This project proposes to implement vegetation treatments including group selection harvest and commercial thinning as part of the South Creek Vegetation Improvement Project. The treatments for this project will aim to develop a diverse ponderosa pine community that consists of multiple seral stages and reduce stocking to allow for sunlight to reach the ground and encourage a diverse ground flora that provides food and habitat for a wide range of wildlife species. These thinning treatments will improve tree health within the stands to reduce long term risk of mortality due to insect and diseases as well as create canopy openings and reduce fuel loading to lower the potential for stand-replacing crown fire. This will also provide a benefit to the Clay Creek watershed and Widtsoe inholdings by minimizing the potential impacts from a high severity wildfire. Clay Creek to the south of the treatments proposed in this project has a conservation population of southern leatherside chub, which are managed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Utah Wildlife Action Plan. This is an isolated population which may connect to historic habitat in East Fork Sevier River at times. The Clay Creek area has heavy fuel loading similar to the headwaters of Corn Creek which burned in 2008. Wildfires in the forest and fuel conditions currently present in the project area are likely to be large and high severity. The proposed project area is within crucial summer and fawning habitat for mule deer and substantial habitat for elk. Pronghorn also inhabit this area as well. State big-game wildlife management plans, as outlined in the 'Relationship to Management Plans' section encourage managers to "initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that are being taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of unwanted conifers into sagebrush, aspen habitats, and ponderosa pine stands" (UDWR State Wide Management Plan for Mule Deer 2014-2019). These treatments will improve foraging habitat for big-game by thinning encroaching conifer and dense stands of timber and allowing the grass/forb and shrub component to perpetuate. The proposed treatments will help sustain and perpetuate grasses and forbs by reducing encroaching conifer and reducing the risk of large high severity fires that would have detrimental impacts to habitat. The project area is habitat for wild turkeys in particular the Merriam subspecies. Grass, forb and shrub vegetation types are extremely important for foraging turkey since they supply seeds, berries and insects to eat. Merriam's are found in stands of ponderosa pines mixed with aspen and grassy areas. State Wild Turkey Management plan objectives include conduct habitat projects to address limiting factors. The treatment areas will improve the ponderosa pine stands by thinning and reducing fuel loading along with creating more openings for grasses and forbs. This in return will help in reducing the chances of large crown fires in the future and provide quality habitat for turkeys. The WRI funding for this project will go to fund a stewardship contract that will pay a contractor to cut, skid, and process trees 8-12" DBH at a cost of approximately $475 per acre. This will be done along with a commercial thinning. The Forest Service has completed the NEPA analysis and has already marked and laid out the project area. The Forest Service will also cover the costs of contracting and administration of the project.

The objective for this project is to improve wildlife habitat by increasing forage production for wild and domestic ungulates, to create stand conditions that minimize mortality and growth loss from insect and disease, and to reduce hazardous fuels in or adjacent to the wildland urban interface. This will be done by conducting a commercial thinning removing dominantly small diameter (8 to 12 inch diameter) live ponderosa pine along with larger trees up to about 18" in a group selection/regeneration treatment followed by subsequent prescribed fire on 1336 acres. The thinning treatment will reduce the basal area from about 120 sq. ft./acre to 60-80 sq. ft./acre across the project area and will increase tree health and vigor in ponderosa pine stands by reducing insect hazard rating and potential for crown fire. In addition, the treatment consists of small scattered patches of openings ranging from 0.25 to 1 acre that are limited to where the need is to establish natural regeneration of conifers, increasing forage, and creating multiple age and size classes of trees. Following treatment, under-burning would take place if total fuel loadings are excessive. The cutting units would receive a prescribed fire treatment to remove surface fuels in order to reduce intensity of fire behavior and potential for transition to crown fire as well as prepare created openings for natural regeneration and reduce understory densities of white fir and juniper. A second entry with prescribed fire may occur within burning units that have not met desired condition. This project will also support the local wood products industry by providing about 4,000 CCF of timber and will improve the desired condition of tributaries contributing to the East Fork of the Sevier River Watershed. This project will support a substantial amount of workers employed in the forest products industry and government.

