The project goal is to improve the overall health of the entire watershed in Parley's Canyon including riparian, stream, wetlands, and upland sites. To accomplish our landscape-scale goal, we have relied on coordination and planning between many stakeholders including landowners, government entities, and non-profit organizations. For over 100 years, the watershed has been degraded from wildfire suppression, diseases in trees, livestock overgrazing, and noxious weeds. More restoration work is needed to return the watershed to better ecological function. The project area is important for recreation in the region (e.g., skiing, hiking, fishing, camping, and hunting). A large part of the region's economy is driven by recreation and protecting this watershed will help preserve those sustainable uses. The fire suppression has resulted in an accumulation of dead fuels on the ground and resulted in a tinder box of fuels ready to burn at catastrophic levels with even a small ignition. This is extremely concerning for people who live in Lambs Canyon, Summit Park, Jeremy Ranch, Park City, and Mount Aire. Billions of dollars worth of property damage can occur and the lives of residents and firefighters are at risk. Efforts are needed to reduce fuel loads, build fire breaks, and create defensible space. This project will work to address and minimize these threats. Insect infestations from beetles and the non-native insect balsaam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae) are of great concern and as the forest is unnaturally comprised of older trees, it is more susceptible to these infestations. We will remove mature and dying trees to improve the forest's resilience to insect infestations, while also mitigating wildfire risk. The aspen in this watershed are beginning to die from disease, insect infestations, and potentially competition with conifer trees. This project will also work to improve the health of the aspen forests by thinning conifers stands to improve forest health and improve wildlife habitat. In streams and riparian areas, historic overgrazing and removal of beavers has degraded the watershed. This project will use low-tech, process-based stream restoration (e.g., beaver dam analogs [BDAs]) to improve the streams connectivity with the floodplain. This will mitigate and improve incised stream channels, restore aquatic habitat, and increase riparian vegetation. This will benefit many wildlife and fish species and is expected to increase water quantity and quality. Emerging research shows that healthy stream corridors act as fire breaks to prevent the spread of catastrophic wildfire. Healthy streams with diversity of structure from beaver dams are also more resilient when wildfires occur, they catch sediment and slow water which reduces downstream flooding and damage. Noxious Weeds have been introduced into the watershed from past livestock grazing and human encroachment. This project will work to combat noxious weeds before they become too established to effectively eradicate and degrade the health of the watershed. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) has been detected in the project area. It is classified as a Utah "1b Early Detection rapid response species" because of it's threat to our forest ecosystems and currently has a limited distribution in the state. Garlic mustard forms monospecific stands that dominate the understory of forests and actively displace native plant species. Myrtle spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites) is a Utah Noxious Weed because displaces native vegetation and increases potential for erosion and sedimentation in streams. Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) is another Utah Noxious Weed detected in this watershed and aggressively outcompetes native vegetation. This project will remove and manage Noxious Weeds from the watershed.

The project goal is to improve the watershed health in Parley's Canyon. The project has multiple objectives designed to address all of the Watershed Restoration Initiative's priorities and the Shared Stewardship program. 1. Protect the lives of residents and firefighters from catastrophic wildfire 2. Reduce fire risk to communities and infrastructure and reduce costs of post fire rehabilitation. 3. Improve forest health. 4. Reduce and eradicate noxious weeds from the watershed. 5. Improve fish and wildlife habitat, especially for boreal (western) toad and Bonneville cutthroat trout. 6. Improve water quality and increase water quantity 7. Address threats to species identified in the Wildlife Action Plan. 8. Addresses specific objectives identified in local, state, and federal resource management plans. 9. Increase forage for livestock where grazing is possible. 10. Increase and protect recreational opportunities such as skiing, hunting, fishing, and others.

