Regenerating aspen in conifer encroached stands, and reducing fuel loading and encroachment of juniper, aids in creating landscapes with multiple age classes of trees and reducing hazardous fuel loads resulting from the Balsam Woolly Adelgid (BWA). Mechanical treatments will be used to move the landscape closer to properly functioning conditions (e.g. a mosaic of patch sizes, species composition and seral states), thus increasing resilience and reducing the risk of large, high-intensity/severity fires and widespread insect and disease outbreaks and promoting understory forage for both domestic livestock and wildlife (e.g. Moose, Mule Deer, Elk, Goshawk). Riparian restoration projects described in this proposal Beaver historically dominated headwater streams in this region, maintaining connected wetland habitats for amphibians. Beaver trapping, improper grazing, vegetation removal, and other human impacts have left many riparian habitats and water systems in the Weber Watershed vulnerable to climate change. Extreme high and low flows have scoured creeks, delivering large plumes of sediment to drinking water reservoirs and irrigation intakes. Low water conditions and loss of riparian plant cover contributes to thermal stress for Bonneville Cutthroat Trout in one of their most significant population holdouts- Chalk Creek. Channel incision and floodplain disconnection harms amphibians such as the Northern Leopard Frog and Boreal Toad by desiccating the shallow, slow-moving aquatic habitats needed for breeding. The water table in many headwaters has dropped to the point of drying former wet meadows used by Greater Sage-grouse for high-protein forage and brood rearing in Chalk Creek, Echo Canyon and other mid-elevation stream valleys in our watershed. Loss of wet meadow and riparian vegetation reduces abundance of crucial winter forage for elk and mule deer populations, and riparian/wetland - obligate plant populations such as milkweed, willow that imperiled pollinators (e.g. Monarch Butterfly, Western Bumblebee) depend upon. Migratory passerine birds rely on riparian woody vegetation for breeding habitat throughout our region, and will benefit from re-vegetation efforts as well. Waterfowl (mallards, cinnamon teal, northern shovelers), shorebirds (i.e. killdeer, spotted sandpiper), and other waterbirds (sandhill cranes) use our project area and are known to benefit from beaver complexes and healthy riparian areas. The installation of BDAs into these headwaters will provide the opportunity for beavers to move back into the area, where appropriate, and mimic some of the benefits of beaver at other sites. As enough pooling and "starter" structures are created, beavers could be reintroduced to the area to continue restoration on their own. Additionally, BDAs will help to reconnect the floodplain and encourage the growth of more riparian vegetation. Fencing is another simple and cost-effective way to protect riparian areas and repair following improper grazing. Where feasible, we are undertaking these projects alongside landowners. The purpose of the low-water stream crossing is to reduce sediment deposition into Sage Creek, a tributary of the Weber River. Currently, an unenforced stream crossing is being used almost daily. The bank has fallen as much as 4' on one side and 3' on the other as a result of the daily crossing. All the sediment from this fallen bank has entered the waterway, as well as any sediment that gets kicked up during travel through the stream.

The goals of this project are to: 1. Improve wildlife habitat with particular focus on existing conifer encroached juniper and aspen stands, benefitting numerous species that benefit from healthy forests (e,g,. elk, mule deer, moose, beaver, goshawk). 2. Manage the risk of hazardous fuel accumulations to minimize the potential for large, high-intensity/high severity wildfires adjacent to the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). 3. Manage for future forestry practices, and current forest health concerns, by creating resiliency through means of managing stand composition and structure to create multiple age classes and species diversity. 4. Reduce sediment loading, improve water quality and quantity, and reduce fire risk to rangeland streams. 5. Restore up to 5 miles of riparian habitat to support populations of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout, amphibians such as Northern Leopard frog and Boreal Toad, and other aquatic life. 6. Restore wet meadow wetland conditions that benefit Greater sage-grouse on private rangeland properties using low-tech process-based restoration (BDAs) and riparian fencing. The primary objectives of our FY25 proposal are to carry out 1) forestry work intended to reduce the risk of large fires, improve aspen habitat, and improve rangeland health, 2) several riparian restoration projects intended to improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and resilience of water systems to fire, flood, and drought. Specifically, we will carry out: 1. Mechanical treatment of 335 acres of subalpine fir to support aspen regeneration 2. Mastication of juniper on approximately 40 acres of private land to address juniper encroachment into rangeland and riparian areas. 3. Complete up to 11 low-tech process-based restoration projects using beaver dam analogs in tributaries to Chalk Creek, Echo Canyon, and Rockport Reservoir. 4. Install a low-water crossing of Sage Creek to reduce erosion and widening driven by cattle 5. Implement riparian fencing of up to 1 stream-mile in Echo Canyon, plus planning for additional fencing projects in the watershed 6. Implement riparian fencing in Middle Canyon (Chalk Creek) to protect juvenile aspen trees and riparian/wetland habitat.

