The San Pitch Mtn Mule Deer Habitat RX Project Cultural Surveys proposes to use prescribed fire to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires, increase resilience of existing vegetation groups, and improve ecological function in native vegetation communities and wildlife habitats that are critical for mule deer and other big game. This projects wildlife intent is to improve transitional big game habitat, in order to increase fat percentages in foraging and browsing ungulates within the San Pitch Mountains. Habitat currently consists of heavily encroached aspen woodlands by spruce-fir, decadent sage brush nearing the end of its respective lifecycle and subsequent low productivity in the understory due to late seral species, reduced forb production, and shrub communities with minimal diversity and late succession shrubs. Historically, mule deer carrying capacity has increased on winter ranges that have experienced an increase in shrub density (Urness 1979). However, on many sagebrush ranges in Utah, shrub density has peaked, and plant communities have become dominated by old, decadent shrubs. Browse production has decreased dramatically in these areas, especially during recent drought periods (Davis and others 2000). Historically, wildfire and indigenous burning of varying intensities naturally thinned vegetation and limited fuel loading in a natural fire regime through the west. Throughout the 20th century, human activities, including fire suppression, mining, introduction of invasive species, timber harvesting, and livestock grazing, altered this natural fire regime. Without regular wildfire, stand composition and structure has been altered and fuel loading has increased. This, in turn, has caused the size and severity of wildfire on hot, dry years to increase. Effects of a changing climate, such as reduced winter precipitation, earlier spring snowmelt, and longer dry seasons have also played a role in this shift. Risks to communities and natural resources are expanding, and the environment is increasingly more dangerous for firefighters. Additionally, critical wildlife habitats are being lost due to the size and severity of wildfires coupled with invasive species dominating post-fire. Encroachment of trees into areas that would have been more open with a natural fire regime are also impacting habitats for species such as sage-grouse, mule deer, and elk. In other areas the increasing density of trees and brush is limiting movement and forage growth for species. There is a need to take actions to improve the health and resiliency of vegetation communities and habitats in these fire-dependent ecosystems on the Manti-La Sal National Forest to meet the following purposes: --Improve and increase the amount of habitat for wildlife species dependent upon early successional vegetation (i.e., mule deer, elk, and Northern goshawk); --Increase composition of preferred forage species such as bitterbrush, shrubs and forbs; --Reduce the risk of severe impacts from high intensity wildfires to key ecosystem components which includes various species habitats and connectivity corridors by modifying and reducing natural fuel accumulation; --Increase resiliency of existing vegetation groups and improve plant vigor by improving stand structure diversity/age classes and composition. --Improve the proper ecological function of vegetative communities and wildlife habitats. --Improve ecosystem health and function and increase resilience to wildfires in an environment that is trending toward warmer temperatures, drier conditions, and longer fire seasons. These changing climate conditions affect the extent and severity of fires, and can impede fire-dependent ecosystem recovery, potentially leading to a loss of key ecosystem components. The San Pitch Mtn Mule Deer habitat RX Project will increase the efficiency of vegetation community and habitat restoration actions successfully re-introducing prescribed fire at the landscape scale. And will initiate or accelerate ecosystem recovery and resiliency with respect to three values: --ecological health (productivity): Prescribed burning with pre-treatment actions would increase stand vigor, forest resiliency, and faster growth and development of individual trees. --integrity (species composition, community and ecosystem structure): Create more diverse forest structure with a broader distribution of tree age classes. Creation of more openings in the forest canopy; regeneration of declining aspen stands; restoration of natural meadows and savannahs; and increased development of understory grasses/forbs/shrubs. --sustainability (resistance and resilience to disturbance): Reduced risk of active crown fires by opening up forest canopies and reducing understory fuels. Providing enhanced growing space to increase vigor and increase tree's ability to thwart insect and disease attacks and enhance adaptation to forestall effects from uncertain future climate. Restoration goals are dependent on ecosystem recovery and resiliency, which is the ability of an ecosystem to absorb and recover from disturbances without altering its inherent function. No matter how well or poorly the three ecological values are met, none can be completely attainable in an environment that supports large-scale active crown fire. --In the long term, during the life of the project, the proposed action would benefit federally listed species or habitats occurring in the project area by achieving habitat restoration objectives using prescribed fire and by reducing the risk of large-scale uncharacteristic wildfires.

