*SHINGLE MILL(Mx):* The Shingle Mill project has been a high priority area for years and has had buy-in from many agencies due largely to being part of the Monticello City municipal watershed, being a key winter and transitional wildlife range, its proximity to WUI and communities at risk, and ongoing soil erosion and increasingly homogenous vegetation. This project addresses the health, productivity, and resiliency of soil and vegetation resources in the South Creek, Bull Hollow, and Verdure watersheds near Monticello. The proposed treatments will create vegetation density, structures, and ladder fuels closer to historic conditions, thereby restoring the role of fire in the project area and reducing Condition Class from high (3) and moderate (2) to low (1). A creation of mosaic of age classes and structure in the Gambel oak and mountain shrub types will move these stands and the landscape toward properly functioning conditions. Improvement of the quality and productivity of shrub and herbaceous understory vegetation will benefit mule deer and elk range; it will also benefit pollinator habitat. The Shingle Mill Vegetation Management project has several phases and previous funding through WRI (projects #525 and 4860 (Mx). Mechanical pinyon- juniper and ponderosa pine thinning have been accomplished in the area. *ABAJO PEAK (Hx):* The Abajo Peak project effects several partners and interest groups. Primary focus is to reduce negative effects of fire behavior to critical communication infrastructure. The area consists primarily of Engelman Spruce which will be thinned from below to reduce fuels in the area. *MORMON PASTURE MTN(Hx):* The Mormon Pasture Mountain Wildlife Habitat Improvement project has had previous funding through WRI (projects #3003 and 3774). Mechanical (Mx) pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine thinning (Hx) have been accomplished in the area. This proposal covers hand thinning (Hx) on 600 acres of ponderosa pine and mixed conifer habitats. Thinning is planned for summer and fall 2022 along with spring of 2023 (if needed). *LA SAL / ABAJO Rx:* On National Forest lands on the La Sal Mountains there has been a widespread decline in the aspen community type. Loss of aspen has impacts on wildlife habitat quality, forest and watershed health, and the potential for landscape-scale catastrophic wildfire. In the ponderosa pine forest on the Abajos, many stands are overly dense with heavy fuel loads. Prescribed fire is a tool used successfully by the Manti-La Sal National Forest in both forest types to regenerate aspen, improve the structure and diversity of the forest on a landscape scale and move towards a historic disturbance/fire regime. The current proposal is a bundle of 4 prescribed fire projects on the Moab/Monticello District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest. While prescribed fire is a valuable tool, successful implementation depends on favorable weather and fuel moisture conditions. These factors make it difficult to count on implementation for a specific project area in a given year. Therefore, this proposal includes 4 projects together with the intent that 1 or more will be within prescription in FY23 so that we can continue to restore important habitat and watersheds across the Forest on an annual basis. The proposal includes: The Lackey Basin Aspen Restoration project is a prescribed burn in aspen/mixed conifer forest on the South Mountain area on the south side of the La Sal Mountain range. Approximately half of the area was treated with funding from WRI project #2620. North Elk Ridge Forest Health Project includes several types of treatment (including aspen regeneration fencing in WRI projects #3004 and #3773). The current proposal would address health of the ponderosa pine forest component by prescribed burning in previously thinned areas to reduce fuel loading and improve herbaceous/shrub understory production. The Shingle Mill Vegetation Management project also has several phases and previous funding through WRI (project #5527(Rx). * The Willow Basin project has received USFS and previous WRI funding for Mx (Project #1164). This proposal for the last phase of the project covers prescribed burning on 6400 acres of ponderosa pine, 1500 acres of aspen restoration. Burning is planned for fall 2022 and spring of 2023.