LOCATION: Forestry work location: Decades of fire suppression have left much of the region's conifer forest in need of updated management strategies to reduce the risk of uncharacteristically large fires. Thinning and prescribed burning of conifer stands in Whites creek were selected based on conifer encroachment on regenerating aspen stands, region-wide needs for fuel management, and landowner buy-in. A recent study from USU (Wall et al. 2023) identified the project area as a significant potential debris source to the Weber River in the event of a large fire. The conifer thinning in the Chalk Creek was developed with landowners interested in reducing fire risk, improving rangeland health, and big game habitat. Both project areas are located near important mule deer migration corridors, but are currently 'low use', suggesting the need for habitat improvement. Project locations for proposed riparian restoration work (BDAs, off-channel water systems, riparian fencing) were identified with input from local land stewards, Utah DWR and DEQ representatives, and a number of management plans directed towards improving habitat and water quality (Chalk Creek Coordinated Resource Management Plan, South Fork Chalk Creek Coordinated Resource Management Plan, Rockport Reservoir and Echo Reservoir TMDL, Echo Canyon TMDL & Watershed Plan, Utah Wildlife Action Plan, Managing Sediment in Utah's Reservoirs, Weber River Watershed Plan). As part of several multi-phase projects throughout the entire Weber watershed, these projects represent a part of a whole in work that is being done to restore ecological resilience in the area which has been compromised by historically poor land management practices. Several phases of riparian restoration work in the Weber Headwaters have been completed to date, and continued investment in this area will ensure continued progress toward resilience and restoration goals. To date, at least 8 low-tech process based riparian restoration projects have been completed in Chalk Creek watershed, benefitting wildlife, agricultural producers, and municipal water users. These projects have included BDAs, beaver reintroduction, pond levelers, and riparian fencing cattle exclosures. Additional completed riparian projects in the Weber headwaters include 30 BDAs in Cotton's Creek- tributary to Rockport Reservoir, Red Pine Creek upstream of Smith and Morehouse Reservoir, and Echo Canyon-- significant tributary and sediment source to Weber Canyon. TIMING Forestry work: If action is delayed and timely disturbance is not reintroduced into existing mixed aspen-conifer stands, then the resource will continue to decline within the watershed, increasing the wildfire threat to the nearby WUI and severely damaging soils, water quality and wildlife habitat. In a No-Action alternative treatment, conifers will outcompete shade-intolerant aspen eventually crossing a threshold where conifers further dominate. Soil moisture and water availability in this snow-dependent system will decrease as conifer canopy increases due to conifer intercepting precipitation before it reaches the forest floor, reducing groundwater infiltration and increasing evaporative loss. The 2019 National Hazards Mitigation Report revealed that investing in the upfront costs of wildfire fuel reduction treatments can deliver a 4:1 investment return. A 2020 study, published by UCANR Forest Advisors, of the comprehensive costs of wildfire in California, estimated that the 2018 wildfires cost the state around $150 Billion Dollars. Locally, the 2018 Dollar Ridge Fire (Duchesne County, Utah) demonstrated the high cost of inaction: in its wake, in the first three years the water utility has paid water treatment costs of over $44 million, representing a 15x increase in operating costs. Additional costs are expected to accrue. Similarly, the 1996 Buffalo Creek wildfire and the 2002 Hayman wildfire both occurred in the Upper South Platte watershed of Colorado's front range. Pre-fire inaction combined with post-fire heavy rainfall brought 1 million cubic yards of sediment into Strontia Springs Reservoir, or 40 years' worth of sediment in one event, which interrupted service for two months. Treating just the headwaters of the watershed, that provides for 1.2M downstream residents, could cost upwards of $170 million dollars. Summit County is ambitiously creating a Resilience Fund, pursuing $30 million dollars for upfront treatment cost and creating a lasting endowment for maintenance work; these funds will be leveraged for grants such as this one to fill the funding gap. Riparian restoration: Loss of riparian vegetation and floodplain connectivity have stripped our region's headwaters of resilience to climate extremes, both in terms of flow events and thermal stress on Bonneville Cutthroat Trout. Chalk Creek, for instance, experienced multiple temperature spikes above critical thresholds for coldwater trout species that use the watershed. We must act now to re-build resilience into our waterways. Sediment loading and bank erosion will only continue to increase without intervention. Riparian restoration takes many years. BDA implementation, and hopefully the future release of beavers, will kickstart the restoration process. Additionally, because the projects are located in headwater streams, benefits will be seen throughout the entire watershed. Stream crossing improvements are a restoration technique that only gets more cost