The establishment of tamarisk and other non-native invasive plants along the Colorado River Basin during the 20th Century has negatively impacted riparian and aquatic habitats including proposed Critical Habitat for the recently listed Yellow-billed cuckoo.. Dense stands of tamarisk and Russian olive have displaced native plants, degraded wildlife habitat, reduced livestock forage, limited human access, interfered with the natural fluvial processes, and increased the risk of severe wildfires. This project is developed in coordination with the Grand Junction Colorado BLM office on approximately 120 acres of cottonwood galleries and riparian habitats that span both the Moab BLM FO and the Grand Junction BLM FO. Treatments will be implemented simultaneously on the Colorado side of May Flats with approximately 50 acres in Colorado and the remaining 70 acres is in Utah. Without WRI funding, this project would not move forward at on both sides of the Stateline. WRI involvement helps soften agency boundaries and jurisdictions. By setting forth collaborative projects funded from WRI, agencies can better work together to fosters a true sense of collaboration and partnership to restore the river at a watershed scale.

The overall objective of this project is to restore riparian habitats along the Colorado River and within potential, suitable and critical habitats for the listed cuckoo to a more diverse, functional, self-sustaining, and resilient condition that will future nesting migratory habitats for the listed cuckoo as well as other migratory birds. The proposed project is needed (1) to manually (chainsaw) treat tamarisk and Russian olive in 120 acres of cuckoo habitat and (2) chemically (through the use of BLM approved herbicides) treat invasive woody and herbaceous weed populations in 120 acres of cuckoo habitats. Re-vegetation would include applying seed and raking seed to incorporate into the soil, and planting seedlings of site and locally sourced native species.

Western yellow-billed cuckoos appear to require large blocks of riparian habitat for nesting. Large cottonwood groves and associated willow understory in the May Flats area are seeing an increase in tamarisk and Russian olive establishment and growth. USFWS has identified that the replacement of native riparian habitats by invasive non-native plants, particularly tamarisk is a primary threat to cuckoo habitat.

(1) The Moab Field Office (MFO) Programmatic Invasive Species Management Plan (PISMP) is an integrated pest management approach to eradicate, contain, control and prevent targeted weeds within the MFO. The desired goal is to contain or control the spread of invasive species and eradicate species that pose the greatest threat to the biological diversity within the MFO, and prevent any new weeds from becoming established by utilizing a wide range of treatment options (i.e. mechanical, manual, herbicide, etc.). The resulting proactive management of these plants would promote the areas ecosystem health and promote diverse native communities by maintaining and improving native forbs and grass species, increasing the regeneration of native cottonwoods and willows in riparian corridors, and ultimately preventing the loss of wildlife habitat, species diversity, and wildfire risk. (2) Moab BLM Resource Management Plan (RMP) prioritizes management of riparian vegetation and emphasizes the control of noxious weeds, prevention of the spread of invasive species, and restoration of vegetated areas. Reduction of tamarisk and restoration of native riparian vegetation addresses management objectives for improving the quality and health of riparian habitats while improving the quality of resources used in recreation and reducing fuels in a manner that decreases the likelihood and severity of wildfires. Specific management decisions in the RMP that are directly related to the primary objectives of the proposed project include RIP-9, which calls for restoring riparian vegetation "through biological, chemical, mechanical, and manual methods (e.g., tamarisk control, willow plantings)," and RIP-16, which calls for implementation of strategies to "restore degraded riparian communities" and "protect natural flow regimes." The Moab RMP also prioritizes management of Special Status Species and directes the Moab BLM to "Maintain, protect and enhance (including but not limited to designated critical habitat) of Federally listed .....species to actively prompt recovery to the point that they no longer need protection under the Endangered Species Act. Pg 114 Goals and Objectives. (3) The project addresses goals and objectives of the BLM Utah Riparian Policy, which states that "riparian areas are to be improved at every opportunity." (4) McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area Integrated Weeds Management Plan Programmatic Environmental Assessment, (DOI-BLM-CO-S080-2017-0007-EA) goal for weeds and exotic species states indicates that the "Colorado River Corridor will be managed to provide a mosaic of healthy, diverse community types" and "reduce the current levels of exotic species or weeds where present" pg A-6-15. (5) The Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan calls for an emphasis on improving riparian habitat and use of seed mixes that include sufficient forbs and browse species (Habitat Objective 2). (6) Pursuant to the Utah Noxious Weed Act, Section 7, to every person who owns or controls lands in Grand County, Utah, that noxious weeds standing, being, or growing on such land shall be controlled and the spread of same prevented by effective cutting, tillage, cropping, pasturing, or treating with chemicals or other methods, or combination methods, or combination thereof, approved by the County Weed Supervisor, as often as may be required to prevent the weed from blooming and maturing seeds, or spreading by root, root stalks or other means. Listed species include hoary cress, tamarisk, Russian knapweed, and Russian Olive. (7) BLM Healthy Lands Initiative: The project area has been identified as a focal area of this vegetation-resources enhancement initiative to restore and improve the health and productivity of western public lands. The Healthy Lands strategy increases the effectiveness and efficiency of vegetation enhancement treatments by focusing on treatments on a significant percentage of lands -- both Federal and non-Federal -- within six geographic locations, rather than focusing on the local project level. The strategy increases opportunities to leverage cooperative solutions across ownership's and jurisdictions.

This project will decrease the risk of high severity wildfire by reducing dead stands of beetle-killed tamarisk trees. Studies have shown that these stands of tamarisk as well as associated Russian olive can serve as ladder fuels, carrying fire into the crowns of native cottonwoods. Fire spread and intensity are enhanced when there is a buildup of dead and senescent material in the tamarisk crowns, as is currently the case. Removing this fuel loading will help reduce soil erosion, and promote the establishment of under-story native vegetation, which is critical to maintaining riparian ecosystem resilience.