This project will seed approximately 368 acres of the Black Pine fire which burned 560 acres of private lands in Box Elder County. The fire burned an area of important low elevation winter habitat for elk and mule deer with much of the fire consisting of south and west facing slopes. The area also serves as a migration corridor for deer and elk between northern Utah and Idaho, along with providing grazing range for the landowner. Seeding will help keep these areas from being dominated by annual weeds and cheatgrass.

To partner with the landowner in accomplishing a reduction in invasive weeds and increasing the value and productivity of the land for wildlife and livestock. Reduce the potential of future fires through reduction in flashy fuels. Reduce the establishment of annual and noxious weeds.

Annual grasses and weeds will likely increase without perennial grass and forb competition.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule deer. Section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This plan will address Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2013 (p11-12). Strategy C. 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 conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. Strategy F. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. West Box Elder CRMP Objectives/Strategies: a) Vegetation cover is managed to promote infiltration and recharge. b) To maintain momentum, continue on-going treatment efforts, using mechanical means as well as fire..., and reseeding areas with shrubs, grasses, and forbs, and ensure maintenance of areas treated in the past. c) Winter Rangeland Improvement. Implement Forage Improvements. Based on the results of the forage assessment, seek funding for recommended improvements. Start with projects on private land to avoid extended timeframes associated with NEPA review and other agency procedures. This project addresses reseeding for improving species diversity of understory species and browsing species in sage-steppe. This is a cooperative effort involving a CWMU, and four private landowners within important sagebrush habitat. http://www.utahcbcp.org/htm/groups/boxelder UDWR Mule Deer Unit #1 Mgt. Plan Objectives/Strategies: a) Additional threats and losses to deer summer and winter range in the West Box Elder area is the reduction in habitat quality due to the loss of critical browse species (sagebrush, bitterbrush etc). b) To address habitat quality and degradation, habitat improvement projects have been, and will continue to be planned throughout the unit. Through annual grass control and shrub plantings, and pinyon-juniper thinning/removal on summer, winter, and transitional range in West Box Elder. c) These projects should be done on public and private lands when the opportunity is available. Addressing these needs on private land is crucial as a large majority of winter range falls on private lands. This project addresses reseeding for improving species diversity of understory species and browsing species in sage-steppe. This is a cooperative effort involving a CWMU, and four private landowners within important mule deer winter range. http://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/plans/deer_01.pdf Utah Greater Sage grouse Mgt. Plan 2013 Objectives/Strategies: a) Enhance an average of 25,000 acres of sage-grouse habitat in Sage-grouse Management Areas annually. b) Increase the total amount of sage-grouse habitat acreage within Sage-grouse Management Areas by an average of 50,000 acres per year, through management actions targeting Opportunity Areas. c) Aggressively remove encroaching conifers and other plant species to expand greater sage grouse habitat where possible. d) Livestock grazing is a major resource use in most SGMAs, and can be an effective tool to improve habitat quality and seasonal nutrition, and thereby enhance local populations. e) maintenance of at least 10% sage brush cover; f) Maintain forb cover greater than 10% and grass cover greater than 10% during nesting/brood-rearing season; g) Maintain or improve wet meadows, when present; and h) Installation of green-strips or firebreaks to protect existing habitat. i) An improvement to existing habitat that does not result in an acreage gain. For example: Removal of pinon-juniper conifer trees in young open canopy stands still used by sage grouse. This plan will help toward the acreage goals for enhancement and increased Sage grouse habitat by rehabing cheatgrass and invasive areas, Providing a diversity of seeded species for livestock and wildlife. https://wildlife.utah.gov/uplandgame/sage-grouse/pdf/greater_sage_grouse_plan.pdf Utah's Comprehensive Wildlife Management Strategy or Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) Objectives/Strategies: Mountain Sagebrush and Lowland Shrub a) Funding restoration that reduces older age classes and stimulate younger age classes...treat non-native invasive species. b) Continue the development of new restoration techniques suited to this habitat. c) Deploying techniques to diversify the understory species composition and age classes of decadent even-aged sagebrush stands. d) Deploying techniques to diversify specie composition in monoculture or near monoculture stands of seeded non-native plants (e.g. crested wheatgrass). e) Promoting management that includes seeding a diversity of grasses, forbs, and shrubs that will lead to increased resiliency and resistance in the plant community. This plan addresses invading cheatgrass, mitigation of non-native invasive species, new restoration techniques, and diversification of understory species composition in lowland sagebrush steppe. http://wildlife.utah.gov/cwcs/ Governor's Executive Order Objectives/Strategies: The Order ensures state agencies will conform to the Conservation Plan and make management and policy decisions that "maintain, improve and enhance Greater Sage-Grouse habitat." State agencies will continue to work with federal agencies to assure the conservation needs of the bird. The purpose of this plan is to improve and enhance Sage grouse habitat. http://www.rules.utah.gov/execdocs/2015/ExecDoc156045.htm NRCS SGI 2.0 Objectives/Strategies: a) Reduce threats...by grazing sustainably ...re-vegetating disturbed areas and combatting noxious weeds. Avoid further loss of sagebrush grazing lands to wildfire by reducing annual grass threat. This plan will support this initiative by re-vegetating disturbed areas. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0ahUKEwjcn47rzK_KAhWLaz4KHVyACisQFggiMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nrcs.usda.gov%2Fwps%2FPA_NRCSConsumption%2Fdownload%3Fcid%3Dnrcseprd391816%26ext%3Dpdf&usg=AFQjCNHWGtF7AMa-Zb9dz3eZ82IG9FdBbQ Utah DWR Statewide Management Plan for Mule Deer Objectives/Strategies: a) Programs that provide incentives to private landowners to manage their properties for mule deer and other wildlife are critical to the success of the state's deer management program. b) Conserve, improve, and restore mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges. c) Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts. d) Work with local, state and federal land management agencies via land management plans and with private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer habitats, especially fawning, wintering and migration areas. e) Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2019. f) Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that have been taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats, ensuring that seed mixes contain sufficient forbs and browse species. g) Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah. This plan addresses improving and restoring Mule deer habitat, by working in cooperation with partners, mitigating invasive annual species, and improving sagebrush-steppe. https://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/pdf/mule_deer_plan.pdf

