This project will consist of the rehabilitation of the Thompson Ridge Fire that was started by a lighting strike in Beaver County on August 4, of 2023. This fire has burned upwards of 7,290 acres on Fishlake National Forest and BLM Properties. All if not most of the property is critical to Utah's Wildlife species such as mule deer, elk, wild turkey, grater sage grouses, upland game birds, small mammals and Domestic Livestock. This project burned in both higher and lower elevations of mixed conifer and mountain shrub communities. The opportunity to help partner with the Fishlake National Forest Beaver Ranger District would help pay dividends in the future for Utah's Wildlife Species through re-seeding efforts within the burn scars of the Thompson Ridge Fire.

This project objectives will consist of aerially seeding the burned areas of the Thompson Ridge Fire, areas will consist of the identified high and moderate burn areas. The estimated seed mix would consist of suitable grasses, forbs and shrubs. This will be done through the use of contracting through State Purchasing a contractor to seed the identified burned areas in the fall. Working with the USFS Beaver Ranger District to ensure the seeded species meet ESD soil types and are in line with the goals and objectives of the BAER/BAR Team resources committee UDWR and the Forest Service will work together as a partnership to accomplish these objectives and complete the restoration needs to ensure a diverse rangeland community of grasses, forbs, shrubs and browse species are reseeded through this effort.

Risk of not doing any restoration work will allow for invasion of noxious weed species, and little to no grasses, forbs and shrub recruitment, in the high severity burn scar. In additional areas that had moderate to low severity will come back or should show a response in the future. Erosion of soil will be present due to rain and snow precipitation allowing for flooding of lower elevation properties. Rangeland plant health will be compromised due to lack reseeding efforts and covering the seed through proper implementation efforts. The need for soils to stabilize is critical within the next year or two. Perennial grass, forb and shrub species that will become established in the future will benefit livestock and wildlife within the Pine Creek and South Fork Watershed. Post Fire flooding also pose a risk to human life and safety, Storm Patrols will be necessary to protect USFS values at risk and implementing early flood warning systems could significantly mitigate risks to human life and safety. Severe risk to roads and trails is very likely as well, loss of soil due to erosion will be significant within the burn scar. Areas of USFS and BLM maybe treated through reseeding efforts, pending funding from USFS BAER/BAR and UDWR/WRI Funding Sources.

1) Fishlake Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) also referred to as the "Forest Plan" Implementation of the methods proposed below would meet the guidance provided in the LRMP. Specifically these projects would meet the following goals; Diversity: Integrate vegetation management with resource management to maintain productivity and provide for diversity of plant and animal communities. (LRMP pg. IV-3). Wildlife and Fish: Coordinate wildlife and fish habitat management with State and other Federal and local agencies. (LRMP pg. IV-3). and Identify and improve habitat for sensitive, threatened and endangered species including participation in recovery efforts for both plants and animals. (LRMP pg. IV-4). 2) Utah Wildlife Action Plan, 2015 Publication Number 15-14, State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources, Effective 2015-2025 -- 3) Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule deer. Section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This plan will address Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2013 (p11-12). Strategy C. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that are being taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. Strategy f. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. 4) UDWR Deer Herd Management Plan Unit #22 (2015) - 5) Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Elk.Habitat management goal B, strategy C. B. Habitat Management Goal: Conserve and improve elk habitat throughout the state. Habitat Objective 1: Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. Strategies: C. Watershed Restoration Initiative a) Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat. 5) Beaver County Resource Management Plan 2017, Agriculture policies and guidelines, number 9. (page 28) 9. Beaver County encourages land management agencies to maximize vegetative treatment efforts on public lands. 6) National Cohesive Strategy By means of prescribed fire and mechanical thinning at a landscape scale, the resulting mosaic of early and late successional forests will work toward the goal of restoring and maintaining resilient landscapes, one of the three goals described in the National Cohesive Strategy. 1. Resilient Landscapes General guidance regarding vegetation and fuels management include* Use and expand fuel treatments involving mechanical, biological, or chemical methods where economically feasible and sustainable, and where they align with landowner objectives. (pg. 58) 7) State of Utah Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy The Beaver River Project aligns with the mission of the State of Utah's Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy. The project has developed a comprehensive and systematic approach toward reducing the size, intensity and frequency of catastrophic wildland fires near the Fish Lake basin. The project reduces the risk of a catastrophic wildfire occurrence negatively affecting property, air quality and water systems. The Mission: Develop a collaborative process to protect the health and welfare of Utahan's, and our lands by reducing the size and frequency of catastrophic fires. (pg. 4) 5. Adopt Key Recommendations from the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. (pg. 15) * Encourage federal land management agencies to expedite fuels treatments. (pg. 15) * Prioritize landscapes for treatment (irrespective of jurisdictional boundaries). (pg. 15)

