The project area is significantly impacted by a past mountain pine beetle epidemic that resulted in 60-90% mortality of lodgepole pines. The dead trees are beginning to fall over and are significantly increasing surface fuel loads and the risk of a large high-intensity/severity fire. Prescribed fire and mechanical treatments would provide wildlife habitat improvement, reduce fuel loads, increase forest health, and provide fire management personnel options in the event of a wildfire.

1. Improve habitat for big game that are dependent on aspen ecosystems. 2. Manage the risk of hazardous fuel accumulations to minimize the potential for large, high-intensity/severity wildfires. Utilize fire and mechanical treatments to increase aspen regeneration and reduce conifer encroachment. 3. Create fuel breaks and other control features that tie into surrounding treatments (Roughneck Veg Project, Burnt-Beaver Fuels Project, Bear River Fuels Project), providing fire management personnel options in the event of a wildfire.

A no action management alternative would result in a continued aspen decline in the project area. If the project was delayed, existing aspen-enchroached stands may cross a threshold where conifers would dominate and further reduce the overall North Slope aspen population. As conifers become more dominant, canopy closure increases and understory plant species richness and diversity would decline creating a loss of forage production for wildlife. Soil moisture would also decrease as conifers increase because the conifer needles and branches would intercept precipitation before reaching the forest floor causing precipitation to evaporate into the atmosphere. Aspen to conifer succession is a concern for the North Slope. Aspens are clonal and need disturbance (e.g. wildfire) to initiate sprouting. Aspen is more successful over the long-term when fire intervals are short enough to regenerate aspen. If treatments are not implemented, conifers in existing aspen-conifer stands will shade out and out compete aspens. When a disturbance does occur, creating a possible scenario for aspens to sprout, conifers would have a stronghold making it difficult for aspen re-establish. In areas dominated by conifer, if a wildfire were to occur prior to fuel reduction treatments, the probability of large high-intensity/severity wildfire are high. A high-intensity/severity fire would likely kill the remaining seed sources and advanced regeneration that now exist across the burned area. This would result in large areas of previously forested land that would require costly reforestation efforts.