--Apply prescribed fire over 5,500 acres on the south end of the San Pitch range. --Target mixed conifer, seral aspen, pinyon/juniper, and gamble oak with mosaic burn patterns and mixed burn severities to reduce tree densities, increase forage production, promote aspen regeneration, and restore appropriate vegetation condition class. --Limit encroachment of conifer and pinyon-juniper into into high elevation sagebrush meadows. --Improve mule deer and other big game summer and transitional habitat converting late successional vegetation into early successional vegetation. --Increase composition of preferred forage species such as bitterbrush, shrubs and forbs. --Create a mosaic of vegetation age and structure to improve habitat diversity and forage production for wildlife. --Manage to control major habitat type conversions (mountain shrub to juniper). --Manage where shrub density has peaked, and plant communities have become dominated by old, decadent shrubs that have resulted in dramatic decrease in browse production, especially during recent drought periods.

The San Pitch mountains are an area on the Manti la Sal national forest that are critical both for wildlife habitat, drinking water, and infrastructure. The San Pitch Mountains provide summer, winter and transitional habitat for elk and mule deer. As identified in the need for the project the San Pitch Mountains has seen a significant reduction in browsing species due to late successional vegetative composition. Additionally, the San Pitch mountains border critical infrastructure, provide surface water to surrounding communities, and are seeing an increase in housing density adjacent to USFS lands. Much of the San Pitch falls within or borders shared stewardship identified priority areas. Much of the existing vegetation is departed from historical norms and is at risk of larger wildfires such as the Wood Hollow fire in 2012 and the Levan Fire in 2015. Treating these areas now will prevent catastrophic wildfire in the area, protect values at risk, and improve wildlife habitat. The USFS is also currently working towards adding several big game guzzlers across the San Pitch range, which will improve big game habitat. We did not combine with that project in this phase since we are only asking for cultural surveys right now. Additionally, the Utah Department of Forestry Fire and state lands is currently planning to begin implementation of prescribed burning on the private lands on the south end of the San Pitch mountains in the next couple years. Timing our project along side theirs will allow for additional cross agency support for completed these prescribed burns. We did not combine with that project in this phase since we are only asking for cultural surveys right now.

This project will help meet objectives and strategies from the following plans: The Manti La Sal National Forest Plan The San Pitch River Watershed, DWQ Water Quality Management Plan (See Documents) Objective 1: Improve stability of the stream channel and tributaries to enhance the riparian corridor and buffer zones to proper functioning condition. Objective 2: Obtain funding to implement BMPs for greatest improvement in the San Pitch River Watershed. Objective 3: Improve and conserve wildlife habitat in the watershed. The Utah Statewide Elk Management Plan: * Habitat Objective 1. Maintain elk habitat throughout the state by identifying and protecting existing crucial elk habitat and mitigating for losses due to human impacts. * Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of forage and cover on 250,000 acres of elk habitat with emphasis on calving habitat and upper elevation elk winter range by the end of this plan. The Utah Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan: * Habitat Objective 1. Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting existing critical habitats and mitigating for losses due to human impacts. * Habitat Objective 2. Improve the quality of forage and vegetation for mule deer on 200,000 acres of critical range. Mule Deer Management plan for herd unit 16 Central mountains: HABITAT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES - Deer Plan * Protect, maintain, and/or improve deer habitat through direct range improvements to support and maintain herd population management objectives. HABITAT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES * Continue to improve, protect, and restore sagebrush steppe habitats critical to deer. Cooperate with federal land management agencies and private landowners in carrying out habitat improvements such as pinion-juniper removal, reseedings, controlled burns, grazing management, water developments etc. on public and private lands. Habitat improvement projects will occur on both winter ranges as well as summer range. This project will also address some of the objectives and strategies listed in the elk management plan for unit 16 Central mountains including: Elk Management Plan for Central Mountains Manti Unit: * Manage for a population of healthy animals capable of providing a broad range of recreational opportunities, including hunting and viewing. Consider impacts of the elk herd on other land uses and public interests, including private property rights, agricultural crops and local economies. Maintain an elk population consistent with the available range resources and which is in balance with other range users such as domestic livestock, other big game and the need for watershed protection. * Maintain and enhance existing elk habitat through vegetative manipulation, sound domestic grazing practices, and other management techniques that will meet habitat objectives UNIT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES * Protect and maintain existing habitats that are functioning properly. Enhance elk habitat on a minimum of 20,000 acres during the next 5 years through direct range improvements. This will include the following specific objectives. * Remove pinion-juniper encroachment into winter range sagebrush parks and summer and transitional range mountain brush communities. Approximately 2,000 acres per year will be targeted using primarily mechanical treatments. The Division of Wildlife Resources Strategic Management Plan: Resource Goal: expand wildlife populations by protecting and improving wildlife habitat. Objective 1: protect existing wildlife habitat and improve 500,000 acres of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state. Constituency Goal: Achieve broad-based support for Division programs and budgets by demonstrating the value of wildlife to all citizens of Utah. Objective 2: improve communication with wildlife organizations, public officials, private landowners, and government agencies to obtain support for Division programs. South Sanpete County WMAs Habitat Management Plan: 1. Improve browse communities. 2. Maintain previous restoration projects.