prohibitive as time goes on. The current incision of 3' and 4' is already near the limit of cost effective restoration. As time goes on, incision will only increase and a simple crossing reinforcement will no longer be effective without additional cost because it will be harder to make up for the gap. As mentioned above, riparian zones are highly sensitive ecosystems and can quickly cross thresholds that are difficult to return from. Fencing is a simple and effective way to stop ecosystem changes and improve riparian health by completely removing access by livestock. This will reduce erosion, sedimentation, and nutrient deposition almost completely from these currently highly trafficked areas. In addition to the ecological thresholds mentioned for riparian projects above, funding for this project addresses a time-sensitive need to take advantage of significant federal funding available in the region. Trout Unlimited and Sageland Collaborative are seeking funds to supplement a Bureau of Reclamation WaterSmart grant to build beaver dam analogs in South Fork Chalk Creek, Fish Creek, Hay Hollow, and Crandall Canyon. Sageland Collaborative, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, and Utah Division of Water Quality are partnering on four additional projects in Echo Canyon and the East Fork of Chalk Creek. We are also seeking matching support for EPA 319 grants to complete projects in Echo Canyon (Brown Creek, Rees Creek, Echo Creek BDAs & riparian fencing). Finally, it is worth mentioning that the support of landowners who we've partnered with to develop this project also brings some time sensitivity. The Weber Watershed is notable for the collaborative nature among land managers and agricultural producers to address wildlife habitat, water quality, rangeland health, and fire resilience. We do not take for granted the time and effort that producers put into planning, coordinating, and partnering on these projects up front, and their trust in agencies and NGOs to help them steward the watershed. Wall, S., Murphy, BP, Belmont, P, Yocum, L. 2023. Predicting post-fire debris flow grain sizes and depositional volumes in the Intermountain West, Untied States. Earth Surface Processes 48(1) 179-197.

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 overstocked/encroaching conifers, providing public needs benefits of utilizing industry and improve water quality/quantity with decrease of wildfire risk, creating sustainability of aspen ecosystems for wildlife and future generations. 2023 Whites Creek Forest Stewardship Plan objectives include: Manage forest resources in the best interest of forest health, which should minimize losses associated with injurious insects and diseases. Maintain or enhance wildlife use by a variety of big games species. Maintain favorable aesthetics, by means of preventing large scale tree mortality. Mechanical treatments proposed here will meet landowner objectives listed in their Forest Stewardship Plan as forest health, wildlife habitat, and maintaining aesthetics through fuels reduction and decreasing risk of high intensity wildfire. Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan objectives include: Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat in ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into aspen habitats. Seek opportunities through WRI to improve aspen communities that provide crucial summer habitat for mule deer. Encourage land managers to manage portions of aspen/conifer forest in early successional stages using various methods including timber harvest and managed fire. Chalk Creek (Deer Mgmt Unit 6) and Kamas (Deer Mgmt Unit 7) are a habitat restoration priority area for mule deer in Utah. This project will address several objectives in the Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan. Northern Goshawk of Utah: Habitat Assessment and Management Recommendations: Early and mid-seral species should be increased using both mechanical means and fire. Policies should be adopted to manage for the production of large early seral species through clearings, thinnings, and weedings, using mechanical means or fire. Fire or mechanical treatments or both should be used to create conditions favorable to quaking aspen. Proposed mechanical treatment in conifer will create favorable aspen habitat. UDWR Wildlife Action Plan: While the Aspen-Conifer physical (abiotic) habitat remains largely intact in Utah, coverage of aspen itself within that setting has declined greatly for two main reasons: (1) departure from natural fire regime (reduction in disturbance), resulting in widespread forest succession to conifer dominance; and (2) heavy ungulate browsing on young aspen stems, following disturbance. Increased disturbance from either prescribed or natural fire over a large treatment area helps distribute ungulate browse pressure. Mechanical disturbance can also be used to stimulate aspen regeneration and improve disease resilience. As with fire, larger mechanical treatment areas serve to distribute browsing pressure and reduce damage to individual stems, increasing regeneration success. Reduction of conifer will align more closely the natural fire regime. The large size of the project will decrease ungulate browning pressure on new aspen regeneration. State of Utah Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy: Rather than just reducing fires, the ultimate goal is to return landscapes to a condition