By delaying this project, we risk crossing ecological thresholds that will take millions of dollars more and decades for the ecosystem to recover from. 1. The project area is one of the most at-risk areas in Utah for catastrophic wildfire that threatens human life and infrastructure. The forest condition has neared or crossed an ecological threshold that makes it highly vulnerable to catastrophic fire. Every year that we do not treat the vegetation in the project area, the threat and risk increases. 2. Catastrophic wildfire will damage the water quality in the watershed. The damage to streams (i.e., mudflows and sediment loading) would result in loss aquatic habitat and crucial Bonneville cutthroat populations. The damage to aquatic habitat would be severe and for the Bonneville cutthroat trout represent crossing an ecological threshold they could not recover from naturally. The efforts made by the Division of Wildlife Resources and sportsman's groups to improve trout habitat and populations are threatened and at risk. 3. Many wildlife species rely on healthy forests. The loss of habitat from catastrophic wildfires poses a major threat and risk and may lead to decreased wildlife in populations. Recovering wildlife habitat and populations is difficult. 4. Managing noxious weed species (e.g., garlic mustard and myrtle spurge) before they have reached an ecological threshold and out-compete native vegetation is essential to maintain ecosystem function. Once noxious weeds have reached an ecological threshold, control may be impossible. 5. The threat and risk of a post-wildfire debris flows in Parley's Canyon is significant. The cost of a debris flows can result in major damage (i.e., millions of dollar) to Interstate 80, other roadways, utility corridor and human infrastructure. 6. The streams in the project area are moderately degraded and are becoming more incised and losing riparian vegetation. Once these ecological thresholds are crossed in degraded streams, low-tech-process-based restoration can not be effectively used to restore ecological function of streams. Healthy streams mitigate wildfire threat and risk.

