For big game, the project area is identified as crucial winter and summer habitat for mule deer, elk, and bighorn sheep. The goal of the proposed treatment locations is to maintain the understory vegetation; forbs, grasses and sagebrush, because the area was previously treated with these goals in mind. Due to PJ regrowth, a lop and scatter re-treatment is needed to prevent further PJ encroachment of this area as it is critical to maintain understory vegetation. By removing the current regrowth, we will be maximizing the biological return on our investment. The removal of the PJ regrowth will also help to reduce any hazardous fuels accumulation to lessen the potential for a large catastrophic fire event, which could result in habitat loss. Installing a guzzler in Horse Canyon will provide needed water resources to big game and other wildlife which is especially beneficial due to recent drought conditions.

The objective of this project is to maintain mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep and other sagebrush wildlife species habitat values and also reduce hazardous fuels accumulation throughout the project area. Also to provide water to various wildlife species. Specific Objectives: *Remove regrowth as a maintenance project before the expansion reaches a threshold where more intense restoration would be needed in the project area. *Maintain understory vegetation and sagebrush. *Maintain pronghorn, mule deer and elk winter and breeding habitats. *Reduce and minimize the increase in hazardous fuels to diminish the potential for a larger catastrophic fire event.

If the PJ continues to increase in cover and density, there is a substantial risk in diminishing the understory vegetation and browse which will ultimately affect pronghorn, mule deer, bighorn sheep and elk that use the area as breeding and wintering habitat. When PJ reaches 40-50% cover, a threshold is crossed where understory grasses and forbs may not rebound (Chambers 2008). As the PJ cover increases, encroachment prevention turns into restoration which can lead to a substantial increase in cost to maintain the project area. It has been shown that when PJ cover increases overtime from phase I to phase III, forage AUMS can decrease by 60% which negatively affects both livestock and wildlife (McLain 2012, University of Idaho). Also, the potential for a more extreme fire will intensify as the density and cover of the PJ expansion increases, endangering the sagebrush steppe habitat that pronghorn, mule deer, elk and other sagebrush species rely on for survival.

-Deer Statewide Management Plan: the plan illustrates work with land management agencies and private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer habitats, especially fawning and wintering areas, and will improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer. -Elk statewide management plan; the project supports objectives and strategies in this plan to project elk habitat and mitigate loss, habitat improvement projects that increase forage for both big game and livestock, maintains elk habitat throughout the state by identifying and protecting existing crucial elk habitat and mitigating for losses due to human impacts. -Price Field Office RMP: (VEG-1) -- Allow vegetation manipulation with restrictions to achieve the desired vegetation condition. Etc. (pg.69) (VEG-2) -- Design sagebrush treatment projects (including fire and fuels vegetation projects) conducted in greater sage-grouse occupied or historic habitat. (pg.70) This project will meet the goal of protecting the sagebrush community by removing Pinyon-Juniper that is encroaching into sagebrush habitat (current/historical). (VEG-3) -- (2) enlarge the size of sage brush patches with emphasis on areas occupied by greater sage-grouse and/or other sage dependent This project will meet the goal of protecting the sagebrush community by removing PJ that is encroaching into sagebrush habitat (current/historical). Utah Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy: Shrub steppe habitats ranked out as the 4th highest habitat priority for the state of Utah. This places the shrub steppe into a "key" habitat type. (Pg.7-7 & 7-8) This project will meet the goal of protecting the shrub steppe habitat by removing PJ that is encroaching into the shrub steppe. Shrub steppe habitat should be a target for restoration and conservation (pg. 8-1) Recommends in areas where decadent pinyon juniper has increased into shrub steppe due to lack of disturbance to disturb the decadent vegetation. This is listed as a high priority. (Pg.8-8) This project will meet the goal of protecting the shrub steppe habitat by removing Pinyon-Juniper that is encroaching into the shrub steppe and re-seeding with a species composition that will restore and conserve the habitat. The Utah State Resource Management Plan has several applicable objectives and policies & guidelines: -- The State promotes fuel breaks, thinning, chaining, prescribed fire and the selection of fire-resistant vegetation in green-stripping and burned areas. -- The State will pursue opportunities to conduct and assist other partners with fuel reduction work including mechanical treatments and prescribed fire. --Support the use of mechanical or chemical means or fire to alter or perpetuate forests and increase herbaceous yield where timber harvest is impractical or demand does not exist." --Improve vegetative health on public and private lands through range improvements, prescribed fire, vegetation treatments, and active management of invasive plants and noxious weeds. --Actively remove pinyon-juniper encroachment in other ecological sites due to its substantial consumption of water and its detrimental effect on sagebrush, other vegetation, and wildlife. --Protect existing wildlife habitat and improve 500,000 acres of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state by 2025.