of health and resilience that allows for wildfires to burn without becoming catastrophic to either human or natural systems. Proposed mechanical fuel reduction in Whites Creek and South Fork Chalk Creek, address the objectives listed in the Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy. 2017 G&E Blonquist Ranch Forest Stewardship Plan objective include: Maintain, improve and utilize range resources for long-term, sustained livestock management, grazing and forage production. Reducing juniper encroachment into rangeland and riparian will promote improved rangeland health and condition by increasing available forage. Chalk Creek Coordinated Resource Management Plan (Utah Division of Water Quality, 1994) objectives include: Reduce sediment coming from rangeland Protect and stabilize eroding stream banks/stream channels to reduce sediment, improve stream function, and reduce flood damage Improve fishery habitat for game fish Proposed BDA project locations in South Fork Chalk Creek, Hay Hollow, Fish Creek, Red Hole Creek, and Clear Creek address the above objectives listed in the Chalk Creek Coordinated Resource Management Plan. South Fork Chalk Creek Coordinated Resource Management Plan (Summit County Conservation District, 2015) objectives include: - Enhance and restore healthy riparian corridors - Enhance the capacity for the watershed to retain seasonal runoff and snow storage - Improve wildlife habitat on a watershed scale - Improve stream habitat for all aquatic species Proposed BDA project locations in South Fork Chalk Creek, Hay Hollow, and Fish Creek address the objectives listed in the South Fork Chalk Creek Coordinated Resource Management Plan Rockport Reservoir and Echo Reservoir Total Maximum Daily Load (Utah Division of Water Quality, 2013) Objectives: Nutrient reductions (Total Phosphorus (TP) and Total Nitrogen (TN)) in Echo and Rockport reservoirs Proposed BDA's locations in the Chalk Creek watershed (impacts Echo Reservoir) and direct drainage of Crandall Canyon into Rockport Reservoir will reduce TP and TN discharge and also reduce sediment loading caused by channel erosion called out in the TMDL. Utah Division of Water Quality: Echo Canyon TMDL (2006): Echo Canyon is a coldwater fishery with naturally erodible soils and a long history of human-caused riparian degradation. A TMDL published in 2006 describes Echo Canyon Creek as impaired for beneficial uses of coldwater fisheries, primarily by sediment. Trapping and removal of beaver dams, riparian vegetation removal, road and railway construction, and improper grazing have degraded riparian habitat throughout the canyon, causing significant sediment erosion and down-cutting of stream channels. Echo Creek contributes up to 23% of excess sediment in the lower Weber River, costing about $120,000 in treatment costs Echo Canyon Watershed Plan (2024): UT DEQ and partners are in the process of revisiting the TMDL, re-engaging stakeholders in the watershed to develop a list of shovel-ready projects, and publishing an updated Watershed Plan based on the 2007 TMDL. Based on preliminary findings during field surveys in 2023, the watershed is largely unchanged since the TMDL was published. Two pilot BDA projects were completed in 2023 with funding from the WRI & EPA 319 program (Brown Creek BDAs, Rees Creek BDAs). Riparian restoration projects in Echo Canyon proposed here (Echo Creek main stem BDA, Rees Creek Phase 2 BDA, Brown Creek riparian fencing, off-channel water systems) were all developed during the above-mentioned stakeholder engagement process, and bring matching funds from EPA & NRCS. The draft Watershed Plan recommends revegetation of riparian corridors throughout Echo Canyon through riparian cattle exclosures, tree planting, reducing broadcast herbicide spraying, and re-establishing riparian hydrology with BDAs. The watershed plan also estimates that BDAs in the watersheds could also directly reduce sediment loading by capturing as much as 6.79 tons of sediment per structure when full. DWQ 2024 Target Basin: The Weber River watershed is the target basin for EPA 319 funding through Utah Division of Water Quality's nonpoint source management program. Three EPA 319 grants to partners on this WRI proposal were recently approved for nearly $400,000 of funding for projects in Echo Canyon. Matching support from WRI will allow us to take advantage of this opportunity. Utah Wildlife Action Plan (Utah Division of Wildlife, 2015) Priorities: BDA projects address the threats of sediment transport imbalance, channel downcutting, and improper grazing. BDAs can reduce channel incision and bring balance back to sediment transport in the stream systems by adding complexity where it has been lost due to improper grazing practices and long-term habitat change. Utah Wildlife Action Plan 2017 Update: ""Increase cover and extent of native riparian vegetation by restoring beavers on the landscape, where social and environmental factors permit." BDA projects in this proposal have been planned with the use of beaver as a restoration tool in mind. Where appropriate, this tool has been discussed with stakeholders. Project partners are equipped to support wildlife conflict management techniques that align with restoration goals. Managing Sediment in Utah's Reservoirs (March 2010, Utah DNR, Division of Water Resources) recommendation: "Those organizations already involved in watershed management . . . should continue to