The Parleys Watershed Restoration Project FY24 goal is to continue improving the overall health of Parley's Canyon, including riparian, stream, wetlands, upland sites, and the ability to continue to provide drinking water supply for Salt Lake Valley. To accomplish our landscape-scale goals, we have relied on coordination and planning between many stakeholders, including landowners, government entities, and non-profit organizations. There have been many negative human impacts on Parley's Canyon, which has long been used as a central transportation corridor through the Wasatch Front. A highway that runs down the canyon brings many issues, including fire risk from vehicles, polluted runoff from a large impervious surface, and a wildlife connectivity barrier. Historically, Parleys Canyon has been overgrazed and had clear-cut logging, creating lasting negative impacts. Inadvertent noxious weed introductions such as myrtle spurge, phragmites, garlic mustard, and yellow star thistle are all major concerns. Decades of wildfire suppression have led to excess fuel biomass and unhealthy forests. Stream incision and historic overgrazing along riparian areas have degraded streams and led to sub-optimal habitat conditions for many fish and wildlife species. Previous phases of this project have made significant progress toward rectifying these impacts. This FY24 project will continue to build on those efforts by treating invasive weeds at the canyon's base, monitoring for new weed invasions in mastication zones, maintaining old and building new BDAs in the upper canyon, and reducing wildfire danger by continued fuel treatment. In addition to improving watershed health, the project area serves as an essential destination for recreation in the region (e.g., skiing, hiking, fishing, camping, and hunting). A large part of the area's economy is driven by recreation, and protecting this watershed will help preserve those sustainable uses. The severe wildfire threat in Parleys Canyon concerns multiple stakeholders. Residents living in Lambs Canyon, Summit Park, Jeremy Ranch, Park City, and Mount Aire face extreme property damage, not to mention the potential risk to the lives of residents and firefighters. The long-term effects from a catastrophic wildfire would have downstream consequences for water users all along the Wasatch Front, and the associated infrastructure costs to reduce erosion, maintain potable water, and make the area safe again for recreators could be prohibitive. Efforts are needed to reduce fuel loads, build fire breaks, create defensible space, and prevent such a disaster. This project will work to address and minimize these threats. Insect infestations from beetles and the non-native insect balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae) in the conifers are of great concern, and the older age class of the watershed makes it more susceptible to these infestations. Removing mature and dying trees will improve the forest's resilience to insect infestations while mitigating wildfire risk. The aspen in this watershed is also beginning to die from disease, insect infestations, and competition by conifer trees. This project will improve the health of aspen communities by thinning conifer stands and improving the riparian corridor with BDAs, thereby improving wildlife habitat. In November 2022, as part of the FY23 phase of this project, 262 acres of oak brush were masticated on Salt Lake City and USFS properties for fuel reduction. Additionally, the Salt Lake City property had herbicide treatments applied to the oak stumps after mastication to reduce maintenance of oak re-growth. Although some collateral damage is expected from heavy machinery such as bullhog masticators on sensitive landscapes, it is crucial to minimize this damage by working in optimal conditions and monitoring the newly disturbed areas for erosion and invasive weeds. The dry Gambel Oak shrubland habitat of the lower elevation portion of Parleys is susceptible to soil disturbance and weed invasions. As a preventative measure, we would like funding to monitor the masticated and herbicide-treated areas for invasive weeds post-fuel reduction and catch them as they occur and before they spread. A contracted hand crew can rehab the collateral damage by leveling erosive ruts caused by heavy machinery, monitoring for invasive weeds, and planting native seedlings and seeds in bare areas. Monitoring and maintenance will ensure this ecosystem is sustainable for wildlife and water quality while accomplishing the greatly needed fuel reduction. With follow-up maintenance, we can meet the goals of this project to reduce wildfire risk and make sure flammable invasive species do not replace the removed oak. In conclusion, this is a highly critical watershed for humans and many fish and wildlife species. Previous phases of this project have been successful in making progress in moving this watershed in a positive direction. The many partners on this project ask for continued funding for the FY24 phase to build on previous efforts and restore the health of this watershed to its best possible state.

