey. Insects and new growth will be readily available to support turkey populations. Objective 2. Increase wild turkey habitat, quality and quantity, by 40,000 acres statewide by 2020. (p.16) This project will provide more foraging opportunities for wild turkey as grasses and forbs provide insects and seed. Grouse populations in the area may also benefit. UDWR Wildlife Action Plan: This project is geared toward meeting the goals found within this plan for a variety of wildlife species from large to small. The entire proposed project area is found within a UWRI conservation focus area. Threat - Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity: Objective #1 for Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity Fire is excluded from habitats in which potential burns now would be frequent, large, and destructive to soils and native vegetation; the habitats are being actively managed (treated) to reduce components or factors that promote risk of catastrophic fire, such as cheatgrass, excessive conifer encroachment, or unnaturally large stands of mature Gambel oak. (pg. 103) Actions: 2.1.9 Establish or enhance fuel breaks in locations that are susceptible to large or intense fires. (pg. 104) 2.3.14 Conduct upland vegetation treatments to restore characteristic upland vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. (pg. 104) 2.3.20 Conduct post-fire rehabilitation. (pg. 104) Objective #2 for Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity Fire is returned to habitats from which it had been unnaturally excluded; the fire regime (frequency and intensity) in these habitats generally approximates a natural, pre-settlement regime. (pg. 105) 2.3.14 Conduct upland vegetation treatments to restore characteristic upland vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. (pg. 106) 2.3.17 Apply or allow more fire in habitats/locations where fire was historically more frequent or intense. (pg. 106) National Cohesive Strategy: By means of prescribed fire and mechanical thinning at a landscape scale, the resulting mosaic of early and late successional forests will work toward the goal of restoring and maintaining resilient landscapes, one of the three goals described in the National Cohesive Strategy. 1. Resilient Landscapes General guidance regarding vegetation and fuels management include* Use and expand fuel treatments involving mechanical, biological, or chemical methods where economically feasible and sustainable, and where they align with landowner objectives. (pg. 58) State of Utah Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy: The Salina Creek/Gooseberry Ecosystems Restoration Project aligns with the mission of the State of Utah's Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy. The project has developed a comprehensive and systematic approach toward reducing the size, intensity and frequency of catastrophic wildland fires on Monroe Mountain through a collaborative process. The project reduces the risk of a catastrophic wildfire occurrence negatively affecting property, air quality and water systems. The Mission: Develop a collaborative process to protect the health and welfare of Utahns, and our lands by reducing the size and frequency of catastrophic fires. (pg. 4) 5. Adopt Key Recommendations from the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. (pg. 15) * Encourage federal land management agencies to expedite fuels treatments. (pg. 15) * Prioritize landscapes for treatment (irrespective of jurisdictional boundaries). (pg. 15) Grazing Allotment Plans: The amount of forage available to livestock within the affected allotments in the Salina Creek and Gooseberry areas is expected to increase significantly as a result of this project. With the removal of pinion/juniper, the amount of grasses and forbs in the sagebrush is also expected to increase significantly. With increased forage, ungulate distribution is expected to improve. Many areas that are currently unproductive due to overgrowth will soon become desirable for future uses by ungulates. Bald Eagle Management Bald Eagles: Bald eagles are protected by the Utah Wildlife Code, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Although the bald eagle is no longer listed on the Endangered Species List, the species remains listed as a Species of Concern in Utah, a subset of the State Sensitive Species List. State and federal laws prohibit harassing, injuring or killing eagles, or damaging their nests. Midwinter surveys of bald eagles within the lower 48 states were initiated by the National Wildlife Federation in 1979. Wintering Bald Eagles utilize the project area and treatments would improve life cycle opportunities for them. The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668d) is a United States federal statute that protects two species of eagle. The bald eagle was chosen as a national emblem of the United States by the Continental Congress of 1782 and was given legal protection by the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940. This act was expanded to include the golden eagle in 1962.[1] Since the original Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act has been amended several times. It currently prohibits anyone, without a permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior, from "taking" bald eagles. Taking is described to include their parts, nests, or eggs, molesting or disturbing the birds. The Act provides criminal penalties for persons who "take, possess, sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell, purchase or barter, transport, export or import, at any time or any manner, any bald eagle ... [or any golden eagle], alive or dead, or any part, nest, or egg thereof."[2] The purpose of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection act is to not agitate the bald and golden eagle to the extent of not 1.) Abusing an eagle, 2.) Interfering with its substantial lifestyle, including shelter, breeding, feeding, or 3.) Nest abandonment.[3] The eagle feathers have been collected and incorporated into clothing, art, jewelry, etc. In addition, having the possession, exchange, or sale of bald eagle feathers violates the act if no permit is obtained. The basic structure of the act resembles the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. There are nesting golden eagles in the project area. They nest in the sandstone cliffs and canyons of the Old Woman Plateau. Bald eagles migrate to the area in late October and remain through late March. Treatments will attract wildlife species that are common prey to eagles and other raptors. Sevier County Resource Management Plan; This project is congruent with the policies and desired management practices found in Sevier County's Resource Management Plan. Policies (all from pages 6-7) 1. Support the removal of conifers and manage land to promote the establishment of aspen cover and attendant grass, brush, and forbs. 3. Encourage timber harvesting to prevent fuel load and biomass buildup. 5. The county supports prescribed burns as a fuels reduction management tool for resource enhancement, when used in conjunction with forest thinning and post-treatment salvage or in areas that physically cannot be mechanically thinned, when such burns comply with air quality regulations. 12. Support managing forest cover types to perpetuate tree cover and provide healthy stands, high water quality, and wildlife and fish habitat. 14. Support the management of forests and woodlands for healthy conditions that contribute to healthy habitat for animal and plant species, proper watershed functioning conditions, and riparian restoration and enhancement. 16. Support agencies in prioritizing fuel reduction treatment in high-value/high-risk areas (e.g., wildland-urban interface, developed recreation facilities including campgrounds). Desired management Practices 1. Encourage the commercial and non-commercial harvesting of forests and woodlands, to the maximum extent possible, through federal agencies' plans and policies. 4. Agencies should support a broad range of reforestation and timber stand improvement tools and timber harvesting practices consistent with prudent resource protection practices. CENTRAL UTAH FIRE MANAGEMENT PLAN (FMP): *Greater use of vegetation management to meet resource management objectives *Hazardous fuels treatments will be used to restore ecosystems; protect human, natural and cultural resources; and reduce the threat of wildfire to communities sagebrush steppe communities will be a high priority for ESR and fuel reduction to avoid catastrophic fires in these areas. Gooseberry CWPP Goal 1: Minimize the potential wildland fire threat to life safety. This project works to achieve Goal 1 Gooseberry CWPP by reducing fuel loading and lowering the potential of wildland fire spread across the Gooseberry area.