This project complies with guidance and addresses objectives outlined in the following management plans: 1. The Boreal Toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) Conservation Plan (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources 2005) 3.1 Fire Management. 3.1.1 Protect habitats in forest stands adjacent to and within 2.5 miles of breeding sites. 3.1.2 Restrict burns to late fall through early spring during which time boreal toads are inactive in known occupied areas. 3.1.3 Determine impacts of fire through monitoring of known breeding sites. 3.2 Habitat Fragmentation. 3.2.1 Prevent further habitat fragmentation of breeding populations. 3.2.1.a Identify and preserve dispersal corridors. 3.2.1.b Identify and preserve metapopulation structure. 3.2.2. Restore historic dispersal corridors where possible. 3.2.2.a Identify where migration and gene flow among occupied habitats should be facilitated. 32 3.2.2.b Improve habitat conditions in degraded dispersal corridors where appropriate 3.3.1.c Minimize depletion of boreal toad prey base. 3.3.1.d Minimize degradation of bank conditions. 3.3.1.e Minimize degradation of water quality. 3.3.1.f Minimize depletion of emergent and riparian vegetation. 3.9.2 Minimize habitat loss and degradation associated with water management. 3.9.2.a Minimize stream channelization. 3.9.3 Create, restore, and maintain new habitats through water management. 3.9.3.a Create shallow shoreline margins in new impoundments. 3.9.3.b Deepen impoundments to maintain sufficient water levels through metamorphosis. 3.9.3.c Create new wetlands according to boreal toad breeding habitat requirements. 2. Deer Herd Unit 17a Management Plan 1. Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the unit by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts. 2. Seek cooperative projects to improve the quality and quantity of deer habitat. 3. Provide improved habitat security and escapement opportunities for deer Future habitat work should be concentrated on the following areas.: 4. Quaking aspen forests unit wide. We will be working in the quaking aspen stands to reduce conifer competition. 5. Anywhere along the front that would avert deer from entering cities. By improving the habitat condition up higher in the canyon we will hopefully keep deer from going down into the city. 3. Wildlife Action Plan 1. Under the threats, data gaps, and action section of the plan it identifies a list of Essential Conservation Actions. It states the need to restore and improve degraded wildlife habitats. species and others. 2. The habitat type that this project is located in as identified in the WAP is the aquatic scrub/shrub type, forested aquatics, and riverine. We will be improving the habitat in this key habitat and addressing the threats to this habitat type. 3. The plan identifies sediment transport imbalance as a medium threat to this habitat type and this project will help to reduce sediment transport by stabilizing the banks with vegetation and rocks. 4.It identifies channel down-cutting as a high threat and this project will help to remove the channels in the stream and make a more subtle gradient. This project will raise the water levels to restore the floodplain and reduce this channel down-cutting. 5. The plan mentions a management strategy that this project addresses to help improve this habitat type through 1.( restoring more natural water and sediment flow regimes) WAP Ch. 7-1; Mountain Riparian Habitat, criteria and score totals (ch. 7-8) 3rd highest priority statewide. Ch. 6-15; Western Toad; threat - 4. Statewide Moose Management Plan 1. Population Management Goal: Achieve optimum populations of moose in all suitable habitat within the state. 2. Habitat Management Goal: Assure sufficient habitat is available to sustain healthy and productive moose populations. 3. Recreation Goal: Provide high-quality opportunities for hunting and viewing of moose. 5. Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan Habitat Objective1: Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts 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. 6. Statewide Elk Managment Plan 1. Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat. 2. Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. 7. Salt Lake County Integrated Watershed Management Plan 1. Identifies stream restoration as a priority implementation task Pg. 10 This project through the BDA work will help to achieve this task. 2. It identifies Parley's Creek as a priority watershed. 3. The plan identifies improving habitat as a priority. Pg 80 8. Parleys Creek Management Plan http://www.slcdocs.com/utilities/Stream%20Study%20website/Parleys/Final/7_Projects_Parleys.pdf 1. Pg.15 Goal: Improve Riparian Habitat through Control of Invasive Plant Species and Restoration of Native Plant Communities 2. Action: Initiate invasive plant removal/control efforts in city-owned riparian corridor areas, beginning upstream and working downstream, utilizing an integrated weed control strategy. 9. Snyderville Basin Special Recreation Open Space Management Guidelines 2019 10. Summit Park Forest Stewardship Plan 2018: Manage forest resources in the best interest of forest health, which should minimize losses associated with injurious insects and diseases. Detection and monitoring will be key components in minimizing forest pest impacts. Maintain or enhance wildlife use and habitat. Maintain favorable aesthetics by means of preventing large scale tree mortality. Adhere to the Forest Legacy Deed of Conservation Easement parameters. Actively manage to reduce the control/spread of noxious weeds, found throughout the property. 11. Snyderville Basin Special Recreation Trails Master Plan 2019: (3) Provide and support a diversity of trail experiences: Objective 3C: Beyond the types of trail uses accommodated, consider a variety of user objectives in the planning, design, and construction of new trails. Objectives could include: Nature-viewing, Escape, Solitude, Challenge, Risk, Fun, Play, Exercise, Connectivity, Socializing. (4) Develop a sustainable trail system in an environmentally responsible way: Objective 4A: Secure and budget sufficient, dependable annual maintenance funding for the community-wide trail system. Seek out partnerships with other organizations to share and leverage trail maintenance resources. 12. Summit County Code: 10-4-3: Critical Lands, 10-4-7 (A): Fire Protection Fuel Breaks/Vegetation Manipulation: Hazardous fuels in the form of native vegetation will be cleared around structures and around the perimeter of the development to assist in wildfire prevention measures. This fuel break is not intended as a complete vegetation clearing firebreak. 13. Summit County Snyderville Basin General Plan: Goals: (1) Preservation of open space, view corridors and scenic mountainsides, (2) preservation of Critical Lands (as defined in Section 10-4-3 of the Code) natural resources and the environment, including clean air and water. Community Vision: (1) Open Space, (2) Recreation, (4) Wildlife, (6) Critical Land Protection, (7) Water Conservation and (11) Natural Resource Preservation. Policy 5.22: Wildfire Management. Policy 5.23: Wildlife 14. Utah Administrative Code R68-9 (Utah's Noxious Weed Act): Utah Noxious Weed Act and the Summit County Code, Title 4, Chapter 4. The Act states that local governments are directed to take the necessary steps to manage the noxious weeds within their jurisdiction and provides specific authorization for local enforcement. 15. Utah Forest Action Plan 2016: Distribute materials to community members, individual landowners, public officials, interagency partners and media for further dissemination and outreach. Increase participation in state and national programs including Utah Living with Fire, Ready, Set, Go!, Firewise USA and Fire-Adaptive Communities. Use all available management tools, including forest industry, to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems. 16. Treatments lie within Central Region UPCD/UWRI focus areas. 17. UDWR Strategic Management Plan Objective R2 Maintain existing wildlife habitat and increase the quality of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state. Objective R4 Decrease risks to species and their habitats through integrated implementation of the WAP, Objective C6 Increase hunting and fishing opportunities 18. Utah Shared Stewardship Agreement (May 2019) - Project is within Shared Stewardship priority areas. We have applied for Shared Stewardship as well and working with USFS and FFSL to do this. Meets objectives to reduce hazardous fuels. Forest Wide Goal Wasatch Cache NF 1. Watershed Health Maintain and/or restore overall watershed health (proper functioning of physical, biological and chemical conditions). Provide for long-term soil productivity. Watershed health should be addressed across administrative and political boundaries. Sub Goal's 2b, 2i. Objective to Desired condition 3.b, 3.c. 2. Biodiversity & Viability Provide for sustained diversity of species at the genetic, populations, community and ecosystem levels. Maintain communities within their historic range of variation that sustains habitats for viable populations of species. Restore or maintain hydrologic functions. Reduce potential for uncharacteristic high-intensity wildfires, and insect epidemics. To achieve sustainable ecosystems, meet properly functioning condition (PFC) criteria for all vegetation types that occur in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Focus on approximating natural disturbances and processes by restoring composition, age class diversity, patch sizes, and patterns for all vegetation types. Sub Goal's 3.d, 3e, 3n, 3s. Objective to Desired condition 3.b, 3.c. 3. Fire and Fuels Management Wildland fire use and prescribed fire provide for ecosystem maintenance and restoration consistent with land uses and historic fire regimes. Fire suppression provides for public and firefighter safety and protection of other federal, state and private property and natural resources. Fuels are managed to reduce risk of property damage and uncharacteristic fires. Sub Goal's 4a,4d. Objective to Desired Condition 4.a.