This projects main goal is to improve the watershed health in Parley's Canyon. The project has multiple objectives designed to address all of the Watershed Restoration Initiative's priorities and the Shared Stewardship program. 1. Protect the lives of residents and firefighters from catastrophic wildfire 2. Reduce fire risk to communities and infrastructure and reduce costs of post fire rehabilitation. 3. Improve forest health. 4. Reduce and eradicate noxious weeds from the watershed. 5. Improve fish and wildlife habitat, especially for boreal (western) toad and Bonneville cutthroat trout. 6. Improve water quality and increase water quantity 7. Address threats to species identified in the Wildlife Action Plan. 8. Addresses specific objectives in local, state, and federal resource management plans. 9. Increase forage for wildlife and livestock where grazing is possible. 10. Increase and protect recreational opportunities such as skiing, hunting, fishing, and others. 11. Protect and enhance municipal water supply for Salt Lake Valley.

By delaying this project, we risk crossing ecological thresholds that will take millions of dollars and decades for the ecosystem to recover. 1. The project area is one of the most at-risk areas in Utah for a catastrophic wildfire that threatens human life and infrastructure. The forest condition is nearing an ecological threshold that makes it highly vulnerable to catastrophic fire. Every year we do not treat the vegetation in the project area, the threat and risk increase. 2. Catastrophic wildfire will damage the water quality in the watershed. The damage to streams (i.e., mudflows and sediment loading) would result in lost aquatic habitat and crucial Bonneville cutthroat populations. The damage to aquatic habitat would be severe, and for the Bonneville cutthroat trout, representing crossing an ecological threshold they could not recover from naturally. Previous efforts by the Division of Wildlife Resources and sportsman's groups to improve trout habitat and populations are at risk. Mitigation of debris flows also benefits invertebrate species whose abundance is not currently well-characterized, such as Lyrate Mountainsnail, Mill Creek Mountainsnail, Mitered Vertigo, Western Pearlshell, Coarse Rams-horn, and Cross Snaggletooth. 3. Many wildlife species rely on healthy forests. The loss of habitat from catastrophic wildfire poses a major threat and risk and may lead to decreases in wildlife populations, including elk, moose, mule deer, American Pika, Ferruginous Hawk, and olive-sided flycatcher. Stream restoration projects include spreading of milkweed seed and willow poles, which improve habitat for native pollinators such as the Western Bumblebee and Monarch butterfly. While recovering wildlife habitat under current conditions is difficult, a large wildfire would make recovery even more prohibitive. 4. Managing noxious weed species (e.g., garlic mustard and myrtle spurge) before they have reached an ecological threshold and out-compete native vegetation is essential to maintain ecosystem function. Once noxious weeds have reached an ecological threshold, control may be impossible. 5. The threat and risk of post-wildfire debris flows in Parley's Canyon is significant. The cost of debris flows can result in major damage (i.e., millions of dollars) to Interstate 80, other roadways, utility corridor and infrastructure. 6. The streams in the project area are moderately degraded and are becoming more incised and losing riparian vegetation. Once these ecological thresholds are crossed in degraded streams, low-tech-process-based restoration cannot be effectively used to restore ecological function of streams. Healthy streams via riparian buffers often mitigate wildfire threat and risk, and can reduce the threat of a large fire occurring. BDAs and other low-tech process based restoration strategies improve drought-resilience in small streams as well, maintaining habitat necessary for Wester toad/Boreal toad and other amphibians. By providing habitat for diverse invertebrates, stream restoration projects also benefit bat species such as Little Brown Myotis.