Enhancing the habitat in these areas will result in multiple benefits, which include but are not limited to, improving habitat for wildlife dependent upon these various ecosystems, improving native species diversity, reducing hazardous fuel accumulations and breaking up the continuous fuel bed of PJ and mountain brush that currently exist in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area. This treatment will promote a fire resilient environment that reduces the risk for large scale, intense wildland fires, with less risk to public and firefighter safety. Fire risk would be reduced to the Gooseberry Creek and Salina Creek watersheds and the community located in the Gooseberry area. This also results in lower risk to sensitive wildlife species (I.e. Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub, which are located within Salina Creek that is directly adjacent to the planned treatment areas. This project will reduce the risk for large scale, intense wildland fires along with potential smoke impacts to Interstate 70 and the high voltage powerlines that run through the project area. The community in Gooseberry consisting of multiple structures, are all located directly adjacent the project boundaries. Existing wildfire risk index in the project area ranges from moderate-high to very-very low. The entire project area is within top 20% ranked priority watersheds of Shared Stewardship in the state of Utah. The dominant southwest wind flow in conjunction with associated fire behavior expected from the PJ and mountain shrub fuel types pose significant wildland fire risk to these areas and values. The large treated areas will create buffers in and around values at risk and will significantly reduce the risk of fire to these values. This low to mid level project compliments completed and future planned treatments that will be occurring in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area. It also directly compliments a completed treatments on both private property and USFS land in the area. All these projects combined reduce the risk of fire at a landscape level to to the community in Gooseberry and the Gooseberry Creek and Salina Creek watersheds while promoting resilient landscapes. The majority of this project is within fire regime III -- 35-100+ year frequency and mixed severity (less than 75% of the dominant overstory vegetation replaced); The Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) is estimated to be both moderate (FRCC 2) and high (FRCC 3) departure from the central tendency of the natural (historical) regime. The central tendency is a composite estimate of vegetation characteristics (species composition, structural stages, stand age, canopy closure, and mosaic pattern); fuel composition; fire frequency, severity, and pattern; and other associated natural disturbances. The majority of this project would be in FRCC 3. This project will improve the fire regime condition class to FRCC 1 and FRCC 2. The District has seen success (Dixie Harrow transects) in treatment areas, both fire and mechanical, on the Forest and BLM that have initially shown cheat-grass response, but after the re-seeding has time to establish, cheat-grass has decreased dramatically thus reducing this potential increased risk of fire.