This project largely overlaps within a high strategic protection area that has a high to very high abundance of hazardous fuels. This area has been designated a priority area for the Shared Stewardship program. In these high priority areas, fire has been suppressed and has resulted in a diseased and infected stand full of dead and down and dying conifer forests that are prone to catastrophic wildfires. This is extremely concerning for people who live in communities in Lambs Canyon, Summit Park, Jeremy Ranch, Park City, and Mount Aire. Interstate 80 along with a major utility corridor provide access to and from Salt Lake city and coincides with the northern boundary of the project. Billions of dollars commerce, infrastructure, property damage can occur and lives will be threatened if nothing occurs. This project will begin the process of thinning the forest and reducing the fuel loads to reduce the fire danger and make it safer for fire fighters, communities and commerce to occur or pass through the project area. This project will also pave the way for future fire risk reduction efforts including possibly controlled burns through the USFS. The BDAs and stream restoration will also help increase riparian wet areas and green vegetation which will act as green strips or fire breaks to slow and stop catastrophic fire spread.

The project area is of high value because it is within the Salt Lake City's protected watershed which provides drinking water to millions of people and feeds into the Parley's Water Treatment Facility. Parley's Creek is an impaired water (303d List Cause of Impairment e.Coli and is of high recreational value). The importance of the watershed to so many users makes this project high value and we need to protect the quality and quantity of water resources. Forest management (e.g., thinning conifers) will reduce wildfire risk. Wildfires would cause soil erosion and debris flows that would degrade water quality. This would be extremely detrimental to the water quality for millions of users in Salt Lake City. Using low-tech, process-based restoration to improve stream health will capture sediment and improve water quality. Healthy streams also store more water in the watershed longer and increase the quantity of water throughout the year. Improvements due to forest thinning: Toll Canyon Creek and the greater Summit Park area all drain into the East Canyon Creek (Weber watershed). Improvements due to improved riparian corridors: There is evidence that healthy riparian corridors can serve to halt the spread of wildfires. In-tact, healthy riparian corridors are more resilient to wildfires because riparian vegetation such as willows and cottonwoods thrive after disturbance. In-tact root systems in riparian corridors stabilize streambanks and are more resilient to flooding (i.e., down-cutting and incision), if and when post-fire rains erode into waterways. Conversely, degraded riparian corridors are not resilient to wildfire; they will require extensive efforts to restore vegetation and hydrologic function (i.e., deep incision and down-cutting). Riparian habitats can be resilient to wildfire and generally do not require extensive restoration (Halofsky and Hibbs 2009).