PJ trees have steadily encroached over the last decade into basin big sagebrush habitat. As these trees increase in size and numbers, habitat values for wildlife and grazing are lost as available forage declines. The project area according the the Utah Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal is located in an area with moderate to high threat and high to extreme for fire intensity (report attached). There have been several very large fires in the Tavaputs area since the year 2000. The Rattle Fire which occurred in the year 2000, burned for three months and was over 100,000 acres. Pinyon and juniper trees have expanded and moved into areas once dominated by shrubs, forbs, and grasses. Dense PJ fuel conditions are to the point that if a wildfire occurred it would be difficult to contain, leading to an increased risk to firefighter and public safety, suppression effectiveness and natural resource degradation. Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) within the project area is predominately FRCC 3 which is where fire regimes have been extensively altered and risk of losing key ecosystem components from wildfire is high. Treatments identified within this proposal, will help reduce hazardous fuel loads, create fuel breaks, and reduce the overall threat of a destructive wildfire which could impact outlying properties and oil & gas infrastructure.

It is expected that the opportunity to restore native species to the composition and frequency appropriate to the area is high. The area is dominated by pinyon pine and juniper (Phase 1 and Phase 2). The project is expected to improve herbaceous understory, which will reduce water runoff and decrease soil erosion while increasing infiltration. A recent publication by Roundy et al. 2014 (Pinyon juniper Reduction Increases Soil Water Availability of the Resource Growth Pool. Range Ecology and Management 67:495505) showed that phase 3 juniper removal can increase available moisture for more than 3 weeks in the spring. And removing juniper from phase 1 and 2 stands can increase water from 6-20 days respectively. Because juniper are prolific water users they readily out compete understory species which eventually die off. Results of the Great Basin Landscape Conservation Cooperative study in Nevada (Desatoya Mt.) found that by removing (lop and scatter) P/J (130 trees/acre) there is the potential to increase water recharge yields 4% on wet years. On wet years this will increase recharge, but does not increase stream flow. Wet meadows and upland plants benefit by utilizing the increase soil moisture, providing for better resiliency during drought years. This provides for an increase in water quantity for herbaceous plants on sites where PJ is removed. Improvements to the Standards and Guidelines for Healthy Rangelands (Standard 1 and Standard 3) are expected through project implementation. It is expected that Standard 1 (Soils) will improve by allowing soils to exhibit permeability and infiltration rates that will sustain/improve site productivity throughout the area. This will be accomplished by making improvements to the Biotic Integrity of the community by converting areas that are dominated by PJ to a diverse component of perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs that is consistent with Ecological Site Description. Indicators will include sufficient cover and litter to protect the soil surface from excessive water and wind erosion, limiting surface flow and limiting soil moisture loss through evaporation, which will promote proper infiltration. The guzzler will collect and store precipitation that will be available to wildlife.

NEPA will be completed by the PFO. SITLA and BLM cultural clearances will need to be completed. The PFO/Green River Fuels will complete the cultural resource reports and SHPO consultations for the entire treatment. Cultural clearances for the private property in Horse Canyon will be conducted by the NRCS.

The PJ within the designated polygon will be removed using a hand crew with chainsaws. The specifications for the lop and scatter are as follows: *The trees will be cut with stumps not to exceed 6 inches in height. *No live limbs shall be left on the stump of cut trees. *The trees will be delimbed and scattered so as not to create large piles. *Cut material will be lopped and scattered so that the slash height will not exceed sagebrush height or 36" above the ground (whichever comes first). *All trees will be removed with in the designated polygon unless otherwise marked. *Tree removal should not be done during applicable BLM seasonal timing restrictions. The private land in Horse Canyon will be treated by mechanical treatments utilizing a bullhog or mechanical shredder for masticating the juniper and pinyon trees on 106 acres. Areas requiring seed will be aerial seeded with grasses, forbs, and shrubs prior to mechanical treatment so the seed can be incorporated into the soil for establishment. Mechanical treatment will be done in areas where there is little to no understory in the PJ and seeding will need to be done before the project begins.

Photos plots will be established before and after the project is implemented. Monitoring of regrowth after the project is completed will help determine whether follow-up treatments are needed for the project area.

BLM will coordinate with DWR biologist to finalize proposed treatment polygons. Carbon County; Coordination with county road crew to ensure access issues are addressed and acreage treated data will be passed along to county weed office. Private landowners will supply access to their land and contribute funds acquired through the Farm Bill. The NRCS will help with planning, and funding on private lands. All proposed treatment polygons occur on BLM or private lands.

There will be no changes in the current grazing management at this time because there will be no seed applied to the treatment area. PJ regrowth will be monitored at 3 to 5 year intervals to determine future actions in the project area. The private land that will be seeded will have no grazing on it for at least two years, and will be monitored by the landowner.

By removing the PJ regrowth, the forage will be maintained which will benefit livestock that currently graze in the project area. Grazing will continue in the project areas. Big game viewing and hunting opportunities may increase with improved habitat conditions.