*SHINGLE MILL (Mx):* Create a mosaic of vegetation age/seral structure to improve habitat diversity and forage production for wildlife and livestock. Improve the quality and productivity of shrub and herbaceous understory vegetation on important mule deer and elk winter and transition range, and for wild turkeys and other wildlife. Reduce the risk of stand-replacing crown fire within the wildland-urban interface adjacent to private in-holdings and the Forest boundary, including reducing the risk from wildfire to life and property, reducing the risk of damage to vegetation, soil, and watershed resources from wildfire. Increase resistance and resilience of forest and woodland vegetation and watersheds in this landscape to climate related stressors (drought, wildfire, insects, and disease) by encouraging a mosaic of vegetative conditions (species, age, and density). Improve watershed conditions by improving upland vegetation composition and productivity, increasing ground cover and reducing soil and gully erosion. Improve current watershed conditions by installing grade stabilization structures that decrease flow velocities. *ABAJO PEAK (Hx):*Reduce young and older Engelman Spruce through thinning, piling and burning of fuels to reduce the effects of wildfire on communication infrastructure. *MORMON PASTURE MTN(Hx):* Hand thinning (Hx) on 600 acres of ponderosa pine, oak, PJ and mixed conifer habitats to prep the area for broadcast burning. Vegetation will be cut and piled for future burning. *LA SAL / ABAJO Rx:* To accomplish prescribed burning on the Moab/Monticello District. So far several of the units within these projects have been treated either by natural ignitions or prescribed fire. This proposal will carry those areas not burned into FY23. The Lackey Basin aspen restoration Rx (800 acres) remains the priority to treat. If it is not burned in spring 2022, it will be attempted again in FY23. As a stand-replacing fire in aspen/mixed conifer forest to stimulate aspen regeneration, it is more difficult to get into prescription than the ponderosa pine burns. Therefore if Lackey Basin is not available to burn during FY23, the proposal includes treatment in the North Elk Ridge, Shingle Mill and Willow Basin projects as backup projects. There are 7000 acres available for prescribed understory fire treatment on North Elk Ridge, 6700 acres on the Shingle Mill project and 300 acres on the Willow Basin project. The project areas are within WRI Conservation Focus Areas due to their importance to watersheds and as wildlife habitats.

*SHINGLE MILL (Mx):* Project focuses on pinyon/juniper removal and oak disturbance as a means to maintain diverse, healthy mountain brush and sagebrush habitats. The herbaceous understory and sagebrush openings are at risk of being lost due to the increasing density of pinyon and juniper trees, overly dense oakbrush and subsequent wildfire. Wildfire may also reach the canopy of the scattered ponderosa pine trees. The summer/transition range has shown declining trends due to a lack of disturbance, fire suppression, drought and over-utilization by wildlife and livestock. As the conditions in these areas decline so does herd health for wildlife and livestock in the area. Additionally, the project area contains water pipes and infrastructure that supply the city of Monticello with drinking water. If there were a fire in the area, it could devastate this infrastructure. *ABAJO PEAK (Hx):*Fuels treatment is needed immediately to protect critical communication infrastructure from unplanned wildfire. *MORMON PASTURE MTN(Hx) and *LA SAL / ABAJO Rx:* The Deer Creek-La Sal Creek watershed on South Mountain was identified by the Manti- La Sal National Forest as a high priority for vegetation treatment projects during the Region 4 watershed assessment process. These watersheds are classified as Fire Regime III (infrequent surface/mixed regimes) rated to be in Condition Class 2 (moderate departure from the natural range of variability of vegetation characteristics, fuel composition, fire frequency, severity and pattern and other associated disturbances). Without disturbance, we are losing more of the aspen component of the forest every year. Prescribed fire in stands where the conifers are replacing the aspen will remove that competition and encourage sprouting of aspen. Stand-replacing fire, even when done under prescribed conditions, does have risks, but the project area was chosen for its natural barriers and the treatments completed in Lackey Basin phase I and II have reduced the risk of escaped fire. The ponderosa pine stands in the Mormon Pasture Mountain, North Elk Ridge, Willow Basin and Shingle Mill project areas are Fire Regime I (frequent surface/mixed regime) in Condition Class 2 and 3 (high departure). There is a risk of losing key ecosystem components (e.g. native species, large legacy trees, negative impacts to soil) to landscape- scale wildfire if the forest is kept in the present condition. The Manti-La Sal National Forest conducts ponderosa pine prescribed burning on an annual basis, and the potential risk or adverse effects from these treatments are very low.