This project complies with guidance and addresses objectives outlined in the following management plans: 1. The Boreal Toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) Conservation Plan (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources 2005) 3.1 Fire Management. 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, when boreal toads are inactive in known occupied areas. 3.1.3 Determine impacts of fire through monitoring of known breeding sites. 3.2 Habitat Fragmentation. 3.2.1 Prevent further habitat fragmentation of breeding populations. 3.2.1.a Identify and preserve dispersal corridors. 3.2.1.b Identify and preserve metapopulation structure. 3.2.2. Restore historic dispersal corridors where possible. 3.2.2.a Identify where migration and gene flow among occupied habitats should be facilitated. 32 3.2.2.b Improve habitat conditions in degraded dispersal corridors where appropriate 3.3.1.c Minimize depletion of boreal toad prey base. 3.3.1.d Minimize degradation of bank conditions. 3.3.1.e Minimize degradation of water quality. 3.3.1.f Minimize depletion of emergent and riparian vegetation. 3.9.2 Minimize habitat loss and degradation associated with water management. 3.9.2.a Minimize stream channelization. 3.9.3 Create, restore, and maintain new habitats through water management. 3.9.3.a Create shallow shoreline margins in new impoundments. 3.9.3.b Deepen impoundments to maintain sufficient water levels through metamorphosis. 3.9.3.c Create new wetlands according to boreal toad breeding habitat requirements. 2. Deer Herd Unit 17a Management Plan 1. Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the unit by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts. 2. Seek cooperative projects to improve the quality and quantity of deer habitat. 3. Provide improved habitat security and escapement opportunities for deer Future habitat work should be concentrated on the following areas.: 4. Quaking aspen forests unit wide. We will be working in the quaking aspen stands to reduce conifer competition. 5. Anywhere along the front that would avert deer from entering cities. By improving the habitat condition up higher in the canyon we will hopefully keep deer from going down into the city. 3. Wildlife Action Plan 1. Under the threats, data gaps, and action section of the plan it identifies a list of Essential Conservation Actions. It states the need to restore and improve degraded wildlife habitats. species and others. 2. The habitat type that this project is located in as identified in the WAP is the aquatic scrub/shrub type, forested aquatics, and riverine. We will be improving the habitat in this key habitat and addressing the threats to this habitat type. 3. The plan identifies sediment transport imbalance as a medium threat to this habitat type and this project will help to reduce sediment transport by stabilizing the banks with vegetation and rocks. 4.It identifies channel down-cutting as a high threat and this project will help to remove the channels in the stream and make a more subtle gradient. This project will raise the water levels to restore the floodplain and reduce this channel down-cutting. 5. The plan mentions a management strategy that this project addresses to help improve this habitat type through 1.( restoring more natural water and sediment flow regimes) WAP Ch. 7-1; Mountain Riparian Habitat, criteria and score totals (ch. 7-8) 3rd highest priority statewide. Ch. 6-15; Western Toad; threat - 4. Statewide Moose Management Plan 1. Population Management Goal: Achieve optimum populations of moose in all suitable habitat within the state. 2. Habitat Management Goal: Assure sufficient habitat is available to sustain healthy and productive moose populations. 3. Recreation Goal: Provide high-quality opportunities for hunting and viewing of moose. 5. Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan Habitat Objective1: Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2019. 6. Statewide Elk Management Plan 1. Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat. 2. Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. 7. Utah Beaver Management Plan Watershed Restoration (pg24) Objective 2: Facilitate and promote beaver-assisted restoration activities and expansion of existing beaver populations in areas that beaver are already present, habitat exists to already support them and human-beaver conflict potential is low and/or easily mitigated. Strategy 2. Assess what might be limiting or keeping beaver from expanding (e.g. limited woody vegetation resources, over-trapping, predation, incised channel conditions), and identify management actions that might address those specific limiting factors (e.g. riparian improvement, grazing management changes, temporary tapping closures, more cover (i.e. deep water) for beaver, or use of beaver dam analogues to either create some initial cover or intermediate stability from flood disturbance). 