improve watershed management programs and target problem areas" This document calls out livestock grazing and agriculture as having widespread impacts on the state's watersheds, noting that the actions cause reductions in ground cover leading to increased erosion and sediment yield. BDAs will help mitigate issues relating to these impacts by trapping sediment as it flows downstream, preventing further sediment inputs into the state's rivers and reservoirs. Furthermore, cattle exclusion fencing and off-channel water projects are proposed in two tributaries of Echo Creek watershed (Brown Creek, Rees Creek) which will allow for regrowth in delicate riparian areas, leading to more stable soils, and less erosion/sediment. Weber River Watershed Plan (2014) Habitat Restoration Strategy 1-Riparian Management -- Fence Riparian areas to protect aquatic resources and terrestrial wildlife values from intense grazing practices -- Identify and prioritize appropriate locations or opportunities to install grazing exclusions or riparian pasture areas. Exclusion fencing projects in the planning and implementation stages in this proposal directly address this strategy to protect aquatic resources and terrestrial wildlife from further degradation.

The combination of an essential watershed, high recreation use, and a high to extreme wildfire risk rating according to Utah Wildland Risk Assessment Portal (UWRAP) designated Weber River Watershed project a priority area for WRI and the Shared Stewardship program. Decades of wildfire suppression has resulted in stand vigor dominated by disease and insect infestation. Massive amounts of dead/down and dying conifers fill the landscape predisposing it to uncharacteristic wildfire. These wildfire impacts continue to worsen as the American West, currently facing historic drought conditions and climate change impacts, is getting warmer and drier. At the same time spending is not keeping pace with the increasing costs of wildfire suppression. While fuel treatments will continue to be important for minimizing the undesirable ecological effects of fire, and for enhancing firefighter safety; treatments must be implemented strategically across large areas. Collaboration among agencies, private landowners, and other organizations is critical for ensuring resilience and sustainable forest management. Inaction will contribute to commerce, infrastructure, and private property damage. Pro-active planning and action will increase resilience in the Weber River watershed and enhance and safeguard the drinking water for over 1.2 M Utahns, protect the nearly $5 billion in gross regional product in Summit County, and preserve our way of life. This project promotes wildfire adaptive communities, wildfire resilient ecosystems and will pave the way for future fire risk reduction efforts including controlled burns through the USFS. (Taken from the FY24 Weber Proposal). BDAs have the ability to raise the water table which increases the amount of time water is present on the landscape. This creates natural fire breaks that can slow down or even stop wildfires (Fairfax & Whittle 2022). Chalk Creek headwaters remain relatively pristine, providing vital habitat to bonneville cutthroat trout, sage-grouse, elk, mule deer, cougar, bear, and moose.

After severe and intense wildfires, soils become hydrophobic, increasing runoff and decreasing the soil moisture content in the ecosystem. Runoff negatively impacts water quality by introducing large quantities of erosive sediment, ashes and other chemical contaminants into the river system. Intense/severe wildfires can cause riparian areas to be denuded of vegetation, increase water temperature, decrease dissolved oxygen, and lead to eutrophication and poisoning of aquatic organisms. Forest managers can mitigate wildfire effects on water quality by using prescribed fire and mechanical tools to reduce hazardous fuel loads. BDAs act as natural filters, catching sediment and improving water quality. In case of a fire, natural fuel breaks that BDAs create will also catch and help to filter excess ash and sediment produced by wildfires. BDAs also buffer streamflow extremes by reducing intensity of storm events, and promoting sustained baseflow during dry months. BDAs also improve water quantity for wildlife and livestock by increasing near-stream/floodplain soil moisture, promoting healthy riparian growth. BDAs and the healthy riparian corridors they promote provide water quality & quantity benefits for human water use (irrigation and municipal) downstream as well, by reducing sediment loads to Echo and Rockport reservoirs and the Weber River. The stream crossing on Sage creek will reduce sediment and improve water quality by decreasing erosion caused by a side-by-side and herd of cattle crossing the stream almost daily. Decreasing sediment improves habitat for fish and reduces the need for expensive sediment removal in reservoirs and water processing facilities. Water quality will also be improved by riparian planting. Water quality is vastly improved with the installation of riparian and wet meadow fencing. In areas of grazing, such as our project sites, fencing is a simple way to keep cows or sheep from trampling and defecating in water that will be used downstream by other animals and humans. This slows erosion, reduces sediment transport, and limits excess nutrient runoff, all of which are the top causes of pollution in the Weber.