*SHINGLE MILL (Mx) and MORMON PASTURE MTN(Hx): 1.*The project is consistent with the Standards and Guidelines of the Manti-La Sal Forest Land and Resource Management Plan of 1986, as amended. *Minimize hazards from wildfire - Reduce fuel loading, stand and crown/canopy density, and resultant fire hazard to vegetation, the public, private property, and firefighters (LRMP III-5). *Maintain/improve habitat capability through direct treatment of vegetation (LRMP III-23). *Provide habitat needs for deer and elk (LRMP III-19), especially improving the cover: forage ratio. *The Utah Fire Amendment has a goal to reduce hazard fuels. The full range of fuel reduction methods is authorized, consistent with forest and management area emphasis and direction. *Certain vegetative types are to be managed such that varying successional stages will be present to provide for a high level of vegetative diversity and productivity (III-2). Pinyon-juniper stands on gentle slopes and on lands with good soils will be treated periodically to maintain early successional stages (III-8). Intensive management practices would maintain structural diversity within the woody species in at least 25 percent of the area covered by the Gambel oak and mountain shrub type. 2. National Fire Plan *Designed to manage the potential impacts of wildland fire to communities and ecosystems and to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildland fire *The NFP focuses on strategies for improving fire preparedness, restoring and rehabilitating burned areas, reducing hazardous fuels, assisting communities, and identifying research needs 3. San Juan County CWPP The CWPP highlights the Shingle Mill project area as a high priority for fuel reduction need. 4. San Juan County Resource Management Plan Objectives and policies from the county plan include: *Forests, woodlands, rangelands, watersheds, and habitats are healthy and resilient and are managed for multiple use. *Support the use of various vegetation manipulation tools (such as mechanical, chemical, biological, prescribed and controlled wildland fire and livestock grazing) to enhance production of wildlife and livestock habitat and forage and improve watershed and water quality conditions on woodland areas with potential for improved ecological condition. *Actively manage forests and woodlands to reduce the potential for catastrophic wildfire. *Impacts of wildfire on the health, safety and property of county residents as well as valuable natural and cultural resources are prevented or minimized. *Use fuel reduction techniques such as conifer reduction, grazing, prescribed fire, chemical, biological, and mechanical treatments appropriate for site characteristics. *Support land management practices that contribute to or maintain healthy watershed conditions. *Support the implementation of rangeland improvement projects including brush control, seeding projects, pinion and juniper removal, noxious and invasive weed control, and livestock water developments. 5. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule Deer 20194-2024 *Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range. *Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat ... being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. *Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. 6. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Elk 2015-2022 *Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. *Coordinate with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize elk habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration. *Manage portions of forests in early successional stages through the use of controlled burning. 7. Deer Herd Unit Management Plan Deer Herd Unit #13 La Sal and #14 San Juan September 2020 *Improve, protect and restore summer and winter ranges such as aspen and sagebrush steppe communities. *Reduce expansion of pinyon-juniper woodlands into sagebrush habitats and improve habitats dominated by pinyon-juniper woodlands with habitat restoration projects. 8. Elk Herd Unit Management Plan Elk Herd Unit #13 La Sal and #14 San Juan August 2016 * Maintain and improve winter foraging areas through browse regeneration and pinyon-juniper removal projects. 9. Utah Wildlife Action Plan Gambel Oak and mountain sagebrush are Key Habitats in the 2015-2025 Plan Recommendations to improve condition include: *Promoting policies and management that allow fire to return to a more natural regime. *Promoting and funding restoration that reduces the uncharacteristic class, including cutting mulching of invading pinyon and juniper trees, and herbicide or mechanical treatment. *single tree mulching/cutting invading conifer in the mountain sagebrush type. 10. Montezuma Creek and Lower San Juan-Four Corners Watershed Coordinated Resource Management Plan The Shingle Mill project is part of the watershed implementation strategy in the watershed plan. The project addresses several specific resource concerns regarding soil and vegetation and follows recommendations to thin/masticate pinyon-juniper and reduce gambel oak. 11. Utah's Wild Turkey Management Plan *The plan objective is to maintain and improve wild turkey populations. One of the strategies identified to reach this objective is to do habitat projects. *Increase habitat quantity and quality for turkeys by 40,000 acres statewide. This project will help to achieve this by increasing herbaceous foraging habitat for turkeys *ABAJO PEAK (Hx): Manti-La Sal Forest Land and Resource Management Plan *Provide a level of protection from wildfire that is cost effective and meets objectives of the management unit, considering the value of the resources threatened by fire. *Maintain fuel conditions which permit fire suppression forces to meet protection objectives for the management unit (communication site). *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* 1. Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (1986) The 4 projects have been reviewed for compliance with the Forest Plan, and meet specific direction in the Plan to manage aspen and ponderosa pine, and improve wildlife habitat. * Manage aspen with commercial or noncommercial treatments to maintain or increase the percent of the Forest in the aspen type (III-2) * Provide an optimum cover: forage ratio for deer and elk habitat (III-19) * Maintain/improve habitat and habitat diversity for populations of existing wildlife species (III-22) * Manage aspen at the ecological stage that provides high herbaceous yield and cover (III-65) * Provide for timber stand improvement, reforestation and wildlife habitat improvement (III-25) 2. Conservation Strategy and Agreement for the Management of Northern Goshawk Habitat in Utah (1998) The project areas provide nesting habitat for northern goshawks. Surveys have been conducted following Forest Plan protocols. There are no active territories within the areas proposed for treatment in this phase of the project. * Manage for diverse forest cover types with strong representation of early seral tree species 3. The projects meet habitat management objectives in the DWR deer and elk statewide and herd management plans (identified under the Shingle Mill project), specifically objectives to improve, protect, and restore summer range habitats, such as aspen. Habitat projects that promote aspen and forb communities as well as a diverse age structure of the forest are recommended * Cooperate with land management agencies in carrying out habitat improvements such as ...controlled burns. * Seek opportunities through WRI to improve aspen communities that provide crucial summer fawning and calving habitat * Manage portions of aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages 4. Utah Black Bear Management Plan (2011) * Seek to prevent the loss of occupied and suitable unoccupied bear habitat and to improve existing bear habitat through 2023 * Target areas for habitat improvement projects that would benefit bears and other wildlife associated with aspen and hard and soft mast-producing communities 5. Utah Partners in Flight Avian Conservation Strategy (2002) * For Lewis's woodpecker, encourage prescribed burns to open the understory of ponderosa pine and mixed conifer habitats * For three-toed woodpecker, aspen should be maintained throughout the landscape to provide nesting sites 6. Wildlife Action Plan (2015) * Lewis's woodpecker - Reduce threat from inappropriate fire frequency and severity * Apply more fire in habitats/locations where fire was historically more frequent or intense * Reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings * Band-tailed pigeon have been documented in the project areas (Utah Natural Heritage database), and would benefit from treatments that increase shrub diversity and productivity (acorns, berries) over the long term (Keppie and Braun 2000) *For aspen habitats, aA good strategy for management may include the following elements: * Increasing disturbance from either prescribed or natural fire. 7. USFS Watershed Assessment (2010) The projects meet the following objectives from the Forests watershed assessment: * Use prescribed burning of aspen as a restoration opportunity in the Deer Creek-La Sal watershed * Treat vegetation to reduce fire hazard in the Stevens Canyon-North Cottonwood priority watershed. *Willow Basin Rx:* The project meets objectives of the above plans, as well as the 8. Grand County Resource Management Plan which supports federal agencies in vegetative management treatments in forested cover types that provide for a full range of seral stages which achieve a mosaic of habitat conditions and diversity and supports the removal of conifers as deemed appropriate.