8. Salt Lake County Integrated Watershed Management Plan 1. Identifies stream restoration as a priority implementation task (Pg. 10) 2. It identifies Parley's Creek as a priority watershed. 3. The plan identifies improving habitat as a priority. (Pg 80) 9. Parleys Creek Management Plan http://www.slcdocs.com/utilities/Stream%20Study%20website/Parleys/Final/7_Projects_Parleys.pdf 1. Pg.15 Goal: Improve Riparian Habitat through Control of Invasive Plant Species and Restoration of Native Plant Communities 2. Action: Initiate invasive plant removal/control efforts in city-owned riparian corridor areas, beginning upstream and working downstream, utilizing an integrated weed control strategy. 10. Summit Park Forest Stewardship Plan 2018: Manage forest resources in the best interest of forest health, which should minimize losses associated with injurious insects and diseases. Detection and monitoring will be key components in minimizing forest pest impacts. Maintain or enhance wildlife use and habitat. Maintain favorable aesthetics by means of preventing large scale tree mortality. Adhere to the Forest Legacy Deed of Conservation Easement parameters. Actively manage to reduce the control/spread of noxious weeds, found throughout the property. 11. Summit County Code: 10-4-3: Critical Lands, 10-4-7 (A): Fire Protection Fuel Breaks/Vegetation Manipulation: Hazardous fuels in the form of native vegetation will be cleared around structures and around the perimeter of the development to assist in wildfire prevention measures. This fuel break is not intended as a complete vegetation clearing firebreak. 12. Summit County Snyderville Basin General Plan: Goals: (1) Preservation of open space, view corridors and scenic mountainsides, (2) preservation of Critical Lands (as defined in Section 10-4-3 of the Code) natural resources and the environment, including clean air and water. Community Vision: (1) Open Space, (2) Recreation, (4) Wildlife, (6) Critical Land Protection, (7) Water Conservation and (11) Natural Resource Preservation. Policy 5.22: Wildfire Management. Policy 5.23: Wildlife 13. Utah Administrative Code R68-9 (Utah's Noxious Weed Act): Utah Noxious Weed Act and the Summit County Code, Title 4, Chapter 4. The Act states that local governments are directed to take the necessary steps to manage the noxious weeds within their jurisdiction and provides specific authorization for local enforcement. 14. Utah Forest Action Plan 2016: Distribute materials to community members, individual landowners, public officials, interagency partners and media for further dissemination and outreach. Increase participation in state and national programs including Utah Living with Fire, Ready, Set, Go!, Firewise USA and Fire-Adaptive Communities. Use all available management tools, including forest industry, to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems. 15. UDWR Strategic Management Plan Objective R2 Maintain existing wildlife habitat and increase the quality of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state. Objective R4 Decrease risks to species and their habitats through integrated implementation of the WAP, Objective C6 Increase hunting and fishing opportunities 16. Utah Shared Stewardship Agreement (May 2019) This project is within Shared Stewardship priority areas. We have applied for Shared Stewardship as well and working with USFS and FFSL to do this. Meets objectives to reduce hazardous fuels. 17. Forest Wide Goal Wasatch Cache NF 1. Watershed Health Maintain and/or restore overall watershed health (proper functioning of physical, biological and chemical conditions). Provide for long-term soil productivity. Watershed health should be addressed across administrative and political boundaries. Sub Goal's 2b, 2i. Objective to Desired condition 3.b, 3.c. 2. Biodiversity & Viability Provide for sustained diversity of species at the genetic, populations, community and ecosystem levels. Maintain communities within their historic range of variation that sustains habitats for viable populations of species. Restore or maintain hydrologic functions. Reduce potential for uncharacteristic high-intensity wildfires, and insect epidemics. To achieve sustainable ecosystems, meet properly functioning condition (PFC) criteria for all vegetation types that occur in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Focus on approximating natural disturbances and processes by restoring composition, age class diversity, patch sizes, and patterns for all vegetation types. Sub Goal's 3.d, 3e, 3n, 3s. Objective to Desired condition 3.b, 3.c. 3. Fire and Fuels Management Wildland fire use and prescribed fire provide for ecosystem maintenance and restoration consistent with land uses and historic fire regimes. Fire suppression provides for public and firefighter safety and protection of other federal, state and private property and natural resources. Fuels are managed to reduce risk of property damage and uncharacteristic fires. Sub Goal's 4a,4d. Objective to Desired Condition 4.a.