Threats and risks if the area is not treated would include; increased disease from mistletoe leading to a dying and dead forest ripe for a wildfire with negative ecological effects such as the Corn Creek fire of 2008. There is also an increase in conifer and juniper encroachment. This encroachment has reduced the amount of species diversity and foraging opportunities for multiple species of wildlife and livestock. Increases in fuel loadings over time will lead to potential high severity catastrophic wildfire events which would have detrimental impacts to habitat quality and effectiveness for wildlife. Increases in fuel loadings will lead to potential high severity catastrophic wildfire events which would have detrimental impacts to the East Fork of Sevier River Watershed. A stand replacing wildfire would have detrimental impact to multiple species of wildlife includes; raptors, migratory birds, mule deer, elk, pronghorn, fish and wild turkey. If this targeted treatment area is not treated soon the problem of forest pests and diseases destroying the stand as well as the potential for a large stand replacing crown fire only will increase with each passing year. The Corn Creek Fire in 2008 has caused Corn Creek to be unstable since this wildfire. Road damage has been occurring annually and sedimentation from the fire has yet to stabilize.

This project is directly tied to the Dixie National Forest, Forest Plan. The Forest Plan guides all natural resource management activities and provides the overall guidance for management activities by specifying goals and objectives, desired future conditions, management direction, and standards and guidelines. All administrative activities affecting the National Forest must be based on the Forest Plan. Other management plans that relate to the South Creek Vegetation Improvement Project include reference to Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plans to initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve wildlife habitat with emphasis on ranges being diminished by encroachment of unwanted conifers into ponderosa pine stands. This project area is within crucial wildlife habitat and will help improve habitat by reducing encroaching conifers and P/J thus allowing the native grasses, forbs and shrubs to persist and improve. This project will create mixed seral stages that benefit multiple species and help reduce the chance of uncharacteristically large high severity fires. In addition, the project will reduce fuel loading that can greatly alter potential wildfire behavior, further protecting this crucial summer range from catastrophic wildfire. Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Southern leatherside (Lepidomeda aliciae) in the State of Utah: Conservation Element B, Habitat Enhancement, Enhance and/or restore habitat conditions in designated area throughout the historical range of southern leatherside. Conservation Element D, Restore Hydrologic Conditions, Maintain and restore, and/or augment natural hydrologic conditions. The project will improve forest health and reduce the risk of uncharacteristically large, severe wildfire to southern leatherside populations in Clay Creek.

Forest fuel buildups have caused intense wildland fires along the National Forest/private land boundary (WUI). Lack of changes in continuous fuel characteristics and forested stands compromises the safety of the public and firefighting resources. There is a need to improve the overstocked forested stands around Widtsoe to help increase the chances that forest resources, private lands, and developments can be less susceptible to threat of damage from wildfire. Reduction of small diameter trees will reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires that can spread from private lands onto forest lands and vice a versa. Post-settlement fire exclusion has facilitated a large increase in basal area, tree density and surface and ladder fuel accumulations. All these factors play a role in creating favorable conditions for large intense landscape fires. Fire suppression and grazing also contribute to shrub (manzanita, mountain-mahogany, black sagebrush, Gambel oak, bitterbrush, etc.) dominated understories in ponderosa pine forests which contribute to higher flame lengths and increase the chance of crown fires during wildfires. Fire suppression has led to increased tree density and competition which puts most of the ponderosa pine stands at high risk of attack by bark beetles and other parasites. This is a fire dependent ecosystem where fire has been suppressed for over 100 years. Surface and ladder fuels are accumulating in the project area due to natural and activity generated fuels as well as fire exclusion. The Ponderosa pine areas are classified as wildland urban interface (WUI). The proposed actions will reduce the intensity and severity of future wildfires and will make it easier for fire fighters to manage or suppress wildfires. Modeled flame lengths are significantly decreased by reducing juniper and fir encroachment in ponderosa pine. The targeted treatment area would provide protection in the Widtsoe Area and Pine Lake Campground which contain large numbers of people during the fire season, multiple high value homes and out buildings, multiple infrastructure such as water and power all of which supports these communities. The overall project area is heavily used by outdoor enthusiast year around and many local businesses depend on this use and the aesthetic features of the area that attract tourism. A large stand replacing crown fire would greatly impact these business not only during the wildfire event but also post as it may turn people who regularly recreate here to go elsewhere.