This project is located in the Gooseberry Creek and Salina Creek watersheds. All of these watersheds are perennial water bodies/riparian systems. Salina Creek is listed as a 303d watershed for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). Sources for TDS loading in Salina Creek are primarily from Land and streambank Erosion/Natural Geology (98% contributor) and Irrigation return flows (2% contributor) (UDWQ). This project will improve ground cover and reduce sediment transfer, reducing TDS in Salina Creek. Project treatments may result in short to moderate term impacts to water quality, but project design features will prevent long-term degradation. Project efforts in the Gooseberry Creek and Salina Creek watersheds that improve ground cover will likely reduce sediment transfer into the lower watershed system. Water flow from Gooseberry Creek flows into Salina Creek which then flows into the Sevier River that is listed as a 303d waterbody for Total Dissolved Solids, Sediment, Total Phosphorous, and Habitat Alteration (UDWQ). As Salina Creek and its tributaries are improved at a watershed scale through project efforts, sediment transfer into Salina Creek and subsequent Sevier River will likely be reduced. Restoring uplands will reduce the impacts future wildfires and reduce the risk of future impairment. Treatments will considerably lessen the risk of catastrophic large-scale high severity fires that could result in long-term watershed degradation, including habitat loss for Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub. By maintaining watershed function, long-term water quality will be maintained or enhanced. By removing PJ it is anticipated that water quantity will be enhanced (seeps, springs, bogs--improved) in the short and long term. Some research indicates that PJ removal in mountain sagebrush can increase soil water availability (Roundy et al. 2014). PJ removal activities should have a net positive effect on increasing water yield/availability as fewer conifer trees use water. Risk of fire will be reduced within affected watersheds. Since the area suffers from a diminished understory of grass and forbs, the planned aerial seeding will be an important factor to establish future soil stability and reduce the risk of erosion. Seeding of rangelands with native and/or drought-tolerant vegetation in the Salina Creek watershed was recommended as a Best Management Practice to reduce TDS in Salina Creek (UDWQ). Improving ground cover, reducing catastrophic fire risk, and reseeding understory areas with grasses and forbs should reduce sedimentation and erosion in Salina Creek and thereby increase water quality. These benefits will translate to better habitat for Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub. North Horn Soils are present directly adjacent to, and within portions of the project. This project will help reduce the risk to this soil type with increased erosion potential by reducing the risk of catastrophic wildland fire from negatively impacting areas with the North Horn Soil. Both the potential increase in herbaceous vegetation and the masticated or chained tree material should help stabilize the soils by reducing erosion and protect the water quality throughout the watershed. By removing PJ this should allow for more precipitation to contact the soil and increase biomass on the ground. In areas where hand thinning will be used there should be adequate vegetation to avoid soil erosion but this should increase the amount of water into the system instead of evaporating before it reaches the ground. Wet meadows and upland plants benefit by utilizing the increase soil moisture, providing for better resiliency during drought years. This provides for an increase in water quantity for herbaceous plants on sites where PJ is removed. Treatments on this project will be occurring in sagebrush and mountain mixed brush ecological communities. Restoring uplands within all of these ecological communities will reduce impacts from future wildfires along with reducing risks of future impairment to the watersheds. Sevier County: In Sevier County's Water Quality and Hydrology section under Desired Management Practices the statement below supports these types of projects. 3. Where water resources on public lands have diminished because grasses have succeeded to pinyon-juniper and other woody vegetation, a vigorous program of mechanical treatments should be applied to promptly remove this woody vegetation and biomass, stimulate the return of the grasses to historic levels, and thereby provide a watershed that maximizes water yield and water quality for livestock, wildlife, and human uses. (pg. 24).