The combination of an essential watershed, high recreation use, and a high to extreme wildfire risk rating according to UWRAP designated Parley's Canyon a priority area for WRI and the Shared Stewardship program. In these high priority areas, fire has been suppressed to such a degree, the resulting stand dynamics is dominated by disease and insect infestation full of dead and down and dying conifers that are prone to catastrophic wildfires This is extremely concerning for people who live in communities in Lambs Canyon, Summit Park, Jeremy Ranch, Park City, and Mount Aire. Interstate 80 along with a major utility corridor provide access to and from Salt Lake City and coincides with the northern boundary of the project. Billions of dollars in commerce, infrastructure, and private property damage could occur. In the instance of a wildfire, both public and firefighter lives would be at risk. This project will begin the process of thinning the forest and reducing the fuel loads in order to reduce the fire danger and make it safer for fire fighters, communities and commerce to occur or pass through the project area. This project will also pave the way for future fire risk reduction efforts including possibly controlled burns through the USFS. The BDAs and stream restoration will also help increase riparian wet areas and green vegetation which will act as green strips or fire breaks to slow and stop catastrophic fire spread.

The project area is of high value and a priority for funding within WRI and Shared Stewardship given its location within Salt Lake City's protected watershed, which provides drinking water to 360,000 people daily and feeds into the Parley's Water Treatment Facility. Parley's Creek is impaired water (303d List Cause of Impairment e.Coli and is of high recreational value). The importance of the watershed to so many users makes this project high value. Protecting the quality and quantity of water resources has both instream benefits and downstream benefits. Forest management (e.g., thinning conifers, lop and scatter, oak brush mastication) will reduce wildfire risk. Wildfires would cause soil erosion and debris flows that would degrade water quality. Using low-tech, process-based restoration to improve stream health will capture sediment and begin the process of aggrading incised stream channels. Healthy streams store water in the watershed, recharge groundwater, and regulate the flow of water throughout the year. There is evidence that healthy riparian corridors can halt the spread of wildfires and create more vegetation regrowth and resilience post-fire. Healthy riparian corridors are more resilient to wildfires because riparian vegetation such as willows and cottonwoods thrive after disturbance. Vegetation root systems in riparian corridors stabilize streambanks and are more resilient to flooding (i.e., down-cutting and incision), if and when post-fire rains erode into waterways. Conversely, degraded riparian corridors are not resilient to wildfire; they will require extensive efforts to restore vegetation and hydrologic function (i.e., deep incision and down-cutting). Riparian habitats can be resilient to wildfire and generally do not require extensive restoration (Halofsky and Hibbs 2009). A dense stand of degraded vegetation along a streambank could result in high fire severity burning, severely impacting the ability for natural recovery.

The first phase of this project funded the cultural surveys on USFS lands and supported compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). All NEPA requirements were completed on 03/2021. We will acquire individual stream alteration permits (PGP010) and any necessary municipal permit requirements, state historic preservation act (SHPO) for each low-tech process-based stream restoration implementation. Salt Lake City worked with Salt Lake County MSD to ensure the appropriate permits and approvals were in place for Oak Mastication in 2022.