The first phase of this project funded the cultural surveys and supported compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). All NEPA will be completed before work is to be done on the USFS-administered lands. All cultural surveys have been completed in phase 1 for the stream restoration sites. All stream alteration permits will be obtained before stream restoration activities are implemented. All cultural resources necessary for work on Salt Lake City and private land will be done as part of this project before work begins.

Forest Management We will cut, pile, and burn dead or dying conifer in strategic areas within the project area that have been impacted by infection and disease. Mostly targeting species in areas of high use or travel corridors. We will do this on USFS lands starting in Lambs Canyon to create some defensible space and increase ingress and egress to and from the area. We will also work with FFSL and USFS personnel and contractors to cut and chip along the access road in Lambs Canyon and within the neighborhood of Summit Park. In the snyderville basin recreation area above Summit Park we will continue work we did last year to cut and pile and chip the remaining acres with contractors. At the mouth of Lambs Canyon and along the highway in Parley's we will masticate oakbrush to reduce fire risk to or from USFS lands. We will do cultural surveys on the SLC Corp. and SBRD lands for future mastication work of oakbrush. Weed Control Best management practices for garlic mustard include an integrated pest management strategy of both chemical and manual control, combined with active monitoring, and persistent surveillance. Plants are self pollinating and germinate throughout the growing season, therefore require constant monitoring and at least 2 chemical applications per season, with manual control of bolted flowering plants prior to seeding. Chemical applications to rosettes include a mix of metsulfuron and 2,4-D, and should be applied in both the spring and fall. Best management practices for myrtle spurge include both manual removal and chemical control in the early spring prior to seed dispersal. In areas where plants are growing on steep slopes and where manual removal could increase erosion, chemical control is preferred using a mix of 2,4-D and dicamba with a surfactant. If the plants can be removed manually with limited disturbance to soils, best management practices include removing at least 4" of the root with care not to get the sap in the eyes or on skin. Manual removal can be a preferred form of management, given that myrtle spurge if often found growing under, around, and interspersed with scrub oak and other native plants. We will also try and remove burdock from Lambs Canyon and will do this with contractors to spray with herbicide. Low-tech, Process-based Stream Restoration We will construct low-tech structures (i.e., beaver dam analogues and post-assisted log-structures) using the methods described in Low-tech, Process-based Restoration of Riverscapes (Wheaton et al. 2019). We will use untreated wooden fence posts approximately 3-4" in diameter. Posts will be driven into the stream bed with a gas or hydralic post pounder. The posts will extend about 1 m above the channel bed and spaced approximately 0.5 - 0.8 m apart, and driven to a depth of approximately 1 m into the streambed. We will weave native vegetation, rocks, and mud between the posts to create a structure that will look like a beaver dam. The structure will slow the water but allow fish to pass through. We will place structures 10-30 m apart within the stream reaches. After a year we will assess the health of the stream and evaluate future actions. We may plant willows or other native plants at the restoration sites to improve establishment of riparian vegetation.

