Past management on the Forest including fire exclusion, have led to a wider distribution of mid to late successional vegetation and increased fuel loadings across the project area and surrounding landscape. Fire modeling predicts wildfires in the project area are likely to be uncharacteristically large and undesirably high in severity. This project is designed to reduce fire risk to life safety, property, watersheds, and natural resources by restoring resilience and sustainability to a fire dependent ecosystem through the proposed activities. Identified needs from the Upper Valley Landscape Improvement Project (UVLIP) include: * Reduce wildfire hazard * Improve forest health * Improve Forest resiliency * Stream Stabilization * Create new water sources to improve wildlife habitat and range resources A specific need for this portion of the UVLIP is to begin implementation and establish a working relation with partners to accomplish this specific project and future projects.

Thin excess vegetation and to improve and maintain desirable forest and woodland conditions such as growth rates, vigor, stocking, structure, species and age diversity. * Lessen risk of stand replacing fire by reducing ground and ladder fuels. * Reduce risk of fires on the Forest moving to private lands and damaging private structures and facilities, and conversely, to lessen the risk of fires on private land moving to the Forest. * Improve and maintain wildlife habitat and range resources.

Project area is at risk of uncharacteristically large and severe wildfire and is at risk of wide spread unwanted fire effects that may have negative effects on forest, wildlife, range and cultural resources, water quality, and public safety.

Project is consistent with the Dixie National Forests Land Resource Management Plan and is consistent with required associated management plans. Project also supports Habitat Restoration goals in the Boulder Mule deer and Elk Unit management plans.

Area has been modeled using local information that indicates high probabilities of undesired fire effects. Modeling indicates there is a high likelihood of flame lengths ranging from 4 foot through 20 plus feet and the likely fire type is crown fire when modeled at the average fire season 50th percentile weather and greater.

Project has been designed to avoid impacts to area intermittent streams. Treatments are designed to reduce risk of uncharacteristic wildland fire and resultant second order fire effects impacts to water resources.

The Upper Valley Landscape Improvement Project decision was completed and signed on October 25, 2017.

Hand treatments will be used to thin, prune, and pile the live and dead vegetation. Retained trees will be limbed up to 6 ft high and surface materials (slash) less than 6 inches diameter will be hand piled. Burning will be used to remove generated piles. Lop and scatter will be used to thin and prune live and dead vegetation. Areas will subsequently be broadcast burned to achieve the desired 5-10 tons per acre fuel loading.

This contract will be monitored as specified within the WRI contract through completion of hand thinning contract. This project will follow the monitoring schedule established in the decision document for implementation activities.

UTDWR, UTFFSL, USFS

Following this project, this area is planned to be broadcast under burned to further reduce the potential for unwanted wildfire and to restore fire into a fire dependent ecosystem as a natural disturbance that maintains and/or increases resiliency and sustainability of the area.

Prescribed burning will reduce the uncharacteristic accumulations of surface litter which will enable grass-forbs production resulting in increased forage availability and encourage ungulate dispersion.