The need to reseed and establish a improved community of grasses, forbs, shrubs and browse species is critical to support wildlife and livestock in the future. Through restoration efforts from the USFS and UDWR this will be a partnership that can obtain the goals and objectives by working together to restore and maintain the area effected by the Thompson Ridge Fire. We need to make sure the reseeding efforts are a success to allow for reduction in wildfire behavior due to the resilient seed species being planted that can help suppress fire activity in the future. With the implementation and reseeding efforts of perennial grasses and forbs we are hopeful we can establish grasses and forbs that can complete and resist or control large scale fire behavior, as well as control invasive weed and grass species that will enhance fire behavior in the future.

Water Quality and Quantity should greatly increase due to the nature of old standing mixed conifer and aspen in the top end of this project being burned. After reseeding efforts and restoration efforts occurs we are more likely to see the improvement of springs, increase water flow. Increase grass, shurb and fob establishment due to loss of competition from the mixed conifer and pinyon-juniper trees, water should be better utilized by the perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs. Until establishment is obtain we will likely see sheet and rill water erosion of land, water will continue to erode the landscape, reseeding efforts will reduce erosion effects within the soils, stabilizing and improving annual run off sediment into perennial streams.

UDWR Project Manager will consult with and work closely with Arie Leeflang (UDWR Archeologist) and the USFS Beaver Ranger District to make sure all necessary information and policies are followed prior to implantation of the aerial seeding project. No Culture Resource Surveys are to be conducted due to exemption of aerial seeding being the treatment method for the Thompson Ridge Fire Rehab Project.

The proposed methods of this project are to re-seed areas of the USFS Properties within the Thompson Ridge Fire burn scar. Some of the implementation such as contracting the aerial seeding aspect of this project will be done through State Contracting. The UDWR will be augmenting the seed mix and partnering with the Fishlake Forest Service to provide additional grasses, forbs and shrubs towards the fire rehab efforts. Seed is expected to be purchased and mixed through UDWR's GBRC Warehouse located in Ephraim. UDWR will work closely with the Beaver District office to make sure all contracting is in compliance with State Purchasing Guidelines.

The Fishlake Forest Service Beaver District Office and UDWR will be looking at utilizing photo points within the treatment site, along with wildlife monitoring from agency Wildlife Biologist that will include spring and fall classifications of deer and elk. Forest Service Range Conservationist will be conducting and gathering rangeland data as grass, forbs and shrubs respond to the treatments within the Thompson Ridge Fire Restoration efforts. Monitoring for flood areas will be a concern as it will impact trail and road systems within the burn scar. The need for the USFS to conduct inventory for noxious weed and grass species (Cheat Grass) will also be a concern for monitoring within the Thompson Ridge Fire. Public access with UTV/ATV may also be monitored due to soil being unstable and highly erodible, flooding may cause roads and trails to be unpassable in the coming months.

Partnerships will include the UDWR, USFS (Beaver Office), livestock permittees, FFSL and Beaver County Commissioners and other elected officials. Other partnerships may be supported from local and statewide Conservation Sportsman Groups, WRI, and Habitat Council.