The project will be monitored for success in the short and long term and reported back to WRI. Forest Health Monitoring will consist of repeat photography at designated points and vegetation plots to determine trees per acre and species composition. Each vegetation plot will estimate both over-story and under-story vegetation change for percent cover, tree density and species richness. Monitoring will occur before treatment, 1 year after treatment and 5 years after treatment. Stream Restoration: Effectiveness of stream restoration (e.g., BDAs) will be monitored with the Rapid Stream-Riparian Assessment (RSRA) survey (see attached). The RSRA generates a score for water quality, hydrogeomorphology, fish and aquatic habitat, riparian vegetation, and terrestrial wildlife habitat. This method was selected because it is a time and cost efficient means to monitor restoration projects. Salt Lake County is committed to collecting long-term water quality data in Lambs Canyon. We will compare pre-treatment data to post-treatment. BDA monitoring We have already conducted a pre-restoration Rapid Stream-Riparian Assessment (RSRA) monitoring survey (See Attached) on Vernon and Little Valley Creek. We will do another RSRA survey this year to see how the system has changed several years post BDAs. In 2020, we began monitoring of bats prior to installation of beaver dam analogs (BDAs) and we are asking for additional funds to continue this monitoring this year to monitor whether BDAs improve the area for bats, including Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifigus), a SCGN in the 2015-2025 Wildlife Action Plan. We plan to monitor for bats by following the protocol for the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat), which uses stationary acoustic devices, and possibly mist-netting to detect bat activity. We plan to set acoustic monitoring equipment at sites were BDAs were installed in 2020 as well as sites where new BDAs are planned for installation, to try to determine if bat activity differs between sites. Data collected from the grid encompassing the project area will also be included in the nationwide NABat program. Monitoring for garlic mustard include an integrated pest management strategy of both chemical and manual control, combined with active monitoring, and persistent surveillance. Plants are self pollinating and germinate throughout the growing season, therefore require constant monitoring and at least two chemical applications per season. The East Canyon Watershed Committee and the Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District (SBWRD) has been collecting stream flow and temperature data with five U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gages over the past 18 years and have compiled a large volume of baseline data. This has been supplemented by efforts from the Utah Division of Water Quality and Trout Unlimited to collect additional stream temperature data. Unfortunately the costs of maintaining the USGS gaging stations continue to increase. We propose to support the continued collection of this important data by developing a 10-year agreement with SBWRD and WRI. TU will continue to collect supplemental stream temperature data, and is in the process of conducting an analysis of this data to develop priority water conservation actions. Amphibian Monitoring To assess conditions for boreal toads, we will do pre- and post-project aquatic habitat surveys based on Utah's standardized field protocol (attached). The data will be included in the long-term dataset managed by Wild Utah Project, Hogle Zoo, and Utah Geologic Survey. Based on results, boreal toad re-introduction sites will be selected and prioritized. Utah's Hogle Zoo and Wild Utah Project will coordinate with regional biologists to prioritize survey locations for breeding boreal toads in and around Parley's Canyon to increase understanding regarding habitat conditions, how they may be improving, and potential surrounding areas that may be considered as part of the meta-population connected to Parleys Canyon. These efforts are necessary to the eventual planning for possible repatriation of toads in Parley's Canyon in the future. Historic toad locations, regional biologist recommendations, and analysis of existing GIS layers indicating potentially suitable breeding habitat conditions will be used to prioritize survey locations around the Parley's Canyon project area. Recommended survey locations will be separated by no more than 7 kilometers from the project area (and less than 5 kilometers in areas of steeper terrain). Biologically relevant boundaries to surveys will be based on the existing boreal toad migration limits in the scientific literature. Newly prioritized survey locations will be added to Wild Utah Project's community science field visit calendar if the locations are appropriate for engaging the community where others may be surveyed by Wild Utah Project biologists and interns. Additionally, Wild Utah Project will be conducting amphibian aquatic habitat assessments of potential boreal toad breeding habitats adjacent to the 2020 beaver dam analogue installation sites.