The watersheds in this area are tributaries of the East Fork Sevier River. This project is expected to contribute to the desired future condition of the watersheds involved because the Stream Management Zone will be treated to reduce the risk of stand replacing fires and will maintain their natural function. If a wildfire were to occur and greatly disturb the area with a large crown fire the soils in the project area would experience irreversible resource damage during a surface disturbing event (Bayer, 1996). All temporary roads that are going to be used are up on the plateau above the stream management zone and are not expected to contribute sediment to the stream. Constructed fire lines will be rehabilitated immediately following prescribed fire operations so effects from this disturbance will be short term. Since past, direct and indirect effects do not exceed the estimated 15% threshhold in any of the watersheds, channel response and long term water quality changes are not anticipated. This treatment will increase grass and forb cover over the long term and lessen the chances for erosion to keep occurring in its current state. Also the project would greatly reduce the chances for a large scale wildfire event that would cause significant damage to the soils and streams in the watershed.

All NEPA has been completed for this project. Concurrence was received from SHPO and from USFWS that this project can be implemented. National Environmental Policy act (NEPA) NEPA directs the Forest Service (and other Federal agencies) to conduct environmental analyses to assess the nature and importance of the physical, biological, social, and economic effects of a Proposed Action and its reasonable alternatives. Public notification and involvement are a key part of environmental analysis. Conclusions are reached about the significance of the effects on the human environment. These conclusions about the significance of effects determine the levels of analysis and documentation. National Forest Management ACT of 1976 (NFMA) American Antiquities Act of 1906 and Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Clean Water Act The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires each state to implement its own water quality standards. The State of Utah's Water Quality Antidegradation Policy requires maintenance of water quality to protect existing instream Beneficial Uses on streams designated as Category 1 High Quality Waters. All surface waters geographically located within the outer boundaries of the Dixie National Forest, whether on private or public lands, are designated as High Quality Waters (Category 1). This means they will be maintained at existing high quality. New point sources will not be allowed, and non-point sources will be controlled to the extent feasible through implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) or regulatory programs (Utah Division of Water Quality 1994). The State of Utah and the Forest Service have agreed through a 1993 Memorandum of Understanding to use Forest Plan Standards & Guidelines and the Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 2509.22 Soil and Water Conservation Practices (SWCPs) as the BMPs. The use of SWCPs as the BMPs meets the water quality protection elements of the Utah Nonpoint Source Management Plan. The Proposed Action is designed to not change or add fill to waters anywhere within the project area. Endangered Species Act of 1973 as Amended The Endangered Species Act requires that actions of Federal agencies do not jeopardize or adversely modify critical habitat of federally listed species. Executive Order 13186. Executive Order (E.O.) 13186 directs federal agencies to protect migratory birds by integrating bird conservation principles, measures, and practices into agency activities and by avoiding or minimizing, to the extent practical, adverse impacts on migratory bird resources when conducting agency actions. The National Forests in Utah entered into an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 2007 and developed a strategy on how to address impacts from agency actions on migratory birds in NEPA documents. Project proposals that follow the strategy identified in that agreement will be considered compliant with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and E.O. 13186 (USDA 2007). Executive Order 11990 of May 24, 1977 (Wetlands) This order requires the Forest Service to take action to minimize destruction, loss, or degradation of wetlands and to preserve and enhance the natural and beneficial values of wetlands. In compliance with this order, Forest Service direction requires that an analysis be completed to determine whether adverse impacts will result. Executive Order 11988 of May 24, 1977 (Floodplains) This order requires the Forest Service to provide leadership and to take action to (1) minimize adverse impacts associated with occupancy and modification of floodplains and reduce risks of flood loss, (2) minimize impacts of floods on human safety, health, and welfare, and (3) restore and preserve the natural and beneficial values served by floodplains. In compliance with this order, the Forest Service requires an analysis be completed to determine the significance of proposed actions in terms of impacts to floodplains. Executive order 13186 directs federal agencies to protect migratory birds by integrating bird conservation principles, measures, and practices into agency activities and by avoiding or minimizing, to the extent practical, adverse impacts on migratory bird resources when conducting agency actions. This order directs agencies to further comply with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and other pertinent statutes. This analysis is compliant with the National Memorandum of Understanding between the USDA Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to promote the conservation of migratory birds (USDA 2008). In addition, the Dixie National Forest is compliant with the letter of understanding to the letter of understanding to the U.S. Fish and wildlife Service Utah Field Office (USDA 2007) concerning compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Executive Order 13186.

