The Hollow fire burned a approximately 1,400 acres of private, BLM and DWR land. The majority of the fire burned an area that was seeded in 2012 with the Wood Hollow fire rehabilitation project. Seeded perennial grasses were well established and should come back without further seeding. However, there is about 220 acres of private lands on the south side of the fire scar that were not burned in the Wood hollow fire. These are important areas for wildlife as they contain 2 ponds providing water . Seeding will help keep these areas from being dominated by annual weeds and cheatgrass.

Establish perennial grasses to a cover value of 10% by the end of the 3rd growing season Establish perennial forbs to a cover value of 4% by the end of the 3rd growing season

Annual grasses could increase without perennial grass and forb competition

Unit 16 -- Central Mountains Project will help meet goals, objectives and strategies from the following plans. This project will improve winter and transitional range for mule deer and elk. The project will address some of the objectives in the Utah Elk plan. * Habitat Objective 1. Maintain elk habitat throughout the state by identifying and protecting existing crucial elk habitat and mitigating for losses due to human impacts. * Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of forage and cover on 250,000 acres of elk habitat with emphasis on calving habitat and upper elevation elk winter range by the end of this plan. The project will help achieve some of the objective of the Utah Mule Deer plan. * Habitat Objective 1. Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting existing critical habitats and mitigating for losses due to human impacts. * Habitat Objective 2. Improve the quality of forage and vegetation for mule deer on 200,000 acres of critical range. The proposed project will address some of the limiting factors and habitat management strategies outlined in the deer management plan for herd unit 16 Central mountains including: HABITAT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES - Deer Plan * Protect, maintain, and/or improve deer habitat through direct range improvements to support and maintain herd population management objectives. HABITAT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES * Continue to improve, protect, and restore sagebrush steppe habitats critical to deer. Cooperate with federal land management agencies and private landowners in carrying out habitat improvements such as pinion-juniper removal, reseedings, controlled burns, grazing management, water developments etc. on public and private lands. Habitat improvement projects will occur on both winter ranges as well as summer range. This project will also address some of the objectives and strategies listed in the elk management plan for unit 16 Central mountains including: UNIT MANAGEMENT GOALS - Elk Plan * Manage for a population of healthy animals capable of providing a broad range of recreational opportunities, including hunting and viewing. Consider impacts of the elk herd on other land uses and public interests, including private property rights, agricultural crops and local economies. Maintain an elk population consistent with the available range resources and which is in balance with other range users such as domestic livestock, other big game and the need for watershed protection. * Maintain and enhance existing elk habitat through vegetative manipulation, sound domestic grazing practices, and other management techniques that will meet habitat objectives UNIT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES * Protect and maintain existing habitats that are functioning properly. Enhance elk habitat on a minimum of 20,000 acres during the next 5 years through direct range improvements. This will include the following specific objectives. The proposed projects will address the following goals and objectives of the Division of Wildlife Resources most recent strategic management plan: Resource Goal: expand wildlife populations by protecting and improving wildlife habitat. Objective 1: protect existing wildlife habitat and improve 500,000 acres of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state. Constituency Goal: Achieve broad-based support for Division programs and budgets by demonstrating the value of wildlife to all citizens of Utah. Objective 2: improve communication with wildlife organizations, public officials, private landowners, and government agencies to obtain support for Division programs. This project will help meet some of the goals and objectives of the State Resource Management plan including.. * § 63J-8-104 State Land Use Planning and Management Program c. Produce and maintain the desired vegetation for watersheds, timber, food, fiber, livestock forage, wildlife forage, and minerals that are necessary to meet present needs and future economic growth and community expansion in each county where the subject lands are situated without permanent impairment of the productivity of the land; e. Meet the needs of wildlife, provided that the respective forage needs of wildlife and livestock are balanced according to the provisions of Subsection 63J-4-401(6)(m); This project will help meet some of the goals and objectives of the Sanpete County Resources Management plan including the following in the wildlife section. 6. Continue efforts to improve and increase forage through habitat manipulation. 8. Improve management of wildlife on private land. 10. Maintain or improve habitat capability through direct treatment of vegetation, soil, and/or water.

Seeding will reduce annual grasses and fire fuels for future fires.

This project will improve water quality in the watershed by reducing erosion

No ground disturbance is planned with State equipment.

Aerial seed 220 acres of burned private land. Seed dozer lines on the fire by ATV or with hand seeders.

A photo point could be established to monitor the success of the seeding.

Forestry Fire and State Lands is involved with suppression and reseeding the dozer lines. DWR is working on the aerial seeding

The aerial seeding areas are private lands used mostly for recreation and some grazing.

This project will improve the quality and quantity of livestock grazing and wildlife forage.

11/04/2020

11/05/2020

2021

The Hollow fire was started by target shooting on private land just south of the Spencer Fork WMA. The fire burned just over 1,400 acres of private, BLM and about 400 acres of the south end of the Spencer Fork WMA. Most of the Hollow fire burned land previously burned by the 2012 Wood hollow fire which was already reseeded. This project targeted the 220 acres of private land that was not burned by the Wood Hollow fire and reseeded in 2012. Seed was flown on by fixed wing aircraft on those 220 acres of the Hollow fire on November 5th 2020. Approximately 13 bulk pounds of grass and forb seed was applied per acre.

The land seeded is private land owned by two different land owners. It is critical wildlife habitat because it contains perennial water in the form of springs and ponds.

The land is privately owned and contains 2 residences.