UDWR Habitat Restoration Biologist, Robby Edgel, has been coordinating efforts between multiple landowners and interest groups in Parley's Canyon to bring a landscape scale watershed restoration project. USFS, Bekee Hotze (Salt Lake District Ranger), Guy Wilson (USFS), Scott Frost (USFS), Justin Robinson (USFS), Karen Hartmen (USFS) and Brian Trick (Wasatch Front Area Manager) from FFSL, Dax Reid (FFSL), Robert Sanders (FFSL), Scott Zeidler (FFSL), and PJ Abraham(FFSL) have been involved in planning the Shared Stewardship/Forest Health aspects of the project on USFS lands in Parley's Canyon. They have been instrumental in educating the public and planning the work to be done in the canyon. They also have been heavily involved in collaboration on the project proposal to apply for funds through WRI and the Shared Stewardship program. Jessica Kirby (Open Space Management Supervisor)) from Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District has been the lead in planning all the work around Summit Park and gaining public support and funding from the County. Through her efforts Summit County has become a significant partner and has already contributed over $250,000 to this project. She has been working with PJ Abraham from FFSL to plan the fuel treatments around Summit Park. She also has been partnering with Trout Unlimited to plan BDA work in Toll Canyon and East Canyon. She has also gained funding through the NRCS to do work. Janice Gardner and Mary Pendergast from Wild Utah Project are partnering on this project to help with the monitoring of stream health and amphibian species. As well as helping to get volunteer labor to build BDAs and help manage contractors. They are extremely supportive of this work and are helpful in gaining public support. And they have helped us coordinate working Marshall Wolf and Rhea Cone with USU and the Swaner preserve to do BDAs in East Canyon and Kimball Creek. Patrick Nelson from Salt Lake City Utilities/Watershed Management has been a collaborator and as landowners in the canyon and owner of water rights SLC is also very supportive of our efforts to do work in the canyon. Bob Thompson, the Salt Lake County Watershed Manager has been contacted as well about this project and is very supportive of it and will continue to be a partner in helping to monitor water quality and in developing the project moving forward. Sage Fitch, the Salt Lake County Bee and Noxious Weeds Program Manager has been involved in planning the weed control aspects of the project for garlic mustard and myrtle spurge. UDOT, SLC open lands, and the BLM have also been contacted about doing weed control on their lands and they are supportive. The community of Forest Home owns about 640 acres in Lambs Canyon. They are extremely supportive of our efforts and have written Bill Stocksdale has written a letter of support that is attached. Letters of support have been attached * Utah Division of Wildlife Resources -- Robert Edgel * Utah Forestry Fire and State Lands -- PJ Abraham * Summit County -- Tom Fisher and Glenn Wright * Summit County Fire Warden -- Bryce Boyer * Melissa Early -- Weber River Watershed Committee and Utah Department Agriculture * Wild Utah Project -- Janice Gardner and Mary Pendergast * Trout Unlimited -- Paul Burnett * Summit Park Home Owners Association * Pinebrook Masters Association and Home Owners Association * Utah State University Extension -- Darren McAvoy * U.S. Forest Service - Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest

This project is part of a multi-year effort to improve the watershed health. We will continue to monitor the outcomes of this project in the long-term to evaluate results and inform future management. We will continue to monitor Noxious Weeds, insect infestations, and success of stream restoration efforts to reach objectives and will make any future repairs or adjustments as needed to ensure their success. The Forest Service will work with the UDWR to continue to build upon these improvements to benefit the habitat in this area. There may be further work to introduce boreal toads in future depending on results of surveys.

This project will improve many sustainable uses. As outlined in the description of what sustainable uses are it identifies recreation as a sustainable use. This project will greatly benefit recreational uses such as hunting and fishing by increasing opportunity for these activities. It will also benefit the experience that mountain bikers, hikers, snowshoers, cross country and downhill skiers will have by having a healthy forest and not having mud slides etc. post wildfire that close such opportunities. There will be an increase in forage availability by reducing the canopy cover and allowing more light to enter the forest floor also BDAs will increase forage and disperse water. This project will also prevent garlic mustard from spreading and reducing forage quality. This will largely be a grazing benefit for wildlife since most of the project is in a protected watershed where livestock grazing is not allowed. But there are areas near Swaner and East Canyon Creek where there is livestock. Also there is grazing allowed by goats in SBRD to reduce fuels near Summit Park. This project will complete NEPA that will be helpful in allowing for timber harvest in the future or other biomass utilization for fire wood. Parley's canyon and the surrounding ski resorts are important area for recreation from skiing, hiking, fishing, camping, golfing, and hunting since it is so close to SLC. A large part of Utah's economy is driven by this recreation and protecting this watershed will help preserve those sustainable uses and sustain our economy. The extended archery hunt is extremely popular in this area and hundreds of hunters are able to have quality hunting experiences. Bonneville cutthroat are found in these waters and this project will help improve angler opportunity. Since the project is so close to SLC, Hogle Zoo has expressed interest in using this project to help educate the public and this will provide an increased opportunity for wildlife viewing.