*SHINGLE MILL (Mx):* The project area is located on the east side of the Abajo Mountains above the town of Monticello. It is located within the Monticello city municipal watershed and WUI (wildland-urban interface) area. Private property borders the 10,676 acre USFS project area. In 2018 the Southeast Catastrophic fire committee classified the Shingle Mill area as one of the top priority areas to focus efforts in addressing high fire risk and intensity. According to UWRAP (Utah Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal), the Phase 3 treatment area ranges from moderate to high wildfire risk and threat severity. The area is primarily Fire Regime III and Condition Class 2, with a moderate departure from historical conditions. The historical conditions were mostly sagebrush, grasses and other shrubs. Climatic change, fire suppression and other factors have led to pinyon, juniper and Gambel oak encroachment in these areas. Fuels in the current state pose a hazard to fire personnel, private citizens, agricultural land and animals, structures, and infrastructure. Within the project area, there are pipeline and collection structures for Monticello's culinary water system. A fire in the area would pose a significant threat to these structures and therefore water sources for the city. Vegetation treatment will create vegetation density, structures, and ladder fuels closer to historic conditions; thereby restoring the role of fire in the project area and reducing Condition Class to low (1) in this area adjacent to the private inholdings and the Forest boundary. This will make it safer for firefighters to manage an unplanned ignition within this area. Treatment will also reduce risk to two communities: Monticello, approx. 2 aerial miles away from nearest treatment area, Blue Mountain Ranch and homes in Verdure Creek approx. 0.5 aerial miles from nearest treatment area, permanent infrastructure (including power lines and water collection), Monticello city watershed, dispersed and developed recreation sites, and critical wildlife habitat. Treatment will create a mosaic of age classes and structure in the Gambel oak and mountain shrub types, moving these stands and the landscape toward historic and properly functioning conditions. *ABAJO PEAK (Hx):* The project area is located within the Monticello city municipal watershed and would protect communication infrastructure. MORMON PASTURE MTN(Hx): andLA SAL / ABAJO RX:* The treatments in this proposal would reduce fuel loads and the continuity of vegetative crown and ladder fuels, serving to modify fire behavior, reduce fire intensity and therefore reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and damage to natural and cultural resources. In addition, these treatments would build resistance to climate related stressors (drought, wildfire, insects and disease) and increase the adaptive capacity of the ecosystem. The treatments will encourage a mosaic of vegetative conditions (species, age, density), help restore fire occurrence to historic intervals and intensity, and promote improved health of forest stands. The Shingle Mill and Willow Basin treatmentsreduce hazardous fuels in WUI areas. The other treatments would not directly impact WUI areas or communities at risk, but the Lackey Basin/South Mountain area and La Sal Creek are an important watershed for the community of La Sal. Reducing the risk of unplanned wildfire in this area is beneficial to residents, firefighters, irrigators and recreationalists. The project areas on North Elk Ridge are more remote, although the Forest Service Guard Station at Gooseberry is in the middle of the project area. All of the areas are important wildlife habitat for big game, bears, wild turkey, raptors and migratory birds. Treatments to restore fire regimes in forested habitats will benefit species such as Lewis woodpecker, Allen's big-eared bat, flammulated owl, olive-sided flycatcher and mountain cottontail.

