Mesic habitat in Utah is the rarest habitat type in the state and is disproportionately important to surrounding upland landscapes, people, livestock, and wildlife. Whenever the opportunity arises to restore and enhance mesic habitat, we need to act immediately. In the sagebrush biome, mesic habitats comprise less than two percent of the landscape, yet 80 percent of wildlife depend upon them to complete their life cycle. Additionally, researchers found that 85 percent of sage-grouse leks were located within six miles of mesic habitats, providing hens and their chicks access to nutrient-rich forbs and insects located in mesic habitats during critical brood-rearing stages (Donnelly et al. 2016). Furthermore, other sagebrush-dependent birds, like the sage sparrow, sage thrasher, and Brewer's sparrow, are declining in numbers due to loss of habitat and declining habitat quality. Research has suggested that these species depend on adjacent mesic resources for nesting and brood-rearing. Mesic areas provide the most biodiverse and nutrient-dense portions of the sagebrush systems. Therefore by increasing the extent and restoration of degraded mesic areas, we also improve pollinator habitat. Furthermore, conservationists are realizing the importance of late-season forbs for migrating monarch butterflies, a USFWS candidate species and a species that will benefit from our proposed project as they migrate to winter habitats in Mexico and California. Project Need and Objectives: This project will occur entirely within the Parker Mountain SGMA/PHMA. The area is a high-elevation sagebrush plateau that is home to one of Utah's most studied and historically most stable Greater Sage-grouse populations. However, the population reached a hard population trigger in 2021. Researchers found that on Parker Mountain, due to the scarcity of mesic resources, hens will often increase predation risk by taking their broods to the edge of aspen stands to satisfy the chick's needs for forbs and insects (Kohl et al. 2024, IN REVIEW). Researchers concluded that the extended drought (see figure in images) exacerbated the scarcity of forbs and insects, which resulted in lower chick survival that contributed to population declines. A goal of this project, in combination with the Parker Mountain Spike projects (#5972, 6595), is to increase the mesic resources in draws and ravines for broods. These treatments will help create more resilient sage-grouse habitats that will be able to mitigate some of the population impacts on sage-grouse populations. 2023 was characterized by above-average precipitation, which yielded an abundance of grasses and forbs, and it is expected that we will see increases in 2024 Lek counts. However, if droughts return, we hope the proposed projects will create some resilience in sage-grouse populations. Another goal of the project is the reduction in erosion-induced changes that further destabilize mesic areas. This will be accomplished as Zeedyk structures are installed that will stop/slow the rill and gully formation occurring in some of the draws and ravines above and below stock ponds. We will also focus on areas where water movement off of roads is beginning to form nick-points and head-cuts. Another goal is simply the creation of higher amounts of herbaceous/mesic vegetation which supports nutritional needs/resources for pronghorn, deer, turkeys, and wintering elk. The Parker Mountain area is a focus of the WRI Partners Program, and this project will enhance many of the surrounding projects completed on private, state, and public lands. The area consists of roughly 300,000 acres of contiguous sagebrush steppe habitat with meadows in some of the draws and Aspen at the highest elevations. Primary uses of the area are livestock grazing, camping, hunting, and wildlife viewing. This project will enhance and restore valuable mesic meadow habitat within the sagebrush landscape. Partners have worked recently to remove conifers from sagebrush habitat on Parker Mountain and are currently thinning sagebrush in select areas to improve and increase herbaceous understory (WRI#6595) as part of ongoing landscape scale management efforts. Other cooperative management efforts have been deployed through the local working group (PARM) on Parker Mountain for many years to protect and manage the landscape for the benefit of Utah Prairie Dogs, Greater Sage-grouse, other wildlife, healthy watersheds, and livestock. The area is an important habitat for sagebrush-dependent species besides sage grouse, such as sage sparrow, sage thrasher, brewer's sparrow, and many other songbirds. Much of the area's big game, birds, prairie dogs, pollinators, bats, amphibians, livestock, and people also depend on these important micro-habitats. The area is also important for the local agricultural community and economy, and completing projects like this benefit wildlife, local ag producers, and members of the public who visit and utilize the resources. Parker Mountain is also an IBA and is listed on the Audubon Society website. Site Description: Parker Mountain is relatively free from anthropogenic infrastructure except for low-density use roads, fences, and ponds. This allows for a contiguous expanse of Black, Wyoming, and Mountain sagebrush with understory conditions very dependent on available water throughout the summer in the form of monsoon rain events. The goal of this project is to slow water flow in draws and ravines to increase water infiltration, which will increase soil moisture and increase nutrient rich forbs. Perennial free-flowing water sources on Parker Mountain include Antelope Spring (which has been completely piped and distributed for livestock use), Pine Creek (not much use to sage-grouse due to excessive tree canopy cover), Flossie Lake, Pollywog Lake, Hare Lake and Parker Lake, that are all spring fed and provide provide free water during most years. Typically livestock use around these year round water sources is excessive. The area is dominated by sagebrush with sparse meadows in the bottoms of some of the draws. Most of the draws that produce most of the runoff have livestock ponds in them that capture runoff water. While mesic meadows make up a small part of the landscape they are disproportionately important to animals, especially sage-grouse broods. A lot of the mesic areas are present in some of the draws, but a larger percentage of them have dense stands of sagebrush that limit grass and forb abundance. Some of the draws have small rills, gullies, and head-cuts that could further degrade and limit mesic areas. Our efforts will help alleviate this issue. Undertaking and Methods: Contractors, dedicated hunters, and government employees will build erosion-control rock structures known as Zeedyk structures. These structures are low-tech structures that utilize local rock and some wood. Structures will be no higher than a foot and several feet across to span areas of interest. Structures will be hand-built using hand tools and some small equipment will be used to move rock and place rock. Rock will come from a local quarry. USU, UDWR, SITLA, and BLM will provide contractor and/or dedicated hunter oversight. The entire mesic meadow project area will total approximately two miles in length and 40 acres. These structures will be built in a variety of locations on Parker Mountain in draws and ravines that demonstrate the most potential for mesic meadow recovery. We anticipate this will be a phased project over a number of years. Species Benefits: Greater Sage grouse, Sage sparrow, Brewer's sparrow, Sage thrasher, Mule deer, Elk, Monarch, pollinators Everything in this section also applies to the "why here-why now" section. We won't put it all in that section also! You can thank us later!