Forest Management The project includes cut, pile, and burning of dead or dying conifer in strategic areas that have been impacted by infestation and disease, mostly targeting species in areas of high use or travel corridors. Most of these activities will be done on USFS lands, starting in Lambs Canyon, in order to create defensible space and increase ingress and egress to and from the area. FFSL, USFS, and contractors will cut and chip along the access road in Lambs Canyon and within the neighborhood of Summit Park. In the Snyderville Basin recreation area above Summit Park work will continue from the previous years to cut, pile, and chip the remaining acres with contractors. At the mouth of Lambs Canyon and along the highway in Parley's Canyon oakbrush will be masticated to reduce fire risk to or from USFS lands. cultural surveys will continue on the SLC Corp. and SBRD lands for future mastication work of oakbrush. Weed Control Best management practices for myrtle spurge include both manual removal and chemical control in the early spring prior to seed dispersal. In areas where plants are growing on steep slopes and where manual removal could increase erosion, chemical control is preferred using a mix of 2,4-D and dicamba with a surfactant. If the plants can be removed manually with limited disturbance to soils, best management practices include removing at least four inches of the root with care not to get the sap in the eyes or on skin. Low-tech, Process-based Stream Restoration Low-tech structures (i.e., beaver dam analogs and post-assisted log structures) will be constructed using the methods described in Low-tech, Process-based Restoration of Riverscapes (Wheaton et al. 2019). Untreated wooden fence posts approximately 3-4" in diameter will be used in construction. Posts will be driven into the stream bed with a gas or hydraulic post pounder. The posts will extend approximately one meter above the channel bed and be spaced approximately 0.5 - 0.8 meters apart and driven to a depth of approximately one meter into the streambed. Then, native vegetation, rocks, and mud will be weaved between the posts to create a structure that will resemble a beaver dam. The structure will slow water flow, but allow fish to pass through. The structures will be placed 10-30 meters apart within the stream reaches. After a year the health of the stream will be evaluated, and future actions can be planned. Additionally, willows or other native plants may be planted at the restoration sites to improve the establishment of riparian vegetation. Oak brush mastication restoration methods: Previously masticated and sprayed disturbed areas will be monitored for invasive noxious weed invasions, and measures will be taken to map and mitigate their occurrence. Treatment methods will vary depending on the type of invasive species encountered but are likely to include mechanical and chemical control. Primary invasive species of concern include cheatgrass, medusahead grass, yellow star thistle, hoary cress, dalmatian toadflax, dyers woad, and garlic mustard. Handcrews will reduce the height of bull-hog masticator ruts oriented to the fall line and work the topography in those areas to reduce erosion. This may include the creation of water bars or small earth berms to redirect the flow of water. Bare areas will be broadcast seeded at 25pls/acre with native seed or planted in pothole depressions to capitalize on natural moisture. Sagebrush seedlings will be planted with plastic sleeves in groupings to prevent herbivory while they are growing. Cutting of tree snags at the edge of the masticated islands may be done as needed where the masticator machines could not reach without chipping additional vegetation. Any native vegetation that has persisted in the project area will be maintained and care taken to avoid further disturbance. Priority species include Utah serviceberry, antelope bitterbrush, sagebrush, various native grasses, and wildflowers. Prevention of spread of invasive weeds: All crews moving between Parleys Summit and locations lower in Parleys canyon will be directed to decontaminate their gear and boots to prevent the spread of Garlic Mustard Seed. Garlic Mustard populations occur in the forest understory of Parleys Summit and are not yet present in the lower elevations of Parleys Canyon. Work crew education on weed seed decontamination measures will reduce the chance of the spread of invasive species. A similar approach can be taken with the spread of Myrtle Spurge seeds from the lowest elevation areas.

The project will be monitored for success in the short and long term and will be reported back to WRI. Forest health monitoring will consist of repeat photography at designated points and the use of vegetation plots to determine stand density and species composition. Each vegetation plot will estimate both over-story and under-story vegetation change for percent cover, stand density and species richness. Monitoring will occur before treatment, both one-year and five years after treatment. Stream Restoration: Effectiveness of stream restoration (e.g., BDAs) will be monitored using the Rapid Stream-Riparian Assessment (RSRA) survey. The RSRA generates a score for water quality, hydrogeomorphology, fish and aquatic habitat, riparian vegetation, and terrestrial wildlife habitat. This method was selected because it is both a time and cost-efficient means to monitor restoration projects. Salt Lake County is committed to collecting long-term water quality data. We will compare pre-treatment data to post-treatment. BDA monitoring Pre and post- restoration Rapid Stream-Riparian Assessment (RSRA) monitoring survey has already been conducted on 15 streams across Utah, including five sites with two or more years of post-restoration monitoring. This data shows how the system has changed over two years following BDA implementation. Pollinator monitoring: Sageland Collaborative and volunteers will monitor each BDA site using the Utah Pollinator Pursuit's opportunistic survey for Monarch Butterfly, Western Bumblebee, and other pollinators. This protocol uses Survey123 smartphone app to document presence of milkweed and species, other floral resources present. Amphibian Monitoring To assess conditions for boreal toads, we will do pre- and post-project aquatic habitat surveys based on Utah's standardized field protocol. The data will be included in the long-term dataset managed by Sageland Collaborative, Hogle Zoo, and Utah Geologic Survey. Based on results, boreal toad re-introduction sites will be selected and prioritized. Utah's Hogle Zoo and Sageland Collaborative will coordinate with regional biologists to prioritize survey locations for breeding boreal toads in and around Parley's Canyon to increase understanding regarding habitat conditions, how they may be improving, and potential surrounding areas that may be considered as part of the meta-population connected to Parleys Canyon. These efforts are necessary to the eventual planning for possible repatriation of toads in Parley's Canyon in the future. Historic toad locations, regional biologist recommendations, and analysis of existing GIS layers indicating potentially suitable breeding habitat conditions will be used to prioritize survey locations around the Parley's Canyon project area. Recommended survey locations will be separated by no more than seven kilometers from the project area (and less than five kilometers in areas of steeper terrain). Biologically relevant boundaries to surveys will be based on the existing boreal toad migration limits in the scientific literature. Newly prioritized survey locations will be added to Sageland Collaborative's community science field visit calendar if the locations are appropriate for engaging the community where others may be surveyed by Sageland Collaborative biologists and interns. Additionally, Sageland Collaborative will be conducting amphibian aquatic habitat assessments of potential boreal toad breeding habitats adjacent to the 2020-2022 beaver dam analog installation sites. Citizen Science Monitoring for Future Treatments Sageland Collaborative will work with the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest to develop a community science-supported data gathering project to monitor pre- and post-fire/fuels treatments in the Central Wasatch area, as work extends to canyons beyond Parley's. Together, we will develop a monitoring strategy for FY24 based on standardized data gathering regarding aspen stand conditions, pre- and post-treatment fuel loading and other potential field methods based on USFS aspen, watershed, and habitat conditions and fire resilience assessment needs. In FY23, Sageland Collaborative will produce a community science engagement strategy document for USFS to review, a schedule for engagement of the community scientists in data gathering efforts, and training materials and presentations necessary for project implementation in FY24.

