In the fall of 2020 a major wind storm hit northern Utah that caused many trees to fall over including many acres of aspen on Henefer-Echo WMA. The fallen aspen created significant barriers for wildlife to access the high-quality forage within the regenerating aspen stands. Additionally, Gambel Oak stands have filled in many acres of rangeland reducing the total amount of forage available to Mule Deer and Elk in the higher elevation portions of the WMA. By mechanically removing the fallen aspen logs and thinning the oak brush stands the quality and quantity of forage for wildlife will increase on Henefer-Echo WMA. Additionally, drainages in the area lack structural diversity leading to erosion and loss of water retention in the headwaters of the Main Canyon Creek-Upper Weber River and Echo Creek watersheds. This project will add structural diversity through installation of Zeedyk structures in 2 creek beds on Henefer-Echo WMA and neighboring private land. Creating a wildlife friendly fence on an approximately 1.5 mile perimeter of the WMA will enhance mule deer migratory movement and mitigate death in current, old netwire and five strand barbed wire fencing (Phase 1). Wild Turkey will benefit from this project Zeedyk strucutres that will preserve the cottonwood gallery in Harris Canyon as well as increase food source quality and quantity.

Enhance forage quality and increase acres of available forage to Mule Deer and Elk by: Removing fallen aspen logs from 150 acres. Thinning 100 acres of Maple/Gambel's Oak stands. Improve watershed hydrology and wet meadow habitat by: Installing ~15 Zeedyk structures in Harris Canyon on Henefer-Echo WMA Installing ~5 Zeedyk structures on private land drainage. Provide off-channel watering to livestock on private land to improve stream hydrology. Enhance Mule deer migratory and localized movement on the WMA, while mitigating death due to fence entanglement: Converting approximately 1.5 miles of exterior WMA fencing to new wildlife friendly fencing, in Phase 1. We anticipate this is the start of several phases (Phase 2, 3, 4, 3 etc) of the wildlife friendly fence project.

Aspen pile burning treatment areas were selected through satellite imagery and ground truthing which show significant downed aspen logs creating a difficult to traverse "matchstick" understory. By the time of implementation there will have been four growing seasons since the disturbance allowing new aspen shoots to sprout and grow to a height to escape the negative effects of grazing. According to the Rangeland Analysis Platform, the average peak herbaceous biomass for the five years previous to the wind storm was 47.6 lbs/acre, for the following three seasons it is 61.1 lbs/acre. By treating now we can open up 150 acres of quality aspen and understory forage in Elk and Mule Deer summer range on the WMA. While we are working in the higher elevations of the WMA will expand the amount of forage quantity in the area by treating 100 acres of maple and Gambel oak encroached aspen stands. This area is considered crucial summer range for mule deer and elk by the UDWR (see documents section) Converting old netwire and loose, five strand barbed wire to upgraded wildlife friendly fencing on the WMA is a longstanding goal to lead by fence example on a DWR owned property. This fence project has been an identified need for several years. Especially after the challenges of last winter's record snowfall, when deer were pushed to lower and lower elevations and highway corridors, converting this perimeter fence to wildlife friendly will help individual deer move safely and highlight the benefits of wildlife friendly fencing.

(TMDL Water Quality Study of Echo Creek Watershed, Utah; Utah Division of Water Quality, 2006.) The WMA is situated in the Echo Creek watershed, a major tributary to the Weber River, known for high sediment loads, especially after summer thunderstorms. Summer range improvements will enhance upland range conditions while the installation of Zeedyke structures will mitigate some of the erosion and sedimentation. (Secretarial Order 3362, US Department of the Interior: Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors). As described in Utah's Action Plan for implementation, for the Chalk Creek-Kamas area and I-84/80 corridor, fencing improvements were identified as a need, "Fencing Improvements- Rangeland and agricultural fencing needs to be examined to determine if it can be made more wildlife friendly. Mule deer have been caught in fences in this area indicating there may be opportunities to work with landowners to make fencing more wildlife friendly." (Echo Junction: Wildlife Vehicle Collision Update 2020; Executive Summary and Mapbook) UDOT and DWR collaborated in this effort to update the 2011 study of the Echo Junction area, and to identify specific solutions to address the high number of mule deer, pronghorn, elk and moose WVCs (wildlife-vehicle collisions) in the area. Phase 1 is now in project planning and wildlife exclusion fencing will start at Echo Junction in spring 2024, below the WMA. This highway mitigation dovetails nicely with habitat and fencing improvements as described in this project, as healthier habitat and more abundant forage will likely help keep wildlife away from the highway corridor. (Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan). This plan outlines the goals, objectives, and strategies for managing mule deer populations and their habitats in Utah. The proposed project supports recommendations from this plan. The primary Habitat Goal from the plan is to: "conserve, improve, and restore mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges." (The Henefer- Echo WMA Habitat Management Plan (HMP)). The HMP identifies the need to "protect big game winter ranges by balancing populations with available forage; improve big game forage through vegetative manipulation; and provide educational and recreational uses which are compatible with habitat and population management objectives." The goals of this WRI project are consistent with the HMP, both in enhancing forage quality and opportunity and the installation of wildlife friendly fencing to lead by example. 2020 Utah Forest Action Plan objectives include: Use all available management tools, including forest industry, to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems. Utah's forested resources are used to meet public needs while being appropriately managed to provide sustainability for future generations. Mechanical treatments will utilize local industry to reduce dead/downed debris, providing public needs benefits of utilizing industry and improve big game habitat with decrease of wildfire risk, creating sustainability of aspen ecosystems for wildlife and future generations.