1. 2003 Wasatch-Cache Forest Plan: - (Subgoal 3d) Restore or maintain fire-adapted ecosystems (consistent with land uses, historic fire regimes, and other Forest Plan direction) through wildland fire use, prescribed fire, timber harvest or mechanical treatments. -(G24) Management activities that negatively affect pollinators (e.g. insecticide, herbicide application and prescribed burns) should not be conducted during the flowering period of any known Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive plant populations in the application area. An exception to this guideline is the application of Bacillus thuringiensis. - (G37) Use prescribed fire in wilderness only to meet wilderness management objectives. The objective of prescribed fire management in wilderness (FSM 2324.21) is to reduce, to an acceptable level, the risks and consequences of wildfire within wilderness or escaping from wilderness. - (G3.1W-1) Vegetation/fuel treatment, prescribed fire, and wildland fire use are allowed for the purposes of maintaining, improving or restoring watersheds to desired conditions, and to protect property in the wildland urban interface. - (G3.2U-1) Vegetation/fuel treatment, prescribed fire and wildland fire use are allowed for the purposes of maintaining, improving or restoring terrestrial habitat, for hazardous fuel reduction, and to protect property in the wildland urban interface. - (G4.2-1) Vegetation/fuels treatment, prescribed fire, and wildland fire use are allowed to mimic historic conditions and to restore ecosystem functioning. - (G4.3-1) Timber harvest, vegetation/fuels treatment, road construction, prescribed fire and wildland fire use are allowed to mimic historic conditions and to restore ecosystem functioning as compatible with the backcountry recreation opportunity and natural setting desired. - (G4.5-1) Timber harvest, road construction, vegetation/fuel treatment, prescribed fire, new recreation development, and new trail construction are allowed for the purposes of providing public enjoyment, safety, and protection of site investments. - (G5.2-) Prior to use of prescribed fire and wildland fire use, investments made for timber production, such as road systems and silvicultural improvements, and the value of the timber for wood production receive consideration. - (G6.2 -1) Timber harvest, vegetation/fuels treatments, prescribed fire, and wildland fire use are allowed to maintain or improve forage production or for hazardous fuel reduction. -(Objective 3.b.) Stimulate aspen regeneration and reduce other encroaching woody species in aspen by treating (fire use and/or timber harvest) approximately 3,200 acres average annually for a 10- year total of 32,000 acres. - Vegetation cover types will form a mosaic of plant communities representing a diverse mix of ages, sizes, and species. Fire use will play a role in reducing fuels, maintaining the historic dynamic of aspen regeneration and ratio of conifer to aspen and mountain brush vegetation patterns and age classes. Mechanical treatment of fuels along with limited use of prescribed fire will emphasize the safety of people and protection of property in the heavily populated and increasingly developed urban wildland interface adjacent to National Forest. 2. 2001 Roadless Rule: -Prohibits cutting, sale, and removal of timber in inventoried roadless areas, except: -For the cutting, sale, or removal of generally small diameter trees which maintains or improves roadless characteristics and to: -improve habitat for threatened, endangered, proposed, or sensitive species, or -maintain or restore ecosystem composition and structure, such as reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire effects. 3. Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan: -Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat in ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into aspen habitats. -Seek opportunities through WRI to improve aspen communities that provide crucial summer habitat for mule deer. -Encourage land managers to manage portions of aspen/conifer forest in early successional stages using various methods including timber harvest and managed fire. -North Slope is a habitat restoration priority area for mule deer in Utah. 4. Utah Statewide Elk Management Plan -Identify habitat projects on summer range (aspen communities) to improve calving habitat. -Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat -Encourage land managers to manage portions of forests in early successional stages through the use of controlled burning and logging. Controlled burning should only be used in areas with minimal invasive weed and/or safety concerns. 5. Utah Moose Statewide Management Plan: -Initiate prescribed burns and other vegetative treatment projects to improve moose habitat lost to ecological succession or human impacts. 6. Utah Bighorn Sheep Statewide Management Plan: -Encourage land management agencies to use fire as a management tool to improve bighorn sheep habitat. When possible allow fires that can have beneficial effects for bighorn sheep to burn. -Initiate vegetative treatment projects to improve bighorn habitat lost to natural succession or human impacts. 7. Northern Goshawk of Utah: Habitat Assessment and Management Recommendations: -Early and mid-seral species should be increased using both mechanical means and fire. -Polices should be adopted to manage for the production of large early seral species through clearings, thinnings, and weedings, using mechanical means or fire. -Fire or mechanical treatments or both should be used to create conditions favorable to lodgepole pine and quaking aspen. 8. Guidelines for Aspen Regeneration on National Forests in Utah: - Much of the loss of aspen-dominated acreage is attributable to encroachment and overtopping by conifer. It has often been presumed that this encroachment i.e., the natural succession process for seral stands, is the result of fire suppression. 9. Boreal Toad Conservation Plan: -(3.1.1) Protect habitats in forest stands adjacent to and within 2.5 miles of breeding sites. -(3.1.2) Restrict burns to late fall through early spring during which time boreal toads are inactive in known occupied areas. -Burning of downed woody materials approximately 18 to 25 cm DBH is detrimental to boreal toads, because these materials are often selected as beneficial microhabitats. However, fire may eventually result in higher shrub densities in the understory that may provide cover and improved dispersal corridors. 12. Utah Black Bear Management Plan: -Successional replacement of aspen stands by conifers can significantly reduce bear-food production in aspen communities. Both fire and selective logging of conifers can be used to maintain aspen vigor. 13. UDWR Wildlife Action Plan: - While the Aspen-Conifer physical (abiotic) habitat remains largely intact in Utah, coverage of aspen itself within that setting has declined greatly for two main reasons: (1) departure from natural fire regime (reduction in disturbance), resulting in widespread forest succession to conifer dominance; and (2) heavy ungulate browsing on young aspen stems, following disturbance. - The growing problem of catastrophic mega-fires can be solved by a systematic campaign of active restoration via mechanical fuel-reduction treatments and prescribed fire to safely return wildfire as a viable, natural, cost effective means of maintaining necessary patterns of ecological succession across the landscape. - Increasing disturbance from either prescribed or natural fire. Recent studies have shown that larger scale burns (e.g., 5,000 acres) that burn more intensely have been the most successful in terms of aspen regeneration. Higher-intensity burns stimulate higher numbers of young aspen per unit area, than lower intensity burns. A larger treatment area distributes ungulate browse pressure, allowing most young aspen stems to reach a safe height. - Applying mechanical disturbance agents such as timber harvest. This can also be used to stimulate aspen regeneration and avoid or reduce resource losses to conifer beetles. As with fire, larger mechanical treatment areas serve to distribute browsing pressure and reduce damage to individual stems, increasing regeneration success. 14. State of Utah Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy: - Rather than just reducing fires, the ultimate goal is to return landscapes to a condition of health and resilience that allows for wildfires to burn without becoming catastrophic to either human or natural systems. 15. Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Colorado River Cutthroat Trout in the State of Utah -Natural climatic events such as flood, fire and drought may threaten specific populations of Colorado River cutthroat trout (CRCT); however, these forces only pose threats as long as CRCT range remains fragmented and populations are small. Small, isolated populations are more susceptible to catastrophic loss a