UDWR Habitat Restoration Biologists have been coordinating efforts between multiple landowners and interest groups in Parley's Canyon for the last three years to bring multiple phases of a landscape-scale watershed restoration project. This year, Nicole Smeeding, from SLC Watershed, is taking on the effort to bring together these multiple entities to propose this one landscape-scale level restoration project. USFS, Bekee Hotze (Salt Lake District Ranger), Guy Wilson (USFS), Scott Frost (USFS) and Lloyd Evans Jr (FFSL), Travis Wright (FFSL), have been involved in planning the Shared Stewardship/Forest Health aspects of the project on USFS lands in Parley's Canyon. They have been instrumental in educating the public and planning the work to be done in the canyon. They also have been heavily involved in collaboration on the project proposal to apply for funds through WRI and the Shared Stewardship program. Jessica Kirby (former Open Space Management Supervisor for Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District, currently Public Lands Manager for Summit County) has been the lead in planning all the work around Summit Park, Pinebrook, and gaining public support and funding from the County. Through her efforts, Summit County has become a significant partner and has already contributed over $450,000 to this project. She has been working with agency partners to plan fuel treatments around Summit Park. She also has been partnering with Trout Unlimited and Sageland Collaborative to plan BDA work in Toll Canyon and East Canyon. She has also gained funding through the NRCS to do work. Rose Smith from Sageland Collaborative is partnering on this project to help monitor stream health and amphibian species. As well as helping to get volunteer labor to build and maintain BDAs and help manage contractors. Sageland Collaborative is extremely supportive of this work and are helpful in gaining public support. And they have helped us coordinate working Marshall Wolf and Rhea Cone with USU and the Swaner preserve to do BDAs in East Canyon and Kimball Creek. In addition, Sageland Collaborative will partner with the FS to develop a monitoring strategy for future fire/fuel treatments in the Central Wasatch area beyond Parley's Canyon that may be implemented in FY24. Nicole Smeeding from SLC Utilities is the project manager on this project. Patrick Nelson from Salt Lake City Utilities/Watershed Management has been a collaborator, and as landowners in the canyon and owner of water rights, SLC is also very supportive of our efforts to do work in the canyon. Sage Fitch, the Salt Lake County Bee and Noxious Weeds Program Manager has been involved in planning the weed control aspects of the project for garlic mustard and myrtle spurge. UDOT, SLC open lands, and the BLM have also been contacted about doing weed control on their lands and they are supportive. The community of Forest Home owns about 640 acres in Lambs Canyon. They are extremely supportive of our efforts and have written Bill Stocksdale has written a letter of support that is attached. Letters of support for the multi-year project include: * Utah Division of Wildlife Resources -- Robert Edgel * Summit County -- Tom Fisher and Glenn Wright * Summit County Fire Warden -- Bryce Boyer * Melissa Early -- Weber River Watershed Committee and Utah Department Agriculture * Sageland Collaborative --Rose Smith and Mary Pendergast * Trout Unlimited -- Paul Burnett * Summit Park Home Owners Association * Pinebrook Masters Association and Home Owners Association * Utah State University Extension -- Darren McAvoy * U.S. Forest Service - Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Hogle Zoo- Kayleigh Mullen