Reducing the 150 acres of dead and downed wind thrown aspen will reduce future potential of high intensity wildfire on years when fuel moistures are low and susceptibility of aspen to burn is high. This will decrease any post wildfire sediment and debris from high intensity rain events into the Weber river. Values to be protected are aspen habitat which has numerous benefits for big game including mule deer fawning habitat and critical big game winter range habitat. Additionally, the effects of Zeedyk structures will increase soil moisture and promote growth of low fire risk vegetation communities increasing fire resistance and resilience.

The erosion control treatments are low impact/low risk/high reward type practices. Stopping head-cuts and aggrading channelization can have exponential benefits to soil moisture, water loss, and maintain and increase rare meadow habitats. Practices will increase soil water infiltration in the meadow and increase mesic habitat. Such practices can have increases in available water lower in the watershed later in the hot part of the summer.

Archaeological clearance will be needed for the 150 acres mechanical downed aspen and 100 acres of mastication within gambel oak.

DWR Habitat Biologists will recruit 5 -10 Dedicated Hunters (DH) to assist with Phase 1 of the fence removal project and conversion to wildlife friendly fencing. Phase 1 entails the loosening and removal of 1.5 miles of barbed and netwire fencing by hand. DWR will rent Mule Deer Foundation's new Dakota Wire Winder, stored at the Great Basin Seed Warehouse. The Dakota wire winder will roll up loose wire safely and efficiently. Old fenceposts will be removed and a new fence line will be bulldozed. Upon establishment of the new wildlife friendly fence (18" smooth bottom wire, no higher than 40" smooth top wire, and two barbed wire strands in the middle), an approved seed mix from the Great Basin Seed Warehouse will be broadcast along the fenceline (a 45 foot zone). Shrubs to enhance mule deer winter range such as a bitterbrush and sage brush may also be planted. Sage grouse deterrence fence markers (both white and black, to show up in winter snow or summer conditions) will be placed on the new fence to deter sage grouse from fence collisions. We will contract a Grapple Skidder to pile aspen logs in the valley bottoms below the wind fallen aspen stands. Piles will be left to dry for one year and burned under the supervision of a FFSL burn boss. Contracted masticators will thin Gambel Oak and maple encroached aspen stands. We will construct one-rock dams, rock run-downs and Zuni Bowls in mapped streams using rocks found on site.

This is a collaboration with UDAF, Sageland Collaborative, UDWR and FFSL. This partnership will facilitate working across boundaries and provides the expertise necessary to accomplish the proposed actions in an efficient, safe and effective manner. DWR will monitor the new wildlife friendly fence as it is built and continue monitoring after completion to collect data on # mule deer carcasses in new fence (1.5 mile conversion to wildlife friendly). High resolution aerial imagery will be taken using a UDWR operated UAV prior to implementation. Contracts will be monitored and verified by UDWR staff. Imagery of post-implementation will be collected via UAV to aid in adaptive management plans for future phases if necessary.

Contracts will be monitored and verified by UDWR staff. Additionally, Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) is a partner on the project to convert a 1.5 mile section of old, deadly fence to wildlife friendly fencing. MDF owns the Dakota Wire Winder, which will efficiently roll up the old wire fence. Forestry, Fire & State Lands will aid in qualified fire personnel for aspen pile burning efforts. UDAF will oversee the construction of off-cannel water for livestock on private land.

The majority of this work will occur on a UDWR managed wildlife managment area and will continually be considered for future work that will address the objective stated above. The methods used in the project will be evaluated and improved upon to be used for other work on the WMA and on adjacent private lands in the future.

The practices implemented in the project will create a more resilient rangeland for wildlife and livestock. We will increase the health of deer and elk herds providing more opportunity for hunting. Using the Dakota Wire Winder to roll up barbed wire fencing, DWR anticipates the rolls of old fencing will go to metal recycling. Trash and debris found on the landscape in the project area will be removed.