The use of prescribed fire on the North Slope has been very limited during the past and most wildfires have been suppressed. According to fire statistics, the number of large wildfires appears to be increasing since 1980. The majority of the project is within fire regime IV (35-100+ years) and V (> 200 years) with a condition class of 2. One of the objectives of this project is to manage hazardous fuel loads, continuity of hazardous fuels, and minimize the potential for large, high intensity/high severity wildfires. This project will help the North Slope move towards properly functioning condition (composition, stand structure, age classes, and patch size). It will promote aspen regeneration and reduce conifer encroachment. Aspens are a more fire wise than conifers since they have a higher moisture content, have a less chemicals, and provide less fuel during their dormant period. Fuel loads would be reduced and aspen regenerated within the Northern and Southern Units covering approximately 31,000 acres. Protected values would include Meeks Cabin Campground, trailheads, the North Slope Road (used as a corridor to access recreational areas), and big game habitat. Reducing hazardous fuels along the road corridor and around recreational areas would mitigate public safety risks should a wildfire occur. Mechanical treatments would allow prescribed burns to be safely implemented by reducing hazardous tree risks and protecting fire personnel from injury during implementation.

Runoff and erosion rates associated with high intensity/severity wildfires are much higher than those associated with prescribed burns. After severe and intense wildfires, soils become hydrophobic increasing runoff and decreasing the soil moisture content in the ecosystem. Runoff introduces large quantities of sediment, ashes, and other chemical contaminants into the river system negatively impacting water quality. Intense/severe wildfires can cause riparian areas to be denuded of vegetation, increase water temperature, decrease dissolved oxygen, and lead to eutrophication and poisoning of aquatic organisms. This project would remedy catastrophic wildfire effects to water quality by using prescribed fire and mechanical treatments to reduce hazardous fuel loads. Eight sub-watersheds (East Fork Bear River, Millcreek-Cottonwood Creek, West Muddy Creek, Blacks Fork-Middle Fork Blacks Fork, Blacks Forks-Meeks Cabin Reservoir, East Fork Blacks Fork, Willow Creek-Yellow Hollow Creek, and West Fork Smiths Fork) would be protected against catastrophic wildfire effects. These systems flow into the Bear and Green Rivers, which is used for recreation and many municipalities along their courses. The project area encompasses several ecological communities e.g. lodgepole pine, aspen, aspen-conifer, spruce-fir, Douglas fir, and the tributaries that that flow through these forest communities.

Archeology clearances will begin during phase I of the project in 2022. Vegetation surveys were completed in 2021. Consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to be complete in 2022. NEPA will be completed before the tentative project start date in 2023. Additional phases of this project would request funds to survey additional areas for archeological resources and for implementation of treatments to restore aspen ecosystems and reduce hazardous fuel loads.

The project area is approximately 71,220 acres (0% wilderness, 4% Private/Other Ownership, 29% Inventoried Roadless Areas, and 67% National Forest System Lands). Treatment methods for future phases of this project would vary by landscape designations. For example, mechanical treatments are not permitted in the wilderness but are in Roadless. Prescribed fire would be used more in Roadless areas, while mechanical treatments would be used more on National Forest System Lands. Treatment methods will be specifically defined in future phase proposal documents. They may include but are not limited to lop and scatter, lop and pile, mastication, commercial timber harvest, chaining, and prescribed burning. Phase I will include hiring a contractor to conduct cultural resource surveys. The number of cultural resource acres surveyed will be a function of the amount awarded through this proposal and the contractor's cost. If needed, additional survey work will be rolled over into future phases of this project.

The purpose of Phase I of this project is to survey the project area in preparation for NEPA and cultural resource compliance. Conservation crews would be hired, trained, and deployed to collect data necessary for NEPA analysis. Monitoring protocol will be designed and conducted before, during, and after future implementation phases of this project. These data will be compared to baseline data that will be collected during Phase I. Future monitoring protocol will likely address understory aspen regeneration/recruitment, ungulate browsing pressure on aspen, prescribed burn results including remaining fuels, and invasive and noxious weeds.

Phase I of this project is to collect survey data. A contractor, likely selected through the Utah Department of Natural Resources, will be hired to conduct cultural resource surveys. The Forest Service Inter-Disciplinary Team has identified several potential future partners for the next phases of this project, which include UDWR, permittees, private landowners, Mule Deer Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Utah's Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office, and Summit County.

This proposal is Phase I of multiple phases. Future phases will implement project restoration efforts. Phases will likely include mechanical treatments such as lop and scatter, commercial timber sales, cut and pile, and prescribed burns. Units may be rested from cattle grazing for one to three years post treatment and pasture rotation may be altered to accommodate aspen establishment efforts. Follow-up treatments may be pursued if initial treatments are deemed unsuccessful. Invasive and noxious weeds may be treated where appropriate and allowable.

