There is a lack of forage for livestock and wildlife due to drought and lack of fire. The seed species will compete with cheatgrass.

1) Improve forage conditions for big game, livestock, and wild horses by increasing natural regeneration of shrub, forb, and grass vegetation as ground cover browse. 2) Maintain or improve vegetative diversity and age class structure.

The risk of invasion of cheatgrass and rabbitbrush and loss of sagebrush after a wildfire could further impact critical habitat. However, as with any surface disturbing activity, there is a low potential for weed invasion. Private landowners and Iron County will aggressively treat any noxious weeds in the area if found. Mule Deer are one of Utah's most prized big game species. This project is within the Pine Valley Mule Deer Management Unit, which has been one of most productivity mule deer herds in the state. Managed as a general season unit, the Pine Valley Unit is one of the most sought general season tags in the state. As of recent the survival has decline and is typically associated to malnutrition and coyote predation. Mule deer have benefited for the Duncan Creek treatments completed by the BLM to the southeast. This area is a staple for hunters that prefer to hunt low elevations and in pinyon and juniper. The Pine Valley Pronghorn is strong and increasing to due numerous habitat improvements on private, BLM and SITLA land in the area. Pronghorn provide an excellent limited entry opportunity for many hunters, include many youth hunters. Yoakum et al (2004) found that in Utah, the majority of pronghorn populations occur in shrub-steppe habitat. Large expanses of open, rolling or flat terrain characterize the topography of most occupied habitats. Of particular importance in sustaining pronghorn populations is a forb component in the vegetative mix. This area serves as year-round habitat, which should have provide succulent forbs for lactating females and fawn survival in the spring and early summer noted Ellis and Travis (1975), and High quality browse that is available above the snow level found Yoakum (2004).

The Utah State Wildlife Action Plan 2015-2025 is a comprehensive management plan designed to conserve native species populations and habitats in Utah and prevent the need for additional federal listings. Following the Pine Valley Mule Deer Management: "Coordinate with federal and state partners in designing projects that will improve fire resiliency and protect areas of crucial habitat." "Cooperate with federal land management agencies and private landowners in carrying out habitat improvement projects. Protect deer winter ranges from wildfire by reseeding burned areas, creating fuel breaks and reseed areas dominated by cheatgrass with desirable perennial vegetation." Utah Mule Deer Statewide Plan (12/5/2019-12/5/2024) "Work with local, state and federal land management agencies via land management plans and with private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer habitats, especially fawning, wintering, and migration areas" "Work with local, state and federal land management agencies and ranchers to properly manage livestock to enhance crucial mule deer ranges." "Minimize impacts and recommend mitigation for losses of crucial habitat due to human impacts." "Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah." "Support existing and explore additional incentive programs for landowners that will increase tolerance, enhance habitat, and promote deer populations on private lands such as the CWMU, landowner permit, Walk-In Access programs, etc." Utah Pronghorn Statewide Management Plan *Identify crucial pronghorn habitats and work with public land managers and private landowners to protect and enhance those areas. *Encourage public land managers, permittees, and wildlife biologists to identify areas of potential conflict between livestock and pronghorn and work together to manage conflicts for the benefit of livestock and pronghorn. Utah Wildlife Action Plan *Lowland sagebrush is a key habitat identified in the WAP. *WAP identifies inappropriate fire frequency as a threat to lowland sagebrush. This project will reduce future fire risk and act as a fire buffer to adjacent higher risk areas. Riverine habitat is threaten by Channel Down Cutting that can be related to unhealthy PJ forest and lack of an understory to promote infiltration of moisture into the soil. Iron County Resource Management Plan "To improve range conditions through vegetation treatments and proper management, allowing for an appropriate increase in livestock grazing." "To maintain the AUM's at current levels and encourage increases as range conditions Provide." "Land management agencies shall take actions to control and eradicate harmful and invasive noxious weeds and aggressively treat pinyon-juniper encroachment on habitats which benefit wildlife." "Wildlife habitat and range reseeding projects must employ a mix of desirable native and non-native seeds that optimize forage requirements, range health and productivity."