Seeding will reduce the amount of annual grasses while increasing fire resistant perennial grasses and shrubs. Flashy fuels such as noxious weeds will be reduced with a successful seeding.

This project will improve water quality by reducing the potential for erosion and maintaining valuable perennial plants.

No need for arc clearance with aerial seeding being the only activity. A signed copy of landowner seed agreement will be filed for the project.

The project will be implemented by procuring seed from the GBRC and then the landowner will transport the seed from Ephraim to the staging area and contract with the pilot to apply the seed. Early November is the target time frame for application.

Photo points will be established and visited by FFSL to monitor seeding success. Landowner will continue to work with FFSL, GIP and DWR to access project.

Private Landowner FFSL GIP

The aerial seeding areas are private lands used mostly for grazing and will be rested for two years.

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

11/30/2021

12/01/2021

2022

This project was in response to a wildfire near the Idaho border on private lands. FFSL, DWR and the landowner worked together that created a plan on WRI providing a seed mix that supported the cattle grazing operation while also being beneficial to wildlife. The landowner was responsible for flying the seed on and utilized Jeff Larsen from Brigham City to apply it on December 1, 2021.

This was not a project that was seen as a top priority initially but in conversations with the landowners, FFSL and the area biologist it was deemed that a rehabilitation plan should be implemented. Once a seed mix was created the plan was that the landowner would transport the seed from GBRC to the project location where Jeff Larsen would apply it. Project acreage was increased to 485 after additional seed was provided by Box Elder County Fire with the interior landowners permission.

To monitor the success of the seeding, including resting it from grazing for two growing seasons. Work with the landowners and other agencies, DWR, FFSL, NRCS, GIP, Box Elder County to conduct weed control if needed.