*SHINGLE MILL (Mx):* This project area contains several drainages with significant amounts of erosion. Because the project area has steep gradient slopes and erosive soils; gullying, rilling, and piping is extensive in many drainages. These erosive processes have a negative impact on adjacent vegetation and water features as the water table is receding. Additionally, as a result of the erosive processes, sedimentation will only increase into watersheds downstream thereby affecting water quality/quantity and habitat. Pinyon-juniper encroachment results in increased soil erosion. By removing pinyon-juniper and deciduous shrubs and creating mosaics of diverse age classes and structure, as well as establishing grasses and forbs, water will more readily infiltrate the soil and remain in the system. Dense tracts of pinyon-juniper are a big concern for stand replacing wildfire, which tends to sterilize soil and cause hydrophobic soil. Removing sections of trees will help to slow down fire spread and intensity, and help to prevent invasive species like cheatgrass from establishing post-fire. These vegetation treatments will essentially replace the function of fire in the ecosystem and help maintain watershed health. 1. The project is designed to increase percent effective ground cover directly from the mastication process, thereby reducing soil loss via overland flow and/or rilling. 2. By removing fuels, we also reduce the risk of a severe, large scale wildfire which would result in hydrophobicity in the soils, decreased infiltration, and increased runoff. 3. Because there will be a lack of competition for water and sunlight, herbaceous vegetation will establish where juniper was once dominant. Herbaceous vegetation along with mulch from the mastication will slow overland flow velocities and be better suited to retain moisture. 4. By installing sediment retention and grade stabilization structures in areas of gullying, we will slow flow velocities and capture sediment that will subsequently fill in incisions and headcuts over time. By filling the gully incisions, we will increase the elevational profile or baseflow capacity of the water table, thereby increasing water quantity. Once incisions trend upwards towards becoming stable, herbaceous vegetation will establish in the filled voids; this will indirectly decrease sediment loads during high-flow events and result in increased water quality. MORMON PASTURE MTN(Hx) and LA SAL/ABAJO RX:* All of the project areas are in priority watersheds identified for treatment in the Forest Watershed Assessment. The overall purpose of the Lackey Basin project in the La Sal Creek watershed is to move aspen forests to a more healthy condition -- meaning all characteristics of the aspen ecosystem, while dynamic, mimic historic conditions and are resilient or able to sustain natural disturbances. Aspen forests are also considered a benefit to watershed conditions compared to conifer forest, with studies in Utah documenting higher snow water equivalents and greater potential water yield (Burke and Kasahara 2011, LaMalfa and Ryle 2008). These treatments also have the objective of reintroducing fire to the ponderosa pine forest in the area, moving towards more natural conditions and reducing the risk of unplanned, severe wildfire in the aspen, aspen/mixed conifer, and ponderosa pine stands in the project areas. While high severity wildfire has adverse effects to soil such as water repellency and increased erosion, low severity fires themselves have little effect on hydrologic functions but may result in increases in streamflow from the watershed (Neary et al 2005). Treatments in the Stevens Canyon/North Cottonwood watershed would reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, and thereby reduce the risk of adverse effects to soils, including hydrophobicity (a problem to water infiltration especially on sandy soils as in the North Elk Ridge and Mormon Pasture Mountain project areas) and erosion. An improved herbaceous understory post-treatment reduces the potential for run-off and soil loss. Willow Basin is within the EPA-designated Sole Source Aquifer for the Town of Castle valley, and the Shingle Mill project area is part of the area identified in the City of Monticello's Community Wildfire Protection Plan and the Southeastern Utah Regional Wildfire Protection Plan as the city's municipal watershed. As well as contributing water, it includes pipeline and collection structures. A major fire event in these areas could damage municipal watershed values and critical collection systems, therefore the project has been designed and approved under HFRA to reduce the risk to municipal water supplies while securing favorable conditions of water flow, maintaining water quality and soil productivity, and reducing soil erosion and sedimentation. These treatments also have the objective of reintroducing fire to the ponderosa pine forest in the area, moving towards more natural conditions and reducing the risk of unplanned, severe wildfire in the aspen, aspen/mixed conifer, and ponderosa pine stands in the project areas. While high severity wildfire has adverse effects to soil such as water repellency and increased erosion, low severity fires themselves have little effect on hydrologic functions but may result in increases in streamflow from the watershed (Neary et al 2005).

