The purpose of the BLM proposed project is to reduce and maintain hazardous fuels to limit destructive wildfire impacts to the communities of Cedar Highlands, Kolob Terrace and to the smaller communities located in the Shurtz Canyon area of Iron County, Utah. The need is due to these communities being amongst the highest wildfire risk within Color Country District's management area as defined by the state of Utah's Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal data. The project site is dominated by stands of pinyon and juniper trees with a high percentage of young trees encroaching areas of remaining sagebrush, mountain brush and other deciduous shrubs causing a downward trend in herbaceous cover. The project area serves as an important winter and transition range for mule deer. This proposed project will improve wildlife habitat, increase ecosystem resiliency to natural disturbance, improve watershed conditions and water quality, improve the health of both woodlands and sagebrush/grasslands by increasing biological diversity in age class and/or structure and will enhance habitat conditions for wildlife species, including mule deer. This area is identified as crucial and substantial mule deer winter range that has been severely reduced by human development especially with the construction of Interstate-15 and Highway-14. Hazardous fuels reduction would reduce encroaching pinyon-juniper and overgrown mountain brush to provide fire resistant, perennial grasses throughout the project area, decreasing the risk of catastrophic wildfire while providing wildlife habitat benefits through maintaining previous treatments. Enhanced protection to recreation interests, including existing and future bike trails and proposed and future campgrounds in the Cedar Highlands and Shurtz Canyon area over the next 10-15 years would also occur.

The primary objectives are to reduce all dead vegetation, a minimum of 90% of the pinyon and juniper overgrowth and 70% of overgrown mountain brush identified as hazardous fuels within the project area while while leaving islands of trees in a mosaic pattern for use by mule deer as thermal cover. Out of 7,133 acres of possible treatment acres (shown on map feature), some acres will likely not be treated after arch clearances and design features are finalized. The project is also designed to re-establish perennial grass, forbs and shrubs to as close to ESD percentages as possible to maintain a healthy landscape and limit wildfire destruction to the communities of Cedar Highlands, Kolob Terrace and to the smaller communities located in the Shurtz Canyon area of Iron County, Utah. Additional objectives include improving wildlife habitat and reducing soil erosion. This area contains crucial and substantial mule deer winter range that has been severely reduced by human development, especially with the construction of Interstate 15 and Highway 14.

The likelihood of catastrophic wildfire is much greater if the treatment is not conducted, increasing the threat and risk to communities and wildlife. The treatment area would experience significant erosion after a severe wildfire event and would threaten mule deer and overall wildlife habitat. Projects like this provide for greater landscape resiliency when future wildfires occur in previously treated areas, making a site more likely to recover on its own and lessening the chances of adverse burn site impacts. Fire return intervals would be more in balance with historic ranges. Proactively treating this area will provide multiple benefits including reduced hazardous fuel loads, reduced threat of a catastrophic wildfire and reduced threat to developed areas and infrastructure. Proactive action will also provide increased firefighter and public safety, while protecting natural resources wildlife habitat and surrounding public recreation improvements. Other challenges associated with not treating this area include more invasive species and conifer encroachment while increased public use and recreation continues. Recreation interests near Cedar Highlands and Shurtz Canyon is continuing to expand with the addition of mountain bike trails and the currently proposed Shurtz Canyon Campground. There is continued demand and plans to add more trails adjacent to these communities, which would continue to put pressure on mule deer at certain times of year, though many of trails will not be accessible during the winter months. This proposed treatment would effectively return identified areas to a fire regime closer to the historical range and desired future condition. The proposed treatment methods are intended to reduce overgrown vegetation and promote age class diversity. This greatly decreases the likelihood of future high intensity catastrophic fire and the subsequent infestation of invasive species. Seeding fire resistant grasses and forbs would also create lower wildfire intensity and would lessen the spread of future wildfires while reducing erosion in critical areas.