Fire is a natural ecosystem process on the Manti-La Sal National Forest--it has shaped ecosystem composition, structure, and function. Prescribe burning will increase resiliency of existing vegetation, restore proper ecological function to native vegetation communities and wildlife habitats, improve firefighter and public safety, promote fire adapted communities within wildland-urban interfaces, along with reducing the risk of severe impacts from high-intensity wildfires. Risks to communities and natural resources are expanding and the environment is increasingly more dangerous for firefighters. Additionally, critical wildlife habitats are being lost due to the size and severity of wildfires coupled with invasive species dominating post-fire. Encroachment of trees into areas that would have been more open with a natural fire regime are also impacting habitats for species such as sage-grouse, mule deer, and elk. In other areas the increasing density of trees and brush is limiting movement and forage growth for species The San Pitch Mountains provide summer, winter and transitional habitat for elk and mule deer. Prescribed burning will improve areas for movement and forage for deer and elk. Additionally, the San Pitch mountains border critical infrastructure, provide surface water to surrounding communities, and are seeing an increase in housing density adjacent to USFS lands. Much of the San Pitch falls within or borders shared stewardship identified priority areas. Much of the existing vegetation is departed from historical norms and is at risk of larger wildfires such as the Wood Hollow fire in 2012 and the Levan Fire in 2015. Treating these areas now will prevent catastrophic wildfire in the area, protect values at risk, and improve wildlife habitat.

Much of the San Pitch Mountains are listed in the USFS Region 4 Quantitative Risk Analysis as moderate to very high risk being impacted by wildfire. The Levan Fire in 2015 was characterized by high intensity fire and resulted in major sedimentation flows during the summer monsoon immediately following the fire. Fire behavior over the last 2 decades have illustrated the potential for large uncontrollable fires across the Manti-La Sal with current fuel loading and conifer stand densities. A large wildlife would likely lead to large flood events. Water quantity could increase but most increase would be associated with storm events or early snow melt. This would likely lead to channel instability and downcutting. Ash, erosion from the fire, and erosion from channel adjustments would decrease water quality by increasing water turbidity and sediment loads. These effects could lead to extirpation of fish populations if the area burned was large enough. Water quantity (and quality) would return to near baseline levels as vegetation recovered over time, but channel adjustments such as down-cutting post-fire would likely have long-term consequences such as reduced areas of riparian habitat and wet meadows. By treating these areas using prescribed fire we can minimize these impacts by treating these areas over multiple years instead of losing them all at once to catastrophic wildfires. Prescribed fire treatments may result in short to moderate term impacts to water quality, but project design features will prevent long-term degradation. Project treatments will considerably lessen the risk of uncharacteristic large-scale high severity fires that could result in long-term watershed degradation. By increasing aspen component in the watershed long-term water quality and overall watershed function will be maintained or enhanced. The proposed prescribed burning is designed to be a low to moderate severity fire based on parameters that would be specified in a prescribed burn plan. In addition, design elements HS1-HS10, and an Implementation Checklist have been developed for this project to ensure soil functions and therefore soil quality is maintained. Prescribed fires, can also result in a positive soil response by expediting nutrient cycling, decreasing woody canopy cover, improving herbaceous response, and improving overall vegetative ground cover which improves overall soil functions. Positive impacts to the soil resources would be variable but extend 3 to 10 years after burning. Additionally, A recent publication by Roundy et al. 2014 (Pinyon-juniper reduction increases soil water availability of the resource growth pool. Range Ecology and Management 67:495-505) showed that phase 3 juniper removal can increase available moisture for more than 3 weeks in the spring. And removing juniper from phase 1 and 2 stands can increase water from 6-20 days respectively. Because juniper are prolific water users they readily out-compete. The San Pitch RX will both reduce the amount of pinyon-juniper and conifer and increase the amount of aspen in the watershed, thus improving overall water quality and quantity in the Chicken Creek and North San Pitch HUC 10 watersheds.