This project is part of a multi-year effort to improve watershed health. We will continue to monitor the outcomes of this project in the long-term to evaluate results and inform future management. We will continue to monitor noxious weeds, insect infestations, and the success of stream restoration efforts to reach objectives and will make any future repairs or adjustments as needed to ensure their success. The Forest Service will follow the understory treatments with an overstory treatment of dead and dying conifers once piles from the understory treatments are burned. The Forest Service is also building future areas of lop and scatter work. USFS will continue to work with the UDWR to build upon these improvements to benefit the habitat and reduce fire intensity in this area. There may be further work to introduce boreal toads and other native species in future initiatives depending on the results of surveys and the overall effectiveness of planned actions.

As outlined in the description of sustainable uses, recreation is defined as sustainable use. This project will greatly benefit recreational uses such as hunting and fishing by improving the habitat for fish and wildlife. Hunting is a popular activity in the canyon, given its proximity to Salt Lake City. The extended archery hunt is extremely popular in this area, and hundreds of hunters can have quality hunting experiences. Bonneville cutthroats are stocked in Parleys Creek, and this project will help improve angler opportunities. It will also benefit the experience that mountain bikers, hikers, snowshoers, cross country, and downhill skiers will have by ensuring the area's resiliency to fire, weed infestation, and disease. Wildlife forage availability will increase by reducing the canopy cover and allowing more light to enter the forest floor. Additionally, BDAs will increase forage in riparian areas through water dispersal. All grazing benefits resulting from this project will be for wildlife because most of the project area is in a protected watershed where livestock grazing is not allowed. This project has a complete NEPA that will help allow for timber harvest in the future or other biomass utilization. Hunting is a popular activity in the canyon, given its proximity to Salt Lake City. Hogle Zoo has expressed interest in using this project to help educate the public, providing an increased opportunity for wildlife viewing. A large part of Utah's economy is driven by this recreation, and protecting this watershed will help preserve those sustainable uses and continue to support the economy.

08/25/2023

08/16/2024

2025

Lop and Scatter of 306 acres. Cut and Pile of 310 acres. both utilizing chainsaws. Pinebrook: Lop and scatter, burn piles

Lop and scatter was started on 10/27/23 and was completed on 11/7/23. Cut and pile was started on 09/28/23 but was snowed out and resume in the spring of 24. Pinebrook: Project 1: 1.3 acres of HOA common space comprised largely of deciduous brush and Gambel oak was successfully cut and piled for future burning. Project 2: Piles on approximately 83 acres of HOA common space were successfully burned. Two thirds of the acreage was comprised of mixed conifer while the remaining third was largely Gambel oak. Project 3: Approximately 17 acres of HOA common space containing previously burned piles was reseeded along trails with native grasses and forbs, with an intent to reestablish appropriate plants, inhibit invasive species, and improve the post-treatment aesthetic. Project 4: Developed, promoted, and implemented the Pinebrook Fire-adapted Landscapes and Safe Homes (FLASH) Program where 22 homeowners applied for grant funds in our reimbursement program performing work on their properties, of which 19 were eligible for and received a reimbursement for a portion of their expenses. This resulted in more than 42 parcel acres being worked to manage and eliminate fire fuel Summit County: Provided Pinebrook PM assistance

An overstory treatment of the cut and pile areas will be implemented once this years piles are burned to make room for the next entry. Pinebrook:The open-space worked as part of this project will require future maintenance/management and the responsible homeowners associations (PMA and PHOA) will oversee these future efforts. Plans are being formulated by the homeowner association Fire Safety Committee for additional work of mixed-conifer treatments along ridgelines and within the WUI, work to address the aspen decline within Pinebrook, treatment of Gambel oak, and work on neighboring properties