The need of the project is to prevent new weed establishment and mitigate the reestablishment of existing weeds in areas where mastication/bullhog treatments have occurred. Weed infestations can invade native plant communities and reduce the available forage/habitat to big game and livestock. The inventory will identify the noxious/invasive weed locations within the treatment areas. A herbicide treatment will follow the inventory. The Utah Migration data was used to locate areas within the project area that has been utilized by big game. The data points received from the collared animals have shown summer and winter use in the area.

The objectives for the project include; re-treating infestations on Monument Ridge, complete an inventory and map weeds in areas previously treated with a mastication/bullhog on the eastern side of the Book cliffs, spot treat weeds in the areas identified with the inventory. Overall this project would reduce invasive/noxious weeds within the project area.

Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity: This threat has been identified for elk, bison, deer and sage-steppe habitat types. This project addresses this threat by reducing invasive/noxious weed infestations within the project area. If left untreated this area will be vulnerable to an increase of noxious/invasive weed expansion into native communities. The increase in invasive species can lead to an increase in fire frequency, which means the area could burn more often. An increase in frequency would impact the plant community and the associated species, as well as the soils. Problematic Plant Species and Invasive Plant Species Non-Native - The threat would be to allow the invasive/noxious plant species to invade native plant communities. The project will address the threat by reducing the noxious/invasive weeds within the project area. The inventory will identify known weeds within the area, which will be treated with a herbicide. Treating weeds now will help reduce the threat of the infestations expanding into native communities.

BLM Weed Management EA - treat weeds. The Utah Elk Statewide Management Plan has the following applicable objectives and strategies: Habitat Objective 2, strategy d -- Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve elk habitat with emphasis on calving habitat and winter ranges. The Vernal RMP ROD directs that vegetation should be managed to attain an ecological stage that will benefit wildlife, livestock grazing, livestock use, and ensure high species diversity. Utah Mule Deer Plan lists cheatgrass (annual grass) as a threat to mule deer habitat. Wildlife Action Plan - continue to use appropriate methods for reducing the spread and dominance of invasive weeds and annual grasses. The Vernal BLM Fire Management Plan for the Upper Book Cliffs aims to achieve a desired mix of seral stages for all major vegetative types. This project will protect diversity of vegetative types in the area. Uintah County Weed Department/Utah Noxious Weed Act - treat weeds. The Uintah County Resource Management Plan has the following applicable objectives: Encourage management of forest resources to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires and manage lands to maintain or increase forage allocation for livestock grazing.

The project is targeted to inventory and treat noxious and invasive species within the project area which is made up of areas that were previously treated using a mastication/bullhog. Invasive annual grasses can alter natural fire cycles by increasing the fire frequencies, often resulting in shrublands being converted to annual grasslands. Noxious weeds may continue to spread with increased fire frequency. Over time native plant communities can be replaced by noxious and invasive weeds. The inventory and spot treatment of noxious weeds will further reduce the threat of weed spread throughout the burn area.

Invasive and noxious species lead to more frequent fires which result in more soil erosion. Many noxious weeds utilize a large amount of water. They also release toxins into the soil that inhibit growth of other plants, which can also reduce the water quality. The inventory/treatment should reduce the spread of weeds and decrease the fire frequency which will improve soil stability while increasing the water quality and quantity at a local scale. The project area was previously treated using a masticator/bullhog machine. The original treatments reduced conifers, which reduced competition for water by increasing soil moisture. The bullhog spread woody debris on the surface which reduced impacts to the soil from erosion.

Pesticide Use Permits (PUPS) would be completed by the BLM before any herbicide treatments occur. The Nepa for the project has already been completed and will be covered under the Vernal Weed Management Ea. If infestations are documented on the SITLA lands, coordination for the herbicide treatment would occur before it's implemented.

The weed inventory would be completed by foot crews with a GPS unit. Each plant would be mapped and identified. The weed inventory would take place before any herbicide treatment. Different methods may be utilized for the herbicide treatments, depending on the data collected during the inventory - Aerial, truck mounted boom spray, utv mounted sprayers, or back pack sprayers.

A weed inventory, including GPS points, will be recorded prior to treatment. After the weeds are mapped, spot spraying will occur. The treatment areas will be monitored and retreated if necessary. The inventory data will be uploaded into the WRI database.

Partners would include UDWR and BLM for contracting and funding. If infestations are found on SITLA , coordination will take place before the areas are treated with herbicide.

The area will continue to be monitored for future treatments. Multiple treatments may be utilized to treat the inventory areas. For example, a aerial application of plateau may be used for areas identified with cheatgrass and spot spray with back packs may be used for bull thistle infestations. Follow up treatments which include cheatgrass treatments, continued spot treatment of noxious weeds and seeding may be needed if monitoring determines it's necessary.

Treatments of Noxious and Invasive weeds will improve the over all health of the ecosystem; improving habitat conditions and increasing forage for livestock and wildlife. Overall, the forage for livestock and wildlife will be improved if weeds are treated. The area is also used for recreational uses such as wildlife viewing and hunting. No grazing rest will be required for the weed treatments.

07/01/2023

06/30/2025

2025

Weed inventory for 4,365 acres (affected area on map) was contracted to Frontier Resources. A final invoice was received on June 24, 2024. Spot spraying for 6,472 acres was contracted to Dewey Brothers Vegetation Management. Work began on May 5, 2025 and a final invoice was received on June 25, 2025.

This was a re-treatment of Monument Ridge which was previously treated for Thistle in 2021. The summer of 2021 was very dry and the bull thistle didn't grow until late summer when the area received precipitation. The first phase of the treatment occurred in May - June in 2021. This second phase is a re-treatment of the area for bull thistle. We also completed a weed survey and spot herbicide treatment in some previously masticated areas.

With all the moisture in the winter of 2023, thistle in the bullhogs in and around Indian Springs and Augusi became infested. Treatment in June of 2025 was successful at reducing thistle, but it is still present in large densities. The BLM plans on treating this area again in 2026.