The Fishlake National Forest Pinyon and Juniper Project Decision Notice was signed on December 5th, 2019 which covers the USFS portion of this project. The Fishlake National Forest has begun consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office. Archaeological surveys will occur prior to implementation.

Mixed mechanical treatment methods would be implemented within ~ 4,755 acres on USFS lands during this phase of the project implementation. This project can be split into various phases/units of treatment based on available funding. 177 acres of seeding followed by mastication was recently completed on private lands as part of this project. Treatment methods during this phase of the project will include; 1) aerial seeding followed by a mastication thinning contract treating ~1,537 acres (Spring 2021), 2) aerial seeding followed by a chaining contract treating ~1,570 acres (Spring 2021), 3) a hand thinning contract treating ~1,648 acres, (Spring 2021), 4) archeology survey contract for ~3,107 acres that are in need of archeology surveys. Along with the archeology surveys, the USFS Seasonal wildlife and botany crew is also needed to complete required wildlife and plant surveys. Funding is being requested to complete all of these required surveys. (Summer/Fall 2020) 5) 1 mile of aspen exclusion fencing constructed around at risk aspen stand on Bar J Ranch private property. Slopes over 40% and/or areas classified as phase I PJ encroachment and all retreatment areas will be hand thinned utilizing chainsaws. Slopes under 40% and/or areas classified as phase II and III PJ encroachment will be thinned utilizing mastication and chaining by machine. A mosaic treatment pattern with travel corridors will be designed into the project to allow some hiding, thermal and migration cover for big game. This diversity will help create a mix of life cycle benefits for a variety of wildlife and insect species. Curl-leaf mahogany and other key brush species will be designed away from fire opportunities to maintain browse integrity. The District anticipates the PJ areas that currently have very little understory will likely need to be seeded.The District will seed with a mix of brush, grass and forbs. The seed mix design contains a variety of species to provide forage and seed for a variety of big game, small game, upland game and avian populations in the area. Areas needing to be seeded, as needed would be temporarily rested from domestic ungulate use, for 2-3 growing seasons, to allow new vegetation time to establish. Instructions regarding temporary rest would be incorporated into the Annual Operating Instructions (AOIs) for the livestock permit holders.