NEPA: The San Pitch RX will be implemented under the Manti La Sal National Forest Restoration and Fuels Reduction Prescribed Fire Project EA. Prior to using any prescribed fire, verification of specific treatment areas would be conducted by an interdisciplinary team of resource specialists to ensure treatment location and design are consistent with forest planning decisions and direction and will follow the approved implementation check list. Cultural and Historic Resources: The area of potential effect would be determined for each burn area/unit and would be surveyed to determine the specific resources present, as described in the Implementation Checklist. The archaeological sites on the Manti-La Sal National Forest would benefit in the long-term from the proposed action to return the forest to their natural fire regime by reducing the overgrowth of fuels within and surrounding the site boundaries. By removing excess hazardous fuels, the sites would be less susceptible to catastrophic, or high-intensity wildfires. To avoid any short term or long-term adverse effects or effects to archaeological sites on the Manti-La Sal National Forest by the proposed activities, archaeological resource surveys, once completed, would be consulted prior to initiation of work when the method to be used has the potential to damage and/or destroy an archaeological site. If an archaeological site is known to be or suspected to be in the area of proposed activities, then the site would be evaluated for protection guidelines and/or avoidance. If artifacts or archaeological features are discovered, work would stop in that location and a Forest Service archaeologist would be notified. The Forest Service would employ the design elements and implementation checklist to ensure there are no adverse effects to archaeological sites. Fish and Wildlife: Staff on the Manti-La Sal National Forest are consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about the project and effects, consistent with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. The project would be implemented to be consistent with the Endangered Species Act and project biological opinions or incidental take statements, if issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). In addition, Appendix 2 -- Implementation Checklist ensures the Manti-La Sal National Forest will notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of planned treatment areas prior to implementation. Consistent with FSM 2670.4 and to facilitate consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a biological assessment has been prepared. A list of threatened and endangered species, as well as candidate and those proposed for listing was generated via the IPaC system from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Design elements have been developed and incorporated into the proposal to alleviate concerns for possible significant effects. More detailed information and analysis for each affected species is provided in the biological assessments available for review on the project webpage. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Executive Order 13186 contain direction to promote the conservation and reduce the take of migratory birds. The Executive Order directs agencies to take certain actions to further comply with the migratory bird conventions, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and other pertinent statutes. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the USFWS and the USFS to strengthen migratory bird conservation by identifying and implementing strategies that promote conservation and avoid or minimize adverse impacts on migratory birds through enhanced collaboration. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, the Forest Service agreed to evaluate the effects of agency actions on migratory birds, focusing on birds of management concern along with their priority habitats and key risk factors. Species lists consulted for this analysis include the IPAC resource list of USFWS Birds of Conservation Concern, which was received specifically for this project, the Wildlife Action Plan (Utah Wildlife Action Plan Joint Team 2015), and the Partners in Flight Land Bird Conservation Plan (Rosenberg et al. 2016), which are listed in Table 10. Species that have already been addressed above are not included. Treatments that help prevent catastrophic fire and reduce the threat of insect and disease infestation may have short term or local negative impacts on migratory birds, but long term or broader scale benefits for bird populations. Air Quality: In order to proceed with prescribed burning, all state and federal air quality regulations must be met in order to obtain permission. Within the Forest Service, an approved burn plan must be in place to initiate and conduct any prescribed burning. Current policy states that burn plans will follow PMS 484 NWCG Prescribed Fire Planning and Implementation procedures guide (May 2022). The Prescribed Fire Plan (PMS 484-1) provides the template containing the site-specific requirements that provides the agency administrator the information needed to approve the plan, and the burn boss the information needed to implement the plan. Element 19 of the template, Smoke Management and Air Quality, described how the project will comply with local, county, state, tribal, and federal air quality regulations. The plan will identify what permits, if any, are needed. It will also identify potential smoke receptors, non-attainment areas, Class I areas, and restricted areas that may be impacted. It will also Include modeling outputs and mitigation strategies and techniques to reduce the impacts of smoke production, if required by State Implementation Plans (SIPs), Tribal Implementation Plans (TIPs), and/or state or local regulations.