1) Increase water infiltration rates. 2) Increasing mesic herbaceous plant species increasing nutrient-dense forage. 3) Increase available mesic forage for wildlife and livestock.

The Parker Mountain sage-grouse population has been one of the most studied and historically stable sage-grouse populations in the state. It is the only large population in the state that is not connected to populations in a neighboring state. It was somewhat surprising in 2021 when it hit a hard trigger, but not a complete surprise since the 20-year trend was also slightly downward. The population has the potential to remain one of the strongest populations because, unlike many of the state's populations, there is no urban encroachment, no oil and gas operations, no power lines or energy development, very minimal wildfire threat, so far no noxious weed invasions (cheatgrass is present in very low abundance in only very few locations, but has the attention of managers), and no major impending threats. However, it cannot remain a strong population if vegetation conditions are changing and critical mesic habitats are shrinking. Implementing this wet meadow restoration work now, along with other ongoing work to maintain mesic type veg, will aid in the recovery of the sagegrouse population after reaching a hard trigger by maintaining and recovering some of the lost meadow habitat before the next drying trend that might again further shrink important mesic habitats. Mule deer additionally rely on nutrient-dense mesic forage and ample access to water, particularly lactating does and growing fawns that have high energy demands. The Parker is a critical fawning and rearing habitat for Boulder mule deer. Access to high quality summer forage and water is key to growing mule deer herds since body fat reserves built up during the summer are directly tied to survival, number of fawns per litter, birthweights of fawns, and growth rates of fawns. Additionally, pronghorn need access to water and mesic forage for similar reasons as deer. Any additional water sources created on the Parker are especially critical for pronghorn, as research from natural springs and guzzlers in Utah have shown that domestic animals and other wild ungulates often exclude pronghorn from water sources. Spreading domestic livestock and wildlife out across multiple water sources will benefit the pronghorn and help reduce damage around natural springs. The Parker pronghorn has been the most productive herd in the state, providing a lot of economic and social value through hunting and trapping/translocation. Although previously on the decline, this herd has recently began to trend upward. This project will help keep them on a positive trend so they can provide increased hunting opportunity and reach a level to which trapping and translocating is sustainable. Nutrient dense forage and water are also critical for lactating cow elk and growing calves. From neonate elk studies, we know between birth and six months of age, elk calves put on over one pound a day, which is very costly for their lactating mothers and requires good forage upon weaning. In general upland birds, including Forest Grouse and Turkeys, require open stands of conifer and aspen with an understory of berry producing shrubs, forbs and grasses. A healthy insect component in this matrix is critical for early brood rearing. Healthy mixed forests, early successional forests, and edges of aspen forests provide these kinds of environments. Our current habitat struggles to provide these requirements. Additional water resources and wet meadow areas on the Parker Mountain will help these species. To some peoples surprise, the Parker is an important migratory stop over for several waterfowl species. Ducks, geese, and even sandhill cranes can be found utilizing wet meadows and natural lakes in spring and summer on the Parker plateau. Increased stopover locations and habitat provide refugia to these migratory species between larger water bodies. Golden and bald eagles are additional avian species benefitted by additional water sources on the Parker. The increased forage improves rabbit and sage grouse populations, common prey of both species. Resident golden eagles are also reliant on water sources in late summer for their survival. It was once believed golden eagles obtained all their water from their prey but a recent study in Utah showed golden eagles utilize both natural water sources and guzzlers heavily during the months of July and August when temperatures are high and days are long. Also the preservation of mesic meadows for wildlife including sage grouse and mule deer through low-tech process based restoration practices such as Zeedyk structures are a very low cost conservation practice.