Throughout implementation of this project elk, deer, and other Management Indicator Species along with range conditions will continue to be monitored annually, following USFS Wildlife and Range Protocols (vegetation monitoring cages and vegetation transects). Over years of conducting post-season deer counts in The Rocks and Triangle Mountain area of the lower Gooseberry complex. Big game are commonly seen in past mechanical or burn areas on winter range. Post season deer counts within The Rocks in 2018 show a 37% buck:doe ratio and a 79% fawn:doe ratio. However the sample size was only 63 total deer. Post season deer counts within The Rocks in 2019 show a 46% buck:doe ratio and a 64% fawn:doe ratio. However the sample size was only 59 total deer. We used to count 200-250 deer on this same route. Improved habitat in the area will help improve and maintain mule deer populations and viability in the area. We will continue to conduct this route as well as the adjacent routes to monitor deer and elk use within the treatment areas. Deer and elk are utilizing previous PJ areas that have been seeded. However 2018 and 2019 post-season deer numbers are positive on the Fishlake-Plateau Unit as a whole which would lead us to believe that vegetation projects on summer, transition and winter range are helping keep deer healthier on other parts of the range. Elk populations are doing well and are monitored and modeled by UDWR by conducting on the ground surveys and 5 year rotating helicopter aerial counts. Elk numbers currently are within plan guidelines. Invasive and noxious weeds are known to occur in the treatment areas; however, treatment areas will be seeded and monitored post-implementation. If noxious and/or invasive weeds are detected, the District will take the appropriate actions to control spread and eliminate the noxious and/or invasive weeds from the treatment areas. The District has seen success (Dixie Harrow transects) in treatment areas, both fire and mechanical, on the Forest and BLM that have initially shown cheat-grass response, but after the re-seeding has time to establish, cheat-grass has decreased dramatically. Since the area suffers from a diminished understory of grass and forbs seeding will be an important factor to establish future soil stability and forage opportunities. Areas as needed would be temporarily rested from domestic ungulate use, for 2-3 growing seasons, to allow vegetation time to establish. Fuels treatment monitoring will take place involving multiple repeatable photo points.Fuels Monitoring Plots will be established within the project. Plots will be visited post 1 year, 3 year, and 5 year, monitoring vegetation response and ground cover. This will be accomplished by the Forest Service SCA Monitoring Crew. Although project treatments may lead to short term population declines in the Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub, monitoring will occur to assess project impacts and ensure they are at levels conducive to population recovery. Monitoring will also provide information to improve design of future large scale treatments to reduce aquatic impacts. Monitoring for neo-tropical migratory and local avian populations will be established with electronic monitoring and on the ground surveys. Project area consists of both riparian, PJ, mountain brush, and sage communities. 1. Bobcat: Treatment will create increased diversity in prey base for this species. 2. Elk: Treatments will improve forage, calving areas, cover:forage ratios helping maintain a viable elk population on the Fishlake and South Manti Units. 3. Blue Grouse: Treatments in spruce/fir will allow shrub and other understory components. 4. Ruffed Grouse: Treatments will improve understory brush, seed and insect potential. 5. American Beaver: Beaver will find improved water in the overall riparian system as well as healthy aspen and willows. 6. Bonneville Cutthroat Trout: Improvement in watersheds will have long term benefits for trout 7. Domestic Livestock: Treatments will improve AUM's across the mountain 8. Golden Eagle: Treatments will improve prey base and foraging opportunities for all raptors. 9. Rainbow Trout: Improvement in the watersheds will have long term benefits for trout. 10. Bald Eagle: Treatments will improve prey base and foraging opportunities for eagles. 11. Wild Turkey: Treatments will improve understory plants producing seed and insects. 12. Mule Deer: Treatments will improve foraging, hiding, fawning habitat for viable population. 13. Greater Sage-grouse: Reducing conifers across the landscape will enable improved sage brush habitat for sage grouse. 14. Black Bear: Improved forest from treatments will produce diversity across the flora and fauna component for predators and prey alike. 15. Cougar: Improved forest from treatments will produce diversity across the flora and fauna component for predators and prey alike. Wildlife and aquatics monitoring data collected from this phase of treatment will be included in the documents section of the WRI database.

One of the main goals of this project is to promote treatment efforts on federal and private lands located in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area with a collaborative effort between USFS, UFFSLs, UDWR and Private Land Owners. Coordination meetings are taking place between USFS, UFFSLs and UDWR to plan collaboratively future treatments that will mutually benefit all agencies and private land owners along with promote landscape-level restoration. This project is located on USFS and private lands and will compliment previously accomplished treatments on both USFS and private lands with overall benefits being at a landscape scale. Some across boundary work has already been completed on private lands The Bar J Ranch private property in the Gooseberry area is part of the Forest Legacy Program. The Forest Legacy Program (FLP) is a conservation program administered by the U.S. Forest Service in partnership with State agencies to encourage the protection of privately-owned forest lands through conservation easements or land purchases. A FLP Project involving defensible space treatments on private property has been recently completed in the Gooseberry area on the Bar J Ranch. This proposed phase of the Gooseberry Shared Stewardship Project will directly compliment these FLP treatments. Future phases of this project will include additional FLP mechanical treatments along with mechanical treatments on other private lands through cross boundary collaboration jointly through the USFS, UFFSLs, and private land owners. Meetings with private land owners have been held and future meetings with them are planned to discuss further treatments on private property. The expansion factor of the PJ also contributes to the problem of big game moving closer to higher elevation aspen and local agricultural crops in the valleys to find sustainable forage. If acres of national forest lands are returned to properly functioning condition it is possible that big game animals will also spend more time on these lands and not as much on agricultural lands. During project planning the local UDWR biologists offered suggestions that were incorporated and offered support for the project. The Sevier County Commissioners are supportive of this project. Local ranchers/permitees are also supportive of this project. During project scoping, no opposition from the public was shared. The Grand Canyon Trust NGO is also in support of this project and voiced their support. Those in attendance during planning and the decision signing expressed their support for active management. Interagency agreements with the BLM and UFFSLs are in place. These agreements will allow for an interagency effort during implementation.