*SHINGLE MILL (Mx):* The Decision Memo for this project was signed June 13, 2019. *ABAJO PEAK (Hx):* Abajo Peak Communications Site Decision Notice was completed in 1997. *MORMON PASTURE MTN(Hx):*Decision Memo signed on February 23, 2016. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* All four projects comply with direction in the Manti-La Sal Forest Plan, and are authorized through the NEPA process. The Lackey Basin Aspen Restoration Project Decision Memo was completed Nov 19, 2012. The North Elk Ridge Forest Health Project EA and Decision Notice/FONSI was completed Nov 18, 2014. The Willow Basin Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project Decision Notice/FONSI was signed Sept 3, 2010.

*SHINGLE MILL (Mx):* Treatments for this phase of the Shingle Mill project will utilize a combination of mechanized bull hog (fecon head) mastication of pinyon/juniper and Gambel oak and hand-thinning with chainsaws to remove encroaching pinyon pine and juniper trees from sage and mountain brush areas. Group selection regeneration treatments will be applied to Gambel oak, serviceberry, and birch leaf mountain-mahogany to regenerate a portion of the mid-aged and mature vegetation to diversify stand structure and provide more palatable plants for wildlife forage. There will be a mosaic of larger oak left to provide forage (acorns) for wildlife, including black bears and turkeys. The treatment of the basal re- sprouting shrubs (oak and other mountain browse) will create diverse age classes, better vigor and increased leader growth for forage for big game. Some areas, particularly the lower elevation portions, may be seeded to enhance understory diversity and production. Thinning and woodland regeneration treatments will emphasize retention of ponderosa pine, pinyon pine, larger mature trees, and clumps/groups of woodland trees. The results of this type of treatment are well-understood and have been successful in similar areas on the Abajo and La Sal Mountains. Erosion control methods will be implemented in the form of 'Rock and Grade Brush Stabilization Structures' via contractual service. There are five main watershed treatment areas within the project area that are either 2nd or 3rd order lotic systems. Within these five treatment areas, it is estimated that we would need five structures in each treatment area. Forest Service personnel would install one-rock check dams, install straw waddles, contour-fell trees or any other method that will reduce headwater erosion in 1st order systems. Portions of the watershed treatment area and areas disturbed by mechanical treatment (~200 acres) will be seeded with native grass and forb species during the mastication treatment and the gully rehab work. The elevation, ground cover and good soils in the remainder of the area are conducive to self-reseeding of grasses and forbs. *ABAJO PEAK (Hx):* Hand-thinning with chainsaws to remove trees up to 16" DBH while leaving the dominant and co-dominant trees at a crown spacing of 20' X 20' in this single species stand. Vegetation < 8" will be piled and burned. *MORMON PASTURE MTN(Hx):* Hand thinning and limbing with chainsaws in ponderosa pine and associated oak/mountain brush stands in preparation for broadcast burning in a later phase. Encroaching pinyon-juniper, Gambel's oak and other mountain shrubs that compete with ponderosa pine trees and provide ladder fuels for fire to climb into tree canopies will be removed. Thinning of non-commercial materials (ponderosa pine less than 9 inches DBH) will be completed to improve the health of individuals and groups of ponderosa pine. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX:* First priority for the funding would be to complete the aspen/mixed conifer prescribed burning in the Lackey Basin project. This treatment is a prescribed fire vegetation regeneration and fuel reduction treatment. The treatment consists of prescribed burning (aerial ignition) within the 1,500 acres remaining to be treated, resulting in 20-50% of the area effectively burned. A mixed severity (moderate to high intensity) prescribed fire will be used to kill aspen ramets and encroaching conifer competition to stimulate root suckering and regenerate aspen in a mosaic within the project area. Only areas of aspen with overtopping or dense understory conifer trees that provide adequate fuel for spread of fire and potential to stimulate aspen suckering will be ignited. These ignition areas should generally occur on slope areas that are 30 percent or greater. This combined with the extent of treatment in the project area should discourage and disperse ungulate browsing allowing adequate numbers of suckers to survive and restock effectively burned areas. Treatment will generally avoid direct ignition of clones that are free of conifer encroachment, are on slopes < 30%, or are in riparian/wetland buffer areas. Fire may spread into these areas naturally, but this spread will not be directly encouraged. Burning of gentle slope (< 30%) could encourage browsing by livestock and wild ungulates. A late spring/summer burn is the expected timing for implementation in aspen regeneration prescribed burn areas. If conditions are not suitable during FY23, the funding would be used to conduct prescribed burning in the Willow Basin, North Elk Ridge and Shingle Mill project areas. The areas ready for prescribed burning have already been thinned, and there are 7,000 acres available for burning on North Elk Ridge, 300 acres at Willow Basin and 6,700 acres on the Shingle Mill project. This burning would be conducted by Forest Service crews on the ground with drip torches or by aerial ignition. These treatments are generally conducted in the spring, but can also occur in the fall if proper conditions exist.