All mechanical cut and pile acres proposed in the Weber Headwaters are currently under Archeological Contract through WRI #6545 and are to be completed by the end of August 24'. Juniper mastication in Chalk Creek will need Archeological survey before the project can be implemented. Stream alteration permits are required for all BDAs, and currently in place or submitted for Fish Creek Phase 5, Clear Creek, and Cotton's Creek. Additional Stream Alteration permits for Echo Creek, Rees Creek, Red Hole Creek, Fish Creek Phases 6 & 7, South Fork Chalk Creek, Crandall Canyon, Hay Hollow, are on track for submission in early 2024. A cultural resources walk with UDWR partners will be completed at each site before BDA installation begins. Sites with potential suitable habitat for federally threatened Ute ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis) have already been surveyed by partners at USBOR with no suitable habitat and no individuals found. A portion of the BDA projects (Cottons Creek, Fish Creek phases 5-7, South Fork Chalk Creek, Hay Hollow, and Crandall Canyon) are subject to NEPA clearance due to matching funds and a significant federal nexus (US BOR WaterSMART grant). A categorical exclusion for these projects is in progress, supported by USBOR. Four of the proposed BDA sites fall within Summit County, UT's flood hazard zones (i.e. FEMA Zone A with no base flood elevation), requiring a floodplain development permit. These permit applications are underway. The stream crossing project on Three Springs Ranch will require a stream alteration permit which will be submitted in early 2024, along with a cultural resources assessment. The site does not fall within a flood hazard zone, so a floodplain development permit will not be necessary. Riparian fencing projects in Echo Canyon and Chalk Creek watersheds will acquire all necessary permits and comply with all applicable laws and ordinances as deemed necessary during project planning. (Cultural Resources clearance/SHPO, stream alteration permits, floodplain development, flood control). Where USFWS funds/contributions occur, USFWS Partners Program will complete compliance on private lands prior to work being implemented.

The G&E Ranch juniper mastication consists of about 40 acres. Contracts will be awarded through State Purchasing. The successful bidder will utilize an excavator with mastication head to masticate all juniper within the project area to be completed by June 30th 2025. Some materials will be utilized for BDAs in South Fork Chalk Creek. FFSL is leading this project. Whites Creek mechanical treatment area consists of approximately 335 acres. It's currently under contract to have an Archeology survey by the end of August 2024 utilizing funds from WRI #6545. Due to the size, this project will take approximately 2-3 years to complete with an estimated completion date at the latest by June 30th 2027. State Purchasing will award the contract and the vendor will utilize a feller buncher, skidder, and excavator with grapple to stack cut standing live, dead and dowed subalpine fir into burn piles and to be later burned by FFSL staff during favorable conditions. The project manager has been unsuccessful in finding operators to take and utilize cut material and the cost to improve 3.5 miles of road for hauling would be costly. Low-tech process-based Restoration Methods: Low-tech restoration structures such as beaver dam analogs (BDAs) are built using hand tools following best management practices and specifications described in Wheaton et al. 2019 Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration of Riverscapes: Design Manual). Briefly, each BDA involves installing 2-4" diameter untreated wooden posts 12-18" apart across the stream channel. Posts are driven at least 18" into the streambed with a gas powered or hydraulic post pounder, then trimmed to the ordinary high water mark. Contractors, volunteers, partners, and landowners/families will contribute to installing the fence posts and adding fill materials found on-site (i.e. using rocks and branches). Construction will occur in the fall after fish spawning and migratory bird nesting season is complete. No large motorized equipment will be used within the riparian zone, and projects are timed to avoid spawning of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and nesting season for migratory birds. These projects are located on privately owned rangeland properties throughout the Weber Basin, with special emphasis on Echo Canyon and Chalk Creek to improve habitat for Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and other native coldwater fishes. Several project partners (Sageland Collaborative, TU, UDAF, UDWR) are managing these projects. See the Finance section for a full breakdown of roles & responsibilities by restoration site. Low Stream Crossing (Sage Creek/ 3 Springs Ranch): UDAF is leading this project to address widening and erosion of Sage Creek at the location of an old low-water crossing for cattle. UDAF will work with the landowner to reinforce this crossing using geocells filled with rock aggregate. Geocells are still a relatively unused product at this point, but show a lot of promise in stream stabilization in a way that is much less detrimental than an alternative such as rip rap. The rock fill is less likely to wash away than it would be without the geocells. They also wouldn't face degradation like concrete because the material is porous and allows water to travel through. Geocells were recommended for use by TU, as they are a fish friendly alternative. The cells will be buried to maintain the natural level of the stream bottom so fish passage will not be impeded at all. Riparian Cattle Exclosure projects: TU will design and establish locations for up to two cattle exclusion fencing projects in Echo Canyon. Design of the fencing will follow advice from UT DWR and the best management practices as outlined in Colorado Division of Wildlife's "Fencing with Wildlife in Mind". Fencing will be installed in strategic locations alongside BDAs and other restoration practices to alleviate the stress on riparian vegetation from livestock and maximize restoration success. With locations established, TU staff will set up photo monitoring stations at each site and capture preliminary imagery as well as drone imagery of the area. UDAF is leading one cattle exclusion fence project in Middle Canyon (Chalk Creek) and will use similar methods for fencing described for Echo Canyon projects.