By continually promoting a collaborative effort between USFS, UFFSLs, UDWR and Private Land Owners, it is anticipated that a long term level of success will be obtained on all the current and future treatments in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area. Treatment areas will be monitored post-implementation. If noxious and/or invasive weeds are detected, the District will take the appropriate actions to control spread and eliminate the noxious and/or invasive weeds from the treatment areas. Implementation of this project will reduce the risk of catastrophic high severity wildland fire; thus reducing the risk to the public and firefighters. This also reduces the risk to private property. Health and public safety is improved. To maintain these treatment areas, the desire is future naturally caused fires within or near the project area can be managed (if possible, not suppressed). With this reduced risk, future management of naturally caused fires may be possible to allow fire to play greatest feasible natural role in the environment, thus potentially further reducing risk to public and firefighters. Bonneville Cutthroat Trout monitoring will provide information to improve design of future phases of treatments to reduce aquatic impacts overall on the Gooseberry Shared Stewardship Project. As habitat is improved for ungulates (deer, elk, cattle, sheep) and additional forage becomes available, the USFS expects the flexibility and management of ungulates will improve; hopefully with less controversy. It is a goal of this project to help minimize depredation of private land crops, grass pastures and fences by improving available vegetation for big game on Forest System Lands. Maintaining healthy populations of wildlife while also responding to the needs of livestock permittees is expected to become easier. The District will seed the project with a mix of brush, sagebrush, grass and forbs. The District will ensure the temporary resting of treatment areas (2 to 3 years, especially seed areas) which will be incorporated into Annual Operating Instructions. These actions will help ensure that permittees are in the communication loop and will give them enough time to plan for the resources they need to continue their operations. Impacts to permittees may be minimized by the use of herding and temporary electric fences so that treatment areas can be temporarily rested while non-treatment areas can continue to be grazed. As future PJ expansion occurs, maintenance/re-treatment of this project via additional entries of prescribed fire, hand thinning of new PJ growth/whips is expected to be implemented to maintain the integrity of this project and the anticipated continued PJ expansion. Increased pace and scale of restoration type projects in this area is currently underway. Multiple projects have been, and are currently being implemented and more are being planned in this area and are part of the Fishlake National Forest Pinyon and Juniper Project. Collaborative efforts between USFS, UFFSLs, UDWR and Private Land Owners is occurring to learn of future projects in the area that will help enlarge the footprint of the planned USFS treatments, by treating additional acres on private lands as well. This low to mid-level elevation phase of the project compliments completed and future planned treatments that will be occurring in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area. Thousands of acres are available for treatment in the Gooseberry through the Fishlake National Forest Pinyon and Juniper Project. This project will already directly compliment completed treatment on both private property and USFS land in the area. This phase along with future planned phases of this project have the potential to treat upwards of 20,000+ acres of USFS land in the gooseberry area. This planned landscape-scale project will also directly compliment planned future treatments on Gooseberry private property. Adaptive management has been allowed for in the NEPA documents. Many tools have been analyzed in the NEPA planning process to allow other methods in the future. The Bar J Ranch private property in the Gooseberry area is already part of the Forest Legacy Program (FLP). Discussions between additional private land owners and the UFFSLs are occurring about additional private property in the Gooseberry area increasing the FLP in the future. Additional private property in the Gooseberry area becoming part of the FLP in the future, will provide additional protection of privately-owned forest lands through conservation easements and enlarge the amount of privately-owned areas within the FLP and the numerous benefits that are associated with this.

Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area is a very popular area for camping, hiking, site seeing, snowmobiling wildlife viewing and ATV trail riding. Miles of hiking and prominent ATV trails exist. Treatments will promote a renewed resilient beautiful sustainable forest that will be enjoyed by future generations. Forage Production or Improved Distribution: Forage productivity has diminished greatly over the past century and the PJ expansion continues on a yearly basis into the more productive sage/grass/forb communities. As PJ is thinned, understory vegetation increases, wild and domestic ungulates will experience an increase in foraging habitat. Through the mechanical thinning, PJ expansion is addressed and sagebrush, grasses, and forbs are promoted. This in return moves the sage/grass/forb ecosystems on a trajectory toward improved forage conditions thus improving ecosystems for both wildlife and livestock. Portions of the project are currently not being grazed due to the lack of understory and PJ expansion. This project has the potential to improve distribution of domestic livestock into new areas. The amount of forage available to livestock is expected to increase significantly as a result of this project. With the removal of PJ the amount of usable grasses and forbs in the and sagebrush is expected to increase significantly. With increased forage, ungulate distribution is expected to improve. Many areas that are currently unproductive due to overgrowth will soon become desirable for future uses by ungulates. The District will seed the project with a mix of brush, sagebrush, grass and forbs. The District will ensure the temporary resting of treatment areas (2 to 3 years, especially seed areas) which will be incorporated into Annual Operating Instructions. These actions will help ensure that permittees are in the communication loop and will give them enough time to plan for the resources they need to continue their operations. Rest of treated areas is essential for success and sustainability of the ecosystem. Other Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources: This project promotes sustaining hunting of big game such as elk and deer along with small game such as grouse and wild turkey in the Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area. Treatments like this have potential to increase wildlife numbers and potential hunting opportunities to future generations. A main goal of these treatments is to enhance habitat on USFS and private lands to promote increased utilization of big game animals and lessen the impact on private agricultural cropland, grass pasture land, and fences. The Gooseberry Creek/Salina Creek area is a popular hunting area for big game, fishing (a variety of fish species), camping, wildlife viewing, hiking, site seeing, snowmobiling, private land ownership, wild turkeys and a variety of upland game and non-game species. Treatments will improve winter transition and summer ranges that will benefit wildlife along with improving water quality and reducing risk to necessary fish habitat and watersheds. This project will promote sustainability for a variety of sportsmen and sportswomen along with providing more hunting and fishing opportunities for future generations. Some of the private property in the Gooseberry area is part of the Forest Legacy Program (FLP) This U.S. Forest Service partnership with State agencies and private land owners encourages the protection of privately owned forest lands through conservation easements. Protection of private forests through FLP maintains a multitude of public benefits including: 1) Opportunities to hunt, fish, and camp, 2) Clean and abundant drinking water, 3) Habitat for fish and wildlife, and 4) Timber, fuel wood, and other forest products. Restoring uplands on this project will reduce the impacts future wildfires and reduce the risk of future impairment. Treatments will considerably lessen the risk of catastrophic large scale high severity fires that could result in long-term watershed degradation, including habitat loss or degradation for Bonneville cutthroat trout and Southern leatherside chub located in Salina Creek. Forest visitors use adjacent areas for firewood gathering and Christmas tree harvesting. Efforts are being made to promote commercial sale of Juniper fence posts from the project areas.

07/01/2020

09/15/2021

2022

Cultural, wildlife, and plant surveys were completed on approx. 3,100 acres. Wildlife and plant surveys were completed by forest service biologists force account seasonal employees. Cultural Surveys were completed by contract services by the UDWR. All surveys were completed Summers 2020 and 2021

This phase of the project was partially funded and only included the surveys. No treatment occurred during this phase. The completed surveys will allow for implementation to begin on the project.

Future planned treatment will begin occurring spring 2022 as part of phase 2 of this project. Treatment will include hand thinning seeding, mastication and chaining of several thousand acres over the next 2-3 years. In addition to the mechanical treatments there is also a large prescribed fire project planned in the area once the mechanical treatments near private lands are completed.