Many if not all of these management plans mention vegetation treatment projects to maintain, restore and enhance habitats. This project is based on research that shows maintenance, restoration and enhancement of habitats for a large number of species occupying the Sagebrush areas of the Parker Mountain can be accomplished using the treatment methods outlined. Please reference the Dahlgren paper in the documents section. In addition, for your reading pleasure I have included all the usual references... . 1) Fishlake Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) also referred to as the "forest plan" IV-3. Integrate vegetation management with resource management to maintain productivity and provide for diversity of plant and animal communities. LRMP, IV-3. Coordinate wildlife and fish habitat management with State and other Federal and local agencies. LRMP, IV-4. Identify and improve habitat for sensitive, threatened and endangered species including participation in recovery efforts for both plants and animals. 2) US Forest Service Greater Sage-grouse Utah Amendment, September 2015. Objective: Every 10 years for the next 50 years, improve greater sage-grouse (GRSG) habitat by removing invading conifers. Desired Conditions: In GRSG seasonal habitat, capable of producing sagebrush, has less than 10% conifer canopy cover. Vegetation treatment projects should be conducted if they maintain, restore ore enhance desired conditions for sage-grouse. 3) Parker Mountain Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Local Conservation Plan, October 1, 2006. 2. Strategy: by 2011, make an assessment of non-desirable/invasive vegetation in sage-grouse habitats. 2.5. Action: Treat areas where undesirable vegetation has become, or is at risk of becoming a factor in sage-grouse habitat loss or fragmentation. 4) Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse in Utah January 11, 2019 4c. Using WRI, remove conifer as appropriate in areas protected by federal, state and private landowners to ensure that existing functional habitat remain. 4d. Using WRI, maintain existing sage-grouse habitats by offsetting the impacts due to conifer encroachment by creating additional habitat within or adjacent to occupied habitats at an equal rate each year - or 25,000 acres each year- whichever is greater. 4e. Increase sage-grouse habitats by using the WRI- and other state, federal and private partnerships- to restore or create 50,000 acres if habitat within or adjacent of occupied habitats each year in addition to 4d. 5) Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse in Utah, February 14, 2013. Sage-grouse Management Goal: Protect, maintain, improve and enhance sage-grouse populations and habitats within the established Sage-grouse Management Areas. 2.0.3 Objective 3 - Habitat: Enhance an average of 25,000 acres of sage-grouse habitat in Sage-grouse Management Areas annually. 2.0.4 Objective 4 - Habitat: Increase the total amount of sage-grouse habitat acreage within Sage-grouse Management Areas by an average of 50,000 acres per year, through management actions targeting Opportunity Areas. 5.4.1 Aggressively remove encroaching conifers and other plant species to expand greater sage-grouse habitat where possible. 6) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Conservation Objectives: Final Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, CO. February 2013. General Conservation Objectives: 1. Stop population declines and habitat loss. 2. Implement targeted habitat management and restoration. Specific Conservation Objectives: 1. Retain sage-grouse habitats within PAC's. 3. Restore and rehabilitate degraded sage-grouse habitats in PAC's. Conservation Objective: Maintain and restore healthy native sagebrush plant communities within the range of sage-grouse Conservation Objective: Remove pinyon/juniper from areas of sagebrush that are most likely to support sage-grouse (post-removal) at a rate that is at least equal to the rate of pinyon/juniper incursion. -Prioritize the use of mechanical treatments. -Reduce juniper cover in sage-grouse habitats to less than 5% but preferably eliminate entirely. -Employ all necessary management actions to maintain the benefit of juniper removal for sage-grouse habitats. 7) Utah Wildlife Action Plan, 2015 Publication Number 15-14, State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources, Effective 2015-2025 -- Promoting and funding restoration that reduces the uncharacteristic and surpluses of older age class, including: Dixie/chain harrow, brush mowing or other treatments that reduce the older age class and stimulate the younger/mid age classes; herbicide or mechanical treatment of non-native invasive species such smooth brome; single tree mulching/cutting of invading conifer (p.51). 8) 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. 9) Plateau Deer Herd Management Plan Unit #25 (2015) - Habitat Management Objectives -- Encourage vegetation manipulation projects and seeding to increase the availability, abundance, and nutritional content of browse, grass, and forb species. Strategies: Habitat Protection, Improvement and Maintenance - Reduce expansion of Pinyon-Juniper woodlands into sagebrush habitats and improve habitats dominated by Pinyon-Juniper woodlands by completing habitat restoration projects like lop & scatter, bullhog and chaining projects; maintain summer fawning areas by increasing beneficial habitat work in summer and transitional habitat areas.(p3-4) 10) Sevier County Resource Management Plan 2017- Water Quality and Hydrology. This action is congruent with Desired Management Practice number 3. Where water resources on public lands have diminished because grasses have succeeded to pinyon-juniper and other woody vegetation, a vigorous program of mechanical treatments should be applied to promptly remove this woody vegetation and biomass, stimulate the return of the grasses to historic levels, and thereby provide a watershed that maximizes water yield and water quality for livestock, wildlife, and human uses.(pg 24) 11) Utah Prairie Dog Revised Recovery Plan (2012). 12) Wayne County Resource Management Plan 2017-Page 49 10. Big Sagebrush -- Big sagebrush (Basin, Wyoming and Mountain Big Sagebrush) are managed to maintain a good understory of perennial grasses and forbs with an overstory of big sagebrush and browse shrubs (on appropriate sites). Invasive annuals are absent or of minor importance. Prescribed grazing and periodic brush treatments are used to prevent loss of the perennial understory and complete dominance of mature sagebrush. Landscapes exhibit a diverse mix of sagebrush communities ranging from almost all perennial grass and forbs to moderately dense stands of sagebrush, depending on treatments applied and the time since treatment. Sites having the potential to support productive sagebrush/grass communities have pinyon- juniper completely removed or reduced to a minor component depending on site specific management objectives. 13) RICHFIELD FIELD OFFICE RMP (2008): - pg 78 Vegetation Objectives - A. Manage for a mix of vegetative types, structural stages, and provide for native plant, fish, and wildlife habitats. B. Sustain or reestablish the integrity of the sagebrush biome to provide the amount, continuity, and quality of habitat that is necessary to maintain sustainable populations of Greater sage-grouse and other sagebrush-dependent wildlife species. -Special Status Species Goals and Objectives - A. Manage, minimize, and mitigate impacts to plant, fish, and animal species and habitats so the need to list any of these species as threatened or endangered does not become necessary. - Mgmt Actions -SSS-1. For listed species that do not have designated critical habitat, cooperate with the USFWS and other agencies, such as the UDWR, in managing the species and their habitat. SSS-6. Maintain the integrity of SSS habitat to provide the quantity, continuity, and quality of habitat necessary to maintain SSS populations. - pg 92 Fish and Wildlife goals and objectives - A. Maintain, restore, protect, and enhance habitats to support healthy populations of diverse fish and wildlife species, recognizing crucial habitats as management priorities. B. Manage habitat to prevent additional listings of species under the federal ESA, or the State of Utah's Species of Concern List.