The proposed action is subject to the Cedar Beaver Garfield Antimony Resource Management Plan (RMP), approved in 1986. This land use plan was amended in 2005 by Utah Land Use Plan Amendment for Fire and Fuels Management (UT-USO-04-01). The proposed action is consistent with federal, state and local laws, regulations, and plans to the maximum extent possible, including the following: - Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 - Title 54 U.S.C. 306108 (Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act) - Best Management Practices for Raptors and Their Associated Habitats in Utah (IM: 2006-096) - Utah's Standards for Rangeland Health - Endangered Species Act 1973 - Migratory Bird Treaty Act 1918 - National Fire Plan (August 2000) - Secretarial Order 3372 (September 12, 2017) - Iron County Plan The proposed action is tiered to BLM's Final Programmatic Environmental Report (PER): Vegetation Treatments on BLM Lands in 17 Western States Programmatic Environmental Report, June 2007 and Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in 17 Western States Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), June 2007.

The proposed project would benefit communities of Cedar Highlands, Shurtz Canyon and southern portions of Cedar City by reducing hazardous fuels. There are multiple private land parcels with structures scattered throughout the area, adjacent to BLM administered land. Reduction of overgrown vegetation is necessary to protect life, property and infrastructure adjacent to communities that are identified as extreme and very high wildfire risk. The project would also provide for firefighter safety and would allow aircraft a chance to be successful in the event of a wildfire. The 1,456 acre Hicks Creek Wildfire of October 2015 presented multiple fire suppression challenges to firefighters and would have likely impacted this proposed project area if it would have occurred during the summer months.

The proposal is not anticipated to impact the area with any contaminants. Use of equipment to conduct thinning could potentially create a release of fluids should a mechanical failure occur, but this is unlikely. This project would not be expected to negatively impact water resources. The project could improve the functionality of some of the surface water sources and may indirectly improve surface water quality in those areas. Herbaceous cover that will establish after the treatment will improve current erosion, soil loss and/or water infiltration conditions. Riparian and springs will also improve, providing more water.

NEPA is not yet approved for this project but is expected to be completed by Spring 2021. Final stages of the draft EA is currently in progress and is expected to be issued in February 2021.

The project will include mechanical removal of an estimated 2,522 acres of vegetation using mastication (mechanical mulching) after aerial seeding occurs in the fall, before mechanical implementation. Aerial seeding will be conducted with a fixed wing or rotor wing aircraft. Both seeding and mechanical work will be contracted in coordination with interested partners.

Monitoring of the project will occur to ensure objectives are met and ensure the treatment is maintained to ensure future community fire protection. Multiple treatments are expected to occur in the future and will be planned in conjunction with recreation interests. Monitoring would consist of nested frequency and photo points. Information would continue to be collected from existing BLM studies. Range monitoring is collected on each allotment on a periodic basis to monitor livestock and their associated impact. Monitoring data included both long-term studies and short term indicators. Long term monitoring would include nested frequency, cover and photo points to determine overall trend of the pasture.

Partners include Cedar City Fire Department, Forestry Fire and State Lands, Division of Wildlife Resources, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, private land owners and the Cedar Highlands Community Fire Council. Formal community outreach meetings have been conducted with the Cedar Highlands HOA Board and members of the Shurtz Canyon Subdivision. Field tours have also occurred with the partners mentioned above. Some private land owners have expressed interest in reducing overgrown vegetation on their private property.

Treatments within this area would be periodically maintained to protect the investment and preserve wildlife habitat improvements. Maintenance may require additional hand or mechanical treatment of large shrubs and small trees or manual application of herbicides. Rangeland health assessments and long-term monitoring sites would be established to monitor the success of the treatment. Future recreation is also likely to occur in this area and will be designed to ensure the integrity of established fire mitigation objectives remain. The project occurs within the Hicks Creek, Hamilton Fort and Greens Lake allotments. All areas seeded will be rested for a minimum of two growing seasons to ensure adequate rest and seedling establishment.

The project area is located along a strip of land between Interstate 15 to the west, and mountains to the east. The proximity to the freeway and frontage road increases the likelihood of unwanted human caused wildfire ignitions, as does anticipated increased recreation use and development of private land. Reducing the fuel load would help to off-set the probable increase in potential fire ignitions from a growing human and future development planning perspective. This project is designed to improve and sustain nearby grazing allotments and will work in conjunction with them to expand quality winter habitat for mule deer. Rangeland conditions within the Hicks Creek, Hamilton Fort and Greens Lake allotments are expected to improve following implementation of the proposed vegetation project. The forage quality and availability would greatly increase in the area after implementation of the project. Completion of this project would help distribute animal use over the area, which would reduce concentrated use in certain areas.