FFSL will conduct post 3 and 5 year post treatment aspen regeneration fixed plots to measure number of aspen stems per acre. Post treatment photos and data will be available under the WRI project proposal. Sageland Collaborative will carry out rapid stream-riparian assessments (RSRA) surveys on each BDA site before & annually after construction to assess habitat changes over time, and support adaptive management toward restoration goals. Sageland Collaborative and UT Division of Wildlife Resources are working out together to carry out drone-based monitoring of stream geomorphology and sediment storage at up to three sites in Echo Canyon. We will also monitor restoration sites for habitat and presence of pollinators of conservation need such as Western Bumblebee and Monarch Butterfly using the smartphone based Utah Pollinator Pursuit Survey123 form. This data is reviewed by UDWR colleagues before feeding directly into Utah's Natural Heritage Database. Utah Department of Ag & Food, and UT Division of Water Quality are implementing a monitoring program to support updates to Echo Canyon's Watershed Plan and TMDL for sediment, as well as photo points and cross-section surveys. Photo point locations will be established for exclusion fencing projects completed by Trout Unlimited following NRCS Guide to Photo Point monitoring and adapted to fit local needs. In addition to photo point monitoring, before and after drone imagery will be captured to document changes to the landscape in response to exclusion efforts. A miniDOT sensor will be employed before installation to monitor for changes in temperature and dissolved oxygen. Sediment can adversely affect dissolved oxygen rates, so the miniDOT will give an indication on whether sediment is decreasing or not. Photos will be taken of all plantings and monitored for success. Additional plantings will occur if necessary. Vegetation mapping will occur before and after installation to monitor any changes in plant composition resulting from riparian and wet meadow fencing. Photo points will be established and continue for 5 years. The USFWS Partners Program will work with partners to complete some of the monitoring described, as well as doing our own photo point monitoring. Also, as part of the USFWS landowner agreement, USFWS biologists will visit the sites at minimum once per year to assess needs, success, failures, and the need for any follow-up treatments/maintenance for the duration of the 10-year Landowner Agreement. After photos and documentation will be uploaded to WRI website.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources: provided recommendations on restoration site locations & practices, support for 'living with beaver' practices, leads trapping and transport of beaver for restoration purposes. UDWR partner Shane Hill is submitting a separate WRI proposal for work in one of the same HUC10 watersheds listed in this proposal (Echo Creek / Henefer-Echo WMA) for work on the eastern extent of that watershed. Despite being on separate WRI proposals, these efforts are coordinated, and UDWR will transport some of the thinned conifers as fill for BDAs higher in the watershed. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners program (Destiny Allgood) has provided expertise on LTPBR projects proposed here during the planning process, and will provide logistical support (i.e. trailer to transport materials) and potential matching federal funds as needed. The Partners Program will also provide financial assistance to FFSL to assist with bullhog treatments and to UDAF to install a riparian fence to protect a wet meadow and to install a geoweb soil stabilizer into a stream crossing. Forestry Fire and State Lands - Project planning/design of mechanical treatments, treatment implementation/contracting and technical advice/education. Private landowners: G&E Ranch private landowner - Support for the project & help with project development for mastication. G Bar Ventures private landowner- Support for the project & help with project development and oversight for BDAs, staging materials, providing lunch and camping opportunities for BDAs, outreach efforts with broader ag community. New Legacy Properties private landowner - Support for project & help with project development. Ensign Ranch Private Landowner: Support for the project, site selection & help with staging materials for riparian projects. Wanship Range Company private landowner: Support for the project, site access logistics. Colby Pace, private landowner & rancher: Support for the project, outreach support among ag community, chair of Summit Conservation District, logistical support for project implementation. North & South Summit Conservation District - Support for the project and providing landowner financial cost share assistance through UDAF Invasive Species Weed Mitigation Grant for any post treatment weed concerns. Lone Peak Conservation