Riparian areas need to be enhanced to create suitable fire breaks for any future fires in the area. Completion of this project would act as a fire breaks for the Parker Mountain sage-grouse management area. There is strong research showing that mesic areas have been undervalued for fire risk protection.

The erosion control treatments are low impact/low risk/high reward type practices. In some of the small gullies head-cutting needs to be addressed. Stopping head-cuts and aggrading channelization can have exponential benefits to soil moisture, water loss, and maintain and increase rare meadow habitats.

Will be completed by USFWS and BLM, USFS, SITLA and UDWR depending on where the structures are built. BLM's EA (DOI-BLM-UT-C020-2024-004-EA) is in process and will be completed prior to project implementation.

Dedicated Hunters will be utilized to build erosion control rock structures known as Zeedyk structures throughout the spring. These structures are low impact, low-tech structures using local rock and wood. Structures will be no higher than a few inches and a few feet across. Structures will be mostly hand built using hand-tools. Some small equipment may be needed to move rock and place rock. In addition BLM will hire a contractor to build additional/larger structures during the summer and fall. Rock will come from a local quarry. USU, DWR, BLM and USFWS will provide oversight. The entire mesic meadow project area is approximately two total miles in length and 40 acres of meadow. USU and USFWS will work with the DWR and BLM to prioritize areas to work in and types of structures to be built. Exact locations are yet to be determined but priority areas are identified in the map.