Vegetation and fuels treatments will be designed to increase the species and age class diversity of forested lands within the project area. Treatments will increase forest health, improving resistance and resilience to future insects and diseases while reducing risk of uncharacteristic wildfires. In locations where economically and logistically feasible, vegetation and fuels management activities will be conducted as commercial timber sales. Producing forest products and supporting local industries while reducing the amount of material burned or cut-to-waste.

01/06/2023

03/22/2024

2024

The purpose of Anadarko Phase I project was to hire an archeological contractor and conservation crews to inform the Forest Service NEPA project to implement Timber Sales, Fuels treatment and wildlife habitat improvement on aspen restoration project in the central portion of the Evanston-Mountain View Ranger District of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (UWCNF). Contractors were hired during field season 2021. The exams and surveys sampled six different vegetation cover types (aspen, aspen-conifer, mixed conifer, Douglas fir, lodgepole, and sprue-fir) within the greater Anadarko Project area. Boise State: Intermountain Bird Observatory was hired to complete American Goshawk surveys for the entire Anadarko project in the 2023 fields season WRI contracted the cultural resources inventory of the Anadarko I area in January of 2023 with PaleoWest Archaeology, LLC (dba Chronicle Heritage). Cultural resource fieldwork occurred during summer and fall 2023 with reporting completed the following winter. PaleoWest followed Utah USFS (2020) guidelines for identifying, recording, and evaluating archaeological resources in Utah. PaleoWest personnel completed the inventory of the Project area over the course of three field sessions between August 2 and September 6, 2023. The field crew surveyed 3,188.15 ac of the Project area at an intensive-level, Class III effort, where the spacing between crew members never exceeded 15 meters (m). Because of dense vegetation and poor ground surface visibility, 114.15 ac of the Project area were surveyed at a reconnaissance-level, Class II effort. Because of steep slopes within the Project area, 302.82 ac were excluded during the inventory.

The UWCNF, in cooperation with the DWR WRI, proposed to conduct vegetation management on the North Slope of the Uinta Mountains in Summit County, Utah (Project). The proposed Project seeks to improve habitat for big game, restore the aspen ecosystems, increase forest health, reduce hazardous fuel loads, and decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfire. These goals will be achieved with the use of prescribed fire and mechanical treatments. Because these treatments constitute an undertaking under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (36 CFR 800) and Section 9-8-404 of the Utah Code, the USFS and WRI requires a Class III cultural resource inventory of the 3,605.1-ac area to fulfill obligations under federal and state statutes. The USFS and DWR, therefore, contracted PaleoWest to complete this Class III cultural resource inventory. PaleoWest conducted this inventory according to the latest guidelines and standards published by the USFS (2020) and the SHPO (2022). PaleoWest's inventory resulted in the documentation of 68 sites and 33 IFs. Nineteen sites were previously recorded (18 historic period, 1 prehistoric period), and 49 sites are newly discovered historic period sites. PaleoWest recommends 52 sites and all 33 IFs not eligible for listing in the NRHP, and no avoidance or further management is recommended. PaleoWest recommends 15 sites eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, C, and/or D, and one site unevaluated for listing in the NRHP. Project findings were consulted on with the Utah State Historic Preservation Office (UTSHPO) and relevant Tribes. Concurrence on project identification efforts, findings, and treatment recommendations was received from UTSHPO on 3/22/2024 under case 24-0637. WRI funds were extremely helpful in providing the needed crews and contractors to successfully inform the NEPA process. The CSEs provided data to write the silvicultural prescription, which will be used to write the burn plan, treatment plans and contracts. Both of these documents are required before implementation of mechanical and prescribed burns. Without WRI funding and support, the NEPA would not be completed and the project would still be stalled.

PaleoWest's inventory resulted in the documentation of 68 sites and 33 IFs. Nineteen sites were previously recorded (18 historic period, 1 prehistoric period), and 49 sites are newly discovered historic period sites. PaleoWest recommends 52 sites and all 33 IFs not eligible for listing in the NRHP, and no avoidance or further management is recommended. PaleoWest recommends 15 sites eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A, C, and/or D, and one site unevaluated for listing in the NRHP. Hand thinning treatments may occur on NRHP-eligible archaeological sites to protect the aspects that make them eligible. Mechanical and fire treatments should be avoided at NRHP-eligible sites. As a result, the proposed undertaking will have no adverse effect on historic properties. Anadarko 2025 is scheduled to begin this summer/fall through an agreement with Mule Deer Foundation. Anadarko 2025 begins the implementation process of a multi-year project that may span 10 years. Anadarko 2025 will include mechanical treatment, Lop & Scatter, Hand cut and pile, and streamside rehab by girdling standing trees within falling distance of North Fork Mill Creek and letting the trees fall naturally. Later phases will seek funding through WRI, Mule Deer Foundation, and other partners.