The 1995 Issuance of 10-year Term Grazing Permits Environmental Assessment (EA) and associated Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Pine Valley Ranger District cattle allotments approved "mechanical treatments to manipulate vegetation" for non-structural range improvement maintenance. The Holt Canyon portion within the allotments was originally chained and seeded in the 1970s and since, Pinyon and Juniper trees have become re-established within the project area and stand canopies of these species have increased at the expense of understory diverisiy. This phase of the project will involve completing a cultural resources survey to comply with Section 106 and facilitate future treatments.

Project objectives include reducing the amount of encroaching pinyon and juniper trees to help re-establish grass and shrubland communities and encourage vegetation diversity. Doing so will improve water retention and water quality as well as reduce erosion and sediment loading in drainages. This phase of the project will involve completing a cultural resources survey to comply with Section 106 and facilitate future treatments.

As this project is just focused on the cultural resources inventory, there should be no threats or risks to the ecology of the area. Any such threats or risks will be assessed through a separate WRI proposal if WRI funding is sought.

Consistent with the Dixie Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan, 1986 as amended) and the Issuance of 10-Year Term Grazing Permits EA.

The potential for catastrophic wildfire will be reduced due to an overall reduction in available fuels. In addition, it is desired that ecological conditions improve and result in a more fire resistant and resilient landscape, where intense fires are less likely to occur and when fires do occur the landscape is more likely to recover.

There will be no negative effect to flood plains, wetlands, or municipal watersheds in the project area. Improving shrubland and understory vegetation could reduce erosion and potentially improve water quality.

District is in the process of completing a Section 18 NEPA review for analysis adequacy. This action would be consistent with the previous Environmental Assessment as well as the Dixie Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan, 1986 as amended).

Tracked excavator with mastication head and/or wheeled masticator like bullhog or Tigercat. Hand cut with chainsaws and pile and burn aspect to follow up. Tractor (most likely wheeled) pulling a mowing deck for "wet mow" to address rabbitbrush. This current project is focused on the cultural resource inventory that will help inform treatment areas. The planned inventory will be intensive level, with pedestrian transects spaced no more than 15 meters apart. The inventory and all findings will be documented according to USFS cultural resources standards and following Utah SHPO guidance and requirements.

Future monitoring of identified archaeological sites will fall within the Dixie National Forest archaeological monitoring directive.

The project lies within the Shared Stewardship polygon which covers a large portion of the Pine Valley Ranger District.

N/A

Conducting this project will result in improved availability of forage for cattle and create conditions for more sustainable grazing over a larger area.

05/09/2022

03/01/2023

2023

From August 28 to October 17, 2022, EcoPlan Field Supervisors John Curry and Katherine Cera, and archaeologists Connor Christiansen, Elwyn Leibold, and Jason McKellar conducted an intensive pedestrian survey of the project area to locate and record cultural resources. Transects were spaced no more than 15 m apart. Archaeological sites were fully recorded on Utah Archaeology Site Forms (USAFs), and documented with digital photographs of site locations, features, and diagnostic artifacts. Isolated occurrences (IOs) were assigned individual numbers, briefly described, and photographed if diagnostic. Historical linear resources that maintained their historical fabric were recorded within the project area and outward for a distance of 400 m, if possible, as suggested in the Utah Professional Archaeological Council (UPAC) Linear Sites guidelines (UPAC 2008; see below). A handheld Trimble Geo 7X GPS receiver was used to record cultural resources and other project elements.

The Pine Valley Ranger District of the USDA Forest Service, Dixie National Forest, proposes to conduct a vegetation maintenance project within the Holt Canyon area. This area was originally chained and seeded in the 1970s. Through time, pinyon and juniper trees have become re-established within the project area, at the expense of understory diversity. The primary project objective is to reduce the number of encroaching pinyon and juniper trees to help re-establish grass and shrubland communities and encourage vegetation diversity. This will help reduce erosion and improve water retention and water quality. To satisfy state and federal historic preservation legislation, including Utah Code Annotated § 9-8-404 and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) contracted EcoPlan Associates, Inc. (EcoPlan), to conduct a pedestrian survey of 2,098.8 acres of land managed by the Forest Service prior to treatment. The work was completed under USDA Forest Service Permit for Archaeological Investigations No. PNV024601 and Public Lands Policy Coordination Office (PLPCO) Permit No. 72.

Twenty-five previously recorded archaeological sites and 39 new sites were identified and recorded during the survey. Field crews were unable to relocate six sites that had been previously recorded within the survey area. These include 49 prehistoric sites, 11 historic sites, and four sites with both prehistoric and historical period components. Field crews were unable to relocate six sites that had been previously recorded within the survey area. Of the 64 recorded sites, two are recommended as Eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A and 14 are recommended as Eligible under Criterion D. Forty-eight sites are recommended as Not Eligible for listing in the NRHP under any criterion. Thirty-eight IOs were also identified and are described following the site descriptions. Of the 64 recorded sites, two are recommended as Eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criterion A and 14 are recommended as Eligible under Criterion D. Forty-eight sites are recommended as Not Eligible for listing in the NRHP under any criterion. Thirty-eight isolated occurrences were identified and documented. These include 17 prehistoric, and 21 historical IOs. All IOs are recommended as Not Eligible for listing in the NRHP.