Results should appear within 1-3 growing seasons. Photo points (and possibly drone imagery) will be established on 25% of the structures to detect vegetation change over time. Photo's will be taken annually for the first 3 years to determine effectiveness of reclaiming mesic vegetation conditions. Long-term monitoring specific to the low-tech structures will not be carried out because it will be incorporated into the overall rangeland health condition monitoring.

BLM, SITLA, DWR and NRCS with Parker Mountain Grazers. The NRCS has contributed funds as part of another project on Parker Mountain that focuses on other aspects of sage grouse habitat restoration. The NRCS will be collaborating on and will seek funding to help with this project in the coming years. The Parker Mountain Adaptive Resource Management Local Working Group (PARM) proposes this project. Group members include representatives from: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Utah State University, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resource Conservation Service, State of Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands, Wayne County Commission, Private Landowners, Utah Division of State Institutional and Trust Lands, Division of Wildlife Resources, and USU extension. The Forest Service is interested in this restoration technique but has no compliance documents completed to participate in this project phase but anticipates joining next year.

There is no avenue for changes in grazing management that would stem from this project. Because livestock don't prefer to walk on rock, it is not anticipated that they will cause any damage to these structures even when they do utilize the meadows above the structures. If the monitoring demonstrates these to be successful at increasing the amount of mesic habitat in this area, future projects of the same type will be implemented.

The Parker Mountain hosts one of four huntable populations of Sage-grouse in the state of Utah. In addition the Parker has contributed to recovery populations of GRSG in the Strawberry Valley, West Box Elder County and the Sheeprock Mountains SGMA's. You may correctly observe that the Parker provides a "nursery stock" of GRSG for other areas in our state. The Parker also contains the most productive GRSG habitat in Southern Utah. The Parker also has a huntable herd of pronghorn that have provided an incredible amount of recreation for our sportsman in the last 50 years. This pronghorn herd has also contributed to transplants and augmentations to pronghorn herds in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona. Mule deer use the Parker for all phases of their life cycles and elk use the Parker extensively during the winter months. Livestock grazing is also a sustainable use on the Parker Mountain. As you travel the Parker it is often possible to delineate where the treatments took place twenty years ago by observing where livestock choose to graze. Even after twenty years the areas inside the old treatments have a more nutritious understory than the adjacent areas that were not treated. Wetted habitat in Utah is the rarest habitat type in the state and disproportionately important to surrounding upland landscapes, people, livestock, and wildlife. Whenever the opportunity arises to restore and enhance mesic habitat, we need to immediately act. In the sagebrush biome, mesic habitats comprise less than two percent of the landscape, yet 80 percent of wildlife depend upon them to complete their life cycle. Additionally, researchers found 85 percent of sage grouse lek sites were located within six miles of wet habitats, providing hens and their chicks access to nutrient-rich forbs and insects located in wet habitats during critical brood-rearing stages (Connelly et al. 2016). Furthermore, other sagebrush dependent songbirds such as the sage sparrow, sage thrasher, and Brewer's sparrow are drastically declining in numbers. Research has found these species also depend on nearby meadow and water resources for nesting and brood-rearing. Some of the most forb diverse habitats are those around water and in soils of higher moisture content such as mesic meadows. By improving these habitat types we are improving pollinator habitat. Furthermore, conservationists are coming to realize the importance of late season forb vegetation for migrating monarch butterflies, a USFWS candidate species and also a species we have listed as benefitting on our proposal. Late season food sources are necessary to get them through migration and to winter habitats in Mexico and California. Mesic habitats have those late season nectar sources. One under valued aspect of using the Parker as a resource is the fact it is listed as an Important Bird Area globally for sagebrush dependent bird species. This attracts birders from all over the country and even internationally. Parker is also one of the best places to view sage grouse lekking. The Parker is a popular area for hunting and helps boost local economies during these hunts. Deer, elk, pronghorn, and sage grouse are all popular hunts on the Parker. Another under valued use of the Parker is for dog training. Unbeknownst to many (Clint Wirick would like to keep it unknown), the Parker is a popular place for pointing dog trainers to come during the late summer. They run dogs on wild flocks of fledging sage grouse broods. Trainers come from all over the state and bring campers and stay for extended periods of time. If you're reading this I bet it's only one of two "bird dog training" sustainable uses in WRI.