*SHINGLE MILL (Mx):* *Day-to-day monitoring of contract or force account operations will be completed during implementation by a designated Contractor Officer's Representative (C.O.R.) or by a qualified Forestry Technician. *FS Range personnel will monitor for weeds post-treatment. Existing or new weed populations will be treated in accordance with existing noxious weed management decisions. *An interdisciplinary review will be conducted following implementation (within two years) to determine if project objectives have been met and to determine whether implementation of project design features has been effective. *Monitoring of raptor nests in the project area will be continued annually by the USFS. *Photo points will be established (by USFS personnel) to identify pre and post- treatment conditions, as well as long-term monitoring points for future reference. Post-treatment photos will be taken post years 1,3,5. *The interdisciplinary review and post-treatment photos will be uploaded to the WRI database upon completion (in a 2- and 3-year time frame, respectively) years. *Cross-section measurements with photos will be taken of treated gullies and monitored every 1,2,3,4,5,10 years, and will continue every 5 years as needed. Long-term soil and vegetation monitoring plots will be installed in uplands immediately adjacent to treated gullies to track changes in moisture regimes, species composition, and species seral stages. Vegetation monitoring pre and post treatment will also be conducted by USFS personnel for representative sites using line-point intercept protocols. *DWR seasonal will monitor bat use of bat bark that was installed (WRI #4614 ) within the North End/Willow Basin treatment areas to assess bat use of artificial habitat. *ABAJO PEAK (Hx) and *MORMON PASTURE MTN(Hx): *Photo points will be established (by USFS personnel) to identify pre and post- treatment conditions, as well as long-term monitoring points for future reference. Post-treatment photos will be taken post years 1,3,5. *LA SAL / ABAJO RX: *As part of project development, we established aspen regeneration transects in the Lackey Basin project area and collected pre-treatment data. The area has been extensively surveyed for northern goshawks, and surveys will continue in relation to this and other projects in the area. The Decision Memo authorizing the project has a detailed Monitoring Plan, which includes implementation monitoring and effectiveness monitoring with silvicultural stocking surveys, aspen regeneration transects (trees/acre and level of browsing) and photo points. Other monitoring includes soil assessments at 1-2 years post-treatment and annual weed monitoring on roads and trails in the project area. On North Elk Ridge, Shingle Mill and Willow Basin there would be implementation and effectiveness monitoring associated with prescribed burning/fuels treatment. This type of monitoring involves photo points pre- and post-treatment. There are Abert's squirrel density plots in the North Elk Ridge project area which are read annually by Forest Service personnel. Pre and post photos of areas that represent the treatment and areas that are successfully burned or treated will posted to the WRI project site.