The potential for more extreme fires will intensify as decant brush increases quickly spreading into PJ. This has been illustrated the recent fire activity in the area. If not for the rapid response of the fire officials these fires would have surely burnt hundreds if not thousands of acres. By reducing stand densities, the possibility for future larger-scale stand replacing fire events will be decreased. An extreme fire event could lead to a loss of crucial habitat/understory vegetation and the potential for a noxious weed infestation. Current FRCC is FR I, CC 2, with moderate departure from the historic range of variability. Fire regimes have been moderately and extensively altered and the risk of losing key ecosystem components from fire is high. This is mainly due to the expansion of pinyon and juniper. Without this project, fuel conditions are such that an unexpected wildfire may become increasingly difficult to contain, leading to an increased risk to firefighter and public safety, suppression effectiveness and natural resource degradation such as loss of important mule deer habitat. This is immediately adjacent to the Antelope Fire from 2021 see WRI 5869.

Completion of this project would reduce flooding and runoff from heavy rainstorms by depositing woody debris in the gullies to slow and hold back the water. Currently with the lack of understory and dense brush on site there is a lot of bare ground available for erosion. By planting this treatment with a variety of grasses, forbs and shrubs the ground cover will be greatly increased, which will decrease the potential for erosion. Areas that become dominated by brush species out compete understory herbaceous species and leave bare soil prone to erosion. This herbaceous vegetation is important to reducing overland flow and reducing soil loss. Treating areas of lower densities will prevent a future situation as described above.

The necessary cultural clearance will be completed in the spring. NRCS will also complete an Environmental Assessment as part of the planning and contracting process. NRCS will work with UDWR Archeologist(s) to ensure that all eligible cultural resources are protected from damage.

Seed will be applied with two rangeland drills. Drills will be calibrated to apply the seed at the recommend rate.

UDWR/NRCS: Pre and post photo point monitoring in treatment areas. Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Guide has been done pre-treatment to assess habitat conditions. UT-2 Range assessment done pre-treatment and post treatment.

NRCS, UDWR, and private landowner

Any seeded areas will require a MINIMUM 2 year rest to establish seeded species. Landowner has committed to keep livestock off the seeding while it establishes. This project will also help the landowner better distribute and graze their private property. This means the potential for improved range management and range conditions moving forward. Utah has aggressively been collaring wildlife for years. This data has indicated that wildlife use thrive on past WRI treatments. Using the Wildlife Tracker tool this areas was searched for its use by collared wildlife. Due to the number of wildlife collared in the area, there is currently not an collars in the area. We expect that with the treatment wildlife use will increase with the potential of the use from collared wildlife in the area. The private landowners have entered into a contract with NRCS. NRCS will monitor the treatment for the first 2 years as part of the permittee contract.

The forage quality and availability would greatly increase in the area after implementation of the project. Completion of this project would help distribute animal use over the area, which would reduce concentrated use in certain areas. This area is popular for hunting deer and pronghorn to the public who have written permission. Improving the habitat for hunting and wildlife viewing is important for the local community, and Iron County. The chaining will provide opportunities for fire wood collection that is a population past time with local families and the communities. ATV and OHV frequent the areas often to view and enjoy the wildlife and wild places. This treatment will enhance the beauty and the opportunity to view and enjoy Utah's wildlife and wild places. Improving landscapes has the potential and has been proven to have positive economical impacts on the surrounding communities and the business in the area. We anticipate that Iron County and their residents will be see positive economic impacts that will continue to help draw people to enjoy their county.

02/03/2023

02/28/2023

2023

Approximately 60 acres of private land was drill seeded using two rangeland drills, connected by a drill cart, and pulled by bulldozer (see pictures for a visual of the drill cart setup and dozer). The bulldozer was acquired by the landowner. The seed mix was purchased through the GBRC and was a combination of grasses and forbs recommended by the NRCS Range Conservationist and seeded at the rate of 12.21 bulk lbs/acre. The seed was applied throughout the month of February 2023.

UDWR and NRCS worked together with the private landowner to complete the project. The goal of the project was to increase grasses and forbs for livestock and wildlife, primarily pronghorn and mule deer. GBRC staff delivered and setup the rangeland drills in January of 2023. The landowner was able to get a dozer in February of 2023 and started drilling seed February 3, 2023. There were several delays to the project including, a flat tire on the drill cart, a worn-out chain guide and wet, snowy weather. The seeding was completed February 28, 2023.

Seeding will be rested for 2 growing season as per NRCS contract requirements. A grazing management plan has been provide and as a recommendation for the landowner.