Forest Service Personnel will administer a stewardship contract to complete the project. Private Contractors will implement the work under the contract that will thin the trees using mechanical equipment such as feller bunchers, skidders, processors, and loaders. Merchantable material will be removed from the site with loaders and log trucks. Remaining slash will be scattered in the project area to meet the project design features listed in the NEPA decision or will be piled at the landings. Forest Service personnel will then burn slash piles on the landings to remove the excess fuel. Additionally, Forest Service personnel will implement a prescribed burn if necessary to eliminate excess fuel loadings throughout the project area or to maintain the treatments.

Fuel reduction and future fuel loads will be monitored/measured using browns transects as well as photo series monitoring tools. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will continue to perform counts on the deer, elk and pronghorn populations.

This project will compliment fuel reduction efforts on private land by the State of Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State lands to help protect the communities/infrastructure in Widtsoe. This project compliments the now completed W.R.I. project "Mitchell Stewardship" and continues to treat the Ponderosa Pine ecosystem on the Escalante Ranger District. This project will also compliment the aquatic passage structures that will soon be constructed on Clay Creek that are funded from the Great America Outdoor Act. These two new bridges will ensure the all life stages of aquatics will be able to freely move in Clay Creek and will improve southern leatherside chub habitat. These "AOP structures or bridges" will cost approximately $400,000 and will be installed in 2022.

Based on future monitoring data of the area the Forest Service will continue to reduce the potential for catastrophic wildfire through the use of prescribed burning, natural ignited wildfire, timber harvest, grazing, and thinning of Ponderosa Pine to maintain a healthy resilient fire adapted ecosystem. Treatment activities such as timber harvest, thinning, and fire (both planned and unplanned ignitions) that removes vegetation and resets succession completely will not be grazed for at least two years or longer depending on monitoring results. Nonuse for resource protection would be authorized in areas that succession has been reset such as burn treatments. The Allotment Management Plans will be modified through issuance of the Annual Operating Instructions.

The proposed action would result in increased plant diversity and forage production for both wild and domestic ungulates, multiple species of birds, and insects across the landscape. In addition, thinning and opening of these dense shrub and forested lands would allow all animals to move more freely across the landscape. Currently there is no over utilization of grazing in the treatment area. However this would help ensure that over use is not an issue. The overall increase in forage production would lead to less intensive grazing pressure, soil compaction, and patch grazing would be relieved. It is expected that the Widtsoe Stewardship Project would open the forest floor to greater quantities of direct and indirect sunlight. This increase in light should improve conditions for native grasses and forbs already present in the understory. This action would also likely improve conditions for native shrubs. These native grasses, forbs, and shrubs will be released as a direct benefit of this project and should fill in the interspaces and create a functional native plant community. Additional seed would not be required. This project also has the potential to improve future timber harvest for wood products by alleviating the competition for water with too many trees on the landscape and encouraging larger size classes of trees to develop in the project area. By removing encroaching tree species and thinning the overall stand as well as removing parasite infected Hawksworth mistletoe trees this forest will be sustainable for future generations to utilize and enjoy. This project will also encourage the utilization of 8-12" (DBH) live trees which currently are not economically viable to remove without funding for a stewardship contract. This will help to increase sustainable utilization of these trees. This project area is also a popular location for both turkey and mule deer hunting. This project would enhance these two species by diversifying the forest understory from overstocked timber stands. It is concluded that in the long-term this project would move resources toward desired forest conditions. It will help meet the Dixie National Forest Land and Resources Management Plan. In the short-term some management changes will have to be made in order to reach the optimal vegetative potential of the project. This will need to be done through coordination with the grazing permittee's and documented in the Annual Operating Instructions.