Center - Providing assistance for pile burning efforts. Utah Dept of Agriculture and Food: planning, landowner outreach, monitoring sites in Chalk Creek, Echo Canyon, and Sage Creek/3 Springs Ranch. Sageland Collaborative: BDA site project design, monitoring, volunteer recruitment, overall implementation and logistical support for all 11 BDA projects. Leading permit process for 7 BDA projects, procurement fence posts and contractors for two BDA projects. In-kind and matching contributions from volunteer events, general operating funds, and two federal grants (USBOR & EPA 319). The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBOR) is an important partner on this project, contributing significant matching funds through a WaterSMART grant. USBOR is also leading the NEPA clearance process for sites that are receiving federal funding support. Trout Unlimited-- contractor and fence post recruitment for 7 sites associated with USBOR WaterSmart Grant, Coordination with USBOR on NEPA approvals, implementation of 7 projects, matching support from federal grant. Planning and design for Echo Canyon fencing projects (Landowner meetings, site visits, cost estimates/design) as well as fencing project monitoring Summit County: supporting funds (from other grant sources) to FFSL and USFS in order to leverage WRI funding, ensuring increased pace/scale and extending the reach of WRI funding pool. The County also serves as an outreach and education arm of both agencies and other partners, advocating for private landowner participation in restoration projects, promoting crossboundary stewardship and true watershed scale project reach.

Additional phases will likely include more mechanical treatments, cut and pile, as well as prescribed burns. Invasive and noxious weeds may be treated where appropriate and allowable. Private landowners, while being monitored by Summit County Public Lands office, will be responsible for retreatments of individual properties or for providing a maintenance easement for future retreatments and future management on private lands. Partners on this proposal are committed to continually working with private landowners to ensure long-term restoration outcomes. Project partners are committed to evaluate the need for maintenance of restoration structures. Where appropriate, in partnership with UDWR, partners on this project will support expansion of beaver activity to achieve watershed restoration outcomes. Several partners on this project are undertaking training in 'living with beaver' practices that we can share with landowners if problems arise related to beaver activity. We are also working with ranchers and landowners in the project area to identify opportunities to temporarily reduce grazing pressure on restoration project areas through fencing and off-channel water systems. These projects are supported by EPA 319 funds, and a NRCS strategic fund pool. Future phases and ongoing management of the riparian projects proposed here may also include additional BDAs, additional riparian fencing, off-channel water systems, riparian/ wetland plantings.

Post-treatment conditions for the juniper mastication and conifer cutting will promote an increase in forage availability for both big game (elk, mule deer, moose) and domestic livestock, increase available surface water, and soil moisture, by reducing conifer canopy cover promoting light to enter the forest floor, resulting in a more productive aspen cover and grass understory. All BDA projects proposed here are located on rangelands used by cattle and sheep. BDAs increase in time of water spent on the landscape, improving forage productivity and providing drinking water to livestock. This increase in water storage, high- protein forage also benefits big game (mule deer, elk) that rely on public and private lands in this region. The proposed stream crossing project on 3 springs ranch will improve distribution of livestock as it will be easier to move them around the ranch. Stream crossing will no longer be impeded by extremely muddy conditions. Less directly, the implementation of a novel restoration technique such as geocells could be used as an example site for similar projects, potentially reducing the use of harmful riprap stabilization techniques. Wildlife-friendly riparian fencing will follow the guidelines of "A Landowner's Guide to Wildlife Friendly Fences: How to Build Fences With Wildlife in Mind" to ensure wildlife movement is not drastically impeded by fence installation. This project will improve recreation opportunities for hunting and fishing by supporting big game habitat throughout the watershed generally, with all activities taking place on either public land (USFS conifer thinning) or UDWR's cooperative wildlife management units (Juniper mastication & BDAs). Additionally, two of the projects are located on publicly accessible projects in UDWR's walk-in access program.