08/02/2021

06/30/2022

2022

The first thing we did in the Summer of 2021 was work to build BDAs in Mcleod Creek and East Canyon Creek. We built 5 BDAs in Mcleod and several more in East Canyon Creek.(See Photos in Images and Documents) Next, we cut and piled trees 10" DBH and less on 163 acres in Lambs Canyon. These piles will be burned next winter. We also worked with the Unified Fire Authority to clear fuel along the road in Lambs Canyon to protect evacuation routes on 27 acres. During this summer we also had several teams doing monitoring for amphibians, primarily looking for boreal toads. We did not find any boreal toads within the entire project area. In Summit Park they cut and piled and burned last year's piles in the Snyderville Basin-owned lands. They did not end up using goats because of locals concerns. We had cultural surveys done so that we can do bullhog treatments on SLCDPU lands next year. We surveyed 1,449 acres. We also had FFSL employees go door to door in Summit Park signing people up to have fuels removed from around their homes. We signed up 70 homes and in the spring of 2022 we removed brush and small trees around all of these homes. Crews performed thinning treatments from September 7th- October 8th, 2021Thinning treatments covered180 acres of Summit Park open space. A shaded fuel break covered 4 acres of Summit Park open space. Avalanche concern areas (down and dead material only) 30 acres. Northern goshawk nesting site (no treatment) 5 acres.1200 burn piles were created throughout the project site in Snyderville Basic Rec. lands. Over 300 piles were covered with wax paper to improve burning the Spring 2021 season. Some piles were rearranged and reduced in size to avoid scorching canopy. Over 600 piles burned in Fall 2021. About 650 piles burned between December 17th, 2021- May 11th, 2021. In the spring of 2022, we built 25 more BDAs in lower Parley's Creek, in the Parley's Historic Nature Park. We also cleared by hand with a contractor 143 acres of myrtle spurge. Lastly, in June of 2022, we treated with conservation core group 23 acres of garlic mustard in Killyon's Canyon. On the map, it is identified as lop and scatter manual removal since we manually removed the plants and bagged them. Amphibian surveys were complete by Hogle Zoo, see attached report in the documents section. No boreal toads were found in a 5 mile radius of this project. They did find some northern leopard frogs and boreal chorus frogs.

For this project we worked to improve watershed health in Parley's Canyon by reducing fire risk to communities and infrastructure, improve crucial fish and wildlife habitat and populations, increase water quality and quantity, and sustainability of natural resources. It will accomplish these objectives through a collaborative partnership and by treating all aspects of the watershed from the upland conifer/aspen stands to the sagebrush/oakbrush plant communities and the riparian stream bottoms. For the work in Summit Park, the primary objectives of this project were to improve forest health, enhance watershed resilience, and mitigate hazardous fuels by patch-cutting, selective thinning, and removing ladder fuels in the Summit Park Open Space. Removed fuels were placed into piles to be burned seasonally in the Fall and Spring. The Oregon-based company, Summitt Forests, and the locally owned, Alpine Forestry, were awarded contracts to implement the prescription.

This project is part of a multi-year effort to improve the watershed health. We will continue to monitor the outcomes of this project in the long-term to evaluate results and inform future management. We will continue to monitor Noxious Weeds, insect infestations, and success of stream restoration efforts to reach objectives and will make any future repairs or adjustments as needed to ensure their success. The Forest Service will work with the UDWR to continue to build upon these improvements to benefit the habitat in this area. There may be further work to introduce boreal toads in future depending on results of surveys.