Grazing of the properties will be deferred for at least two or possible three growing seasons or until establishment of grass, forbs and shrubs are deemed ready to be grazed. When grazing is re-established a grazing management plan will be developed and monitored by the Beaver Forest Service Range Conservationist, allowing for proper grazing management of the reseeding efforts. USFS Beaver Range District will also monitor and survey for weed species and continue to make adjustments and or replace fencing, water pipelines and troughs within the identified grazing allotments. UDWR/USFS Wildlife Biologist will continue to monitor for wildlife use post fire in the form of surveys for mule deer and elk as well as other wildlife species using the burn. USFS will need to monitor for annual/seasonal flood events and soil movement that will cause damage to road and trail systems within the Fishlake National Forest.

No direct livestock benefit as of right now due to the Thompson Ridge Fire, within the FS Allotments, that where effected by the fire. Through State and Federal Agencies Fire Rehab efforts and restoration work will prepare us for the future benefits in the years to come. Through identified re-seeding restoration efforts we will be able to reseed high and moderate burn areas of the Thompson Ridge Fire with perennial grasses forbs, shrubs and browse species that will contribute to improved rangeland health conditions, increase water production for grasses species and improved water capabilities for rangeland health . Overall grazing permittees should see improved forage production and better weight gain and overall, calf production in the future due to the restoration efforts that are to take place through this fire rehab effort. In addition the improvement of grasses, forbs and shrubs will benefit the wildlife populations of big game and upland game in this area.

12/11/2023

12/18/2023

2024

Final methods for this Fire Rehabilitation Project consisted of partnering with the Fishlake National Forest Beaver Ranger District to aerial seed a combination of grasses and forbs on the Thompson Ridge Fire of 2023. This method was complete through the use of a fixed wing airplane, a total of 3,955 acres were seeded, consisting of the high and moderate burn severity areas of the fire. This seeding application occurred in December of 2023 and was flown from the Beaver Airport located southwest of Beaver, Utah.

On August 6, 2023 the south end of the Beaver Mountain Unit sustain a wildfire event that burned well over 8,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat. This fire was called the Thompson Ridge Fire, cause of the fire was lighting. Once the fire was contained the work began and several Federal and State Agencies worked together to address the rehabilitation efforts that were to occur. UDWR partnered with the Beaver Ranger District to work on a simple but effective seed mix that would help establish some perennial grasses and forbs back on the landscape. The Beaver Ranger District identified areas to be reseeded as the "High and Moderate" areas of the burn scar. A total of 3,955 aces were to be seeded in mid December by the use of a fixed wing plane. The seed mixed consisted of grasses and forbs all of which were augmented by the UDWR as through the FS Fire Rehab efforts (BAR) funding was not able to cover the cost of the forbs. On December 11, 2023, the opportunity to apply seed on the Thompson Ridge Fire was initiated, this process was contracted through the State of Utah Purchasing Office and was put out to bid to aerial seeding contractors. Hammond Helicopters was awarded the bid and the contract price was $6.00/Acre. The total amount of seed applied was 52,765 lbs at a rate of 13.34/lbs per acre at a cost of $71.75/Acre. Hammond Helicopters did a great job for us and worked closely with the Fishlake National Forest Beaver Ranger District and the UDWR for a successful treatment. As we enter the first growing season we are excited for the results we are seeing within the fire scar, great establishment of grasses and forbs are present as well as young aspen returning to the landscape.

Future Management of the Thompson Ridge Fire will be implemented by the Fishlake National Forest and the Beaver Ranger District. Opportunities to defer livestock grazing will be considered allowing for critical establishment of the newly seeded grasses and forbs. in addition the Beaver Ranger District will continue to monitor, rain and snow events within the burn scars as well as flooding of access roads and UTV/ATV trails within the area. Additional monitoring will be on the aspen regeneration within this fire as well, with the loss of mixed conifers additional opportunity to improve a aspen forest stand will be likely.