*SHINGLE MILL (Mx):* The Shingle Mill Vegetation Management Project is in an area important to San Juan County and the City of Monticello for watershed, wildlife habitat and recreation. Partners for the current phase of the project include the USFS, NRCS (representing the adjacent private landowner), FFSL, DWR and the livestock permittee. There is high interest in this project from local sportsmen groups, who funded the original archaeology surveys in the early days of UPCD/WRI. All partners shared in the planning and writing of this project and grant submission. Rangeland, fire and wildlife factors on private property were represented by NRCS, FFSL, and DWR respectively, while USFS represented fire and vegetation and planning on the federal side. *ABAJO PEAK (Hx):* FFSL and the Abajo Peak Communications Group have contributed to design and implementation of this project. *MORMON PASTURE MTN(Hx):* The project was originally proposed by DWR to improve habitat for elk. *LA SAL/ABAJO RX:* There is significant interest in these projects from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Forestry Fire and State Lands (FFSL) and local sportsman groups. The Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI) has already contributed to previous phases of these projects. The affected livestock permittees have also been engaged in the successful implementation of previous phases of these projects. FFSL is working with us to conduct prescribed fire and other treatments across agency boundaries on the Shingle Mill and Willow Basin Projects.

All of the areas being treated are federal lands managed for multiple use. The area will continue to be managed for uses such as grazing, recreation including hunting, wildlife habitat and overall ecosystem health. Mechanical treatments as well as prescribed fire will continue to be a way to maintain diverse age classes and vegetation communities. The mountain brush and forested treatment areas have an adequate herbaceous understory component and few invasive weeds, so the need for seeding is not anticipated in this phase. Treatment areas in Shingle Mill will be evaluated to determine if additional work is needed to successfully improve the watershed No changes to livestock management are planned at this time, but utilization and trend monitoring will continue and adaptive management will be applied if required. Options available for grazing management include changes in length, timing or season of use, number of livestock, placement of salt and nutritional supplements, temporary electric fence or rest. On North Elk Ridge, the project area is in non-use status relative to livestock grazing, which may be continued for several more years. Aspen restoration treatments (fencing, cutting, prescribed fire) will continue, as will additional ponderosa pine thinning and underburning in the 17,740 acre project area. The North Elk Ridge Forest Health Project Decision Notice authorizes one maintenance underburn following initial treatments at a 5-10 year interval to maintain fuels at low levels and restore historic fire regimes.

The Shingle Mill Phase 3 project would decrease the amount of woody vegetation (especially pinyon-juniper, oak) on portions of the North Creek and Lakes/South Peak cattle allotments. This will lead to increased production of grasses and forbs on up to 800 acres. The prescribed fire treatments will also improve herbaceous forage production in the understory of the aspen/mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forests. Although most areas are currently lightly used by livestock, they are within open allotments and have the potential to support additional use or be used as a grass bank. At Lackey Basin, use by livestock will be discouraged until aspen sprouts are tall enough to withstand grazing (6 ft tall and 2" DBH). Treatments in ponderosa pine forests (North Elk Ridge, Willow Basin, Mormon Pasture Mountain and Shingle Mill) are designed to improve timber stand conditions, growth and resiliency. All treatments will increase vegetation diversity and productivity in important wildlife habitats and enhance accessibility of the areas for hunting and recreation. The La Sal and Abajo/Elk Ridge deer herds remain below population objectives, and these vegetation treatments are expected to improve habitat conditions in the crucial summer ranges.

09/01/2023

11/15/2023

2024

Approximately 245 acres were masticated through DWR contract. Contractor started and completed the work in fall of 2023. No RX burn occurred on this phase, but some had been completed prior.

Approximately $166K of Shared Stewardship funding was put into agreement with DWR to masticate approximately 375 acres in the Shingle Mill Drainage west of Monticello. Acreage was reduced slightly by USFS district biologist and bids came in at lower than anticipated. Approximately $76,930 was utilized in contract to masticate 245 acres. This mastication reduced the ladder fuels reducing the threat of catastrophic fire. This phase also opened up ponderosa pine stands to improve wildlife habitat and will facilitate future prescribed burning.

Prescribed burning will be utilized in future phases to continue to reduce the threat of catastrophic fire as well as improve watershed health and wildlife habitat. RX is planned for as early as fall 2024.