This project intends to treat approximately 5,500 acres of aspen/mixed conifer and pinyon-juniper of the south end of the San Pitch range. Currently we are asking for funding for cultural surveys. Wildlife surveys will likely be completed by our local USFS biologist. Implementation will likely start in 2025. Implementation will include small diameter hand thinning of targeted conifer species followed by prescribed broadcast burning. Post RX seeding with native plants may occur as determined by forest botanist.

Pre and post implementation photos will be uploaded into WRI database by project manager. Prior to treatment photo monitoring sites will be identified. After the application of prescribed fire, post-treatment monitoring would occur, and based on certain conditions, additional follow-up actions may be triggered. These post-treatment activities are contained in more detail in the design elements and Implementation Checklist, but may include: --Monitoring to determine if prescribed fire objectives were met or if additional fire treatments may be needed to further meet objectives (for example, in areas where more than one prescribed fire entry is needed to address existing fuels or in the conifer forest type where we need to do pile burning or mastication before we can fully meet desired conditions with prescribed fire). --Rehabilitation of disturbed areas, such as fireline, revegetation, or re-seeding where it is determined by post-implementation monitoring that natural revegetation is not possible. --Addressing existing or new invasive species populations. --Replacing range improvements damaged from the implementation of the proposed action. --Monitoring to determine when to permit grazing re-entry to meet Forest Plan standard and to ensure adequate recovery of forage and native vegetation.

The USFS has coordinated and planned this project with UDWR habitat biologists with much support from UDWR. Improving this summer range habitat for mule deer is one of the highest priorities for the UDWR. US Forest Service - Manti-La Sal National Forest. The MLF currently working through NEPA clearance for forest wide prescribed fire. The MLF will also provide most of the personnel and equipment needed for the planned prescribed burning. BLM--The BLM will provide fire personnel and resources to support prescribed burning through regional agreement funded through USFS. Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, will provide additional support for prescribed burning through local agreements. Additionally, FFSL is working on additional prescribed burning on the private on the south end of the San Pitch mountains. The MLF is coordinating with them to provide additional reciprocal RX support for their project as well. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is coordinating the contractual services for cultural clearances. Additionally, the UDWR will likely be utilized for any pre-RX thinning contracts in the future phases of the project.

These post-treatment activities are contained in more detail in the design elements and Implementation Checklist, but may include: --Monitoring to determine if prescribed fire objectives were met or if additional fire treatments may be needed to further meet objectives (for example, in areas where more than one prescribed fire entry is needed to address existing fuels or in the conifer forest type where we need to do pile burning or mastication before we can fully meet desired conditions with prescribed fire). --Rehabilitation of disturbed areas, such as fireline, revegetation, or re-seeding where it is determined by post-implementation monitoring that natural revegetation is not possible. --Addressing existing or new invasive species populations. --Replacing range improvements damaged from the implementation of the proposed action. --Monitoring to determine when to permit grazing re-entry to meet Forest Plan standard and to ensure adequate recovery of forage and native vegetation. Following implementation of these acres, additional phases of prescribed burning and installation of guzzlers across the San Pitch range are being planned to take place in the future.

The project area is designated as important big game habitat for mule deer and elk. Restoring and enhancing the summer ranges big game species will be able to transition to their winter ranges with higher body fat and body condition. This will help them survive through the winter and allow more hunters to have the opportunity to harvest animals. The quality of mule deer and elk with larger antlers and more meat is also anticipated to increase with an increase in available forage. Additionally, recreationalists use the area for hiking, big game hunting, and antler collection. Two Federal Range Management Units (RMU) will be directly affected: Deep Canyon Pasture and Wells Pasture. All areas within the project will be evaluated post treatment by District Range Specialist and will be rested from grazing for the appropriate amount of time to allow for the growth of aspen and forbs. Overall, the amount of forage available to livestock is expected to increase significantly as a result of this project, with the removal of conifers from aspen and reduction in juniper density. The aspen understory is also expected to increase significantly. With increased forage livestock distribution and management is expected to improve. Many areas that are currently unproductive due to overgrowth will soon become desirable for future uses by livestock. This project will also reduce the threat of catastrophic fire impacting the adjacent gypsum mine in Chicken Creek which is important to the economy of the surrounding communities.