Vehicle related wildfires are one of the main ignition sources in Southeastern Utah, increasing threats to recreation areas and wildlife habitat within Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed areas near I-70 and along Highway 191, 313 and 128. Wildfire in these locations has potential impacts to Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, important wildlife habitat, recreation, and natural resources.

The objective of fuels treatments are to alter fire behavior, intensity and fire frequency by decreasing the amount and arrangement of hazardous fuels. The project is expected to limit the size and intensity of large unplanned wildland fire events by increasing the size of current fuel breaks within the ROW for I-70, and Highway 191, 313, and 128. Objectives: -Reduce the hazardous fuel loading -Remove Tamarisk and Russian Olive within the ROW. -Mow within the median and parallel to the interstate -Herbicide cheatgrass along roadway. -Improve native Astragalus habitat within treatment areas. - Promote perennial grasses and native roadside vegetation.

The immediate threat is current fuel loading, primarily cheatgrass, combined with roadside ignitions. This combination poses an unseasonably high risk for fast spreading wildfire, as it dries out during seasons where native grasses are still green. This causes high fire risk and increased rate of spread and overall fire size, with cheatgrass being the main carrier of fire. Portions of this project are currently being treated within the UDOT ROW. Some portions of the project area lead up to areas of basin big sagebrush and Colorado Plateau mixed low sagebrush shrubland, an unplanned fire event would result in the long term loss of these shrub communities, and the habitat values associated with this type. The longer term threat/risk, is the continual increase in cheatgrass that out competes the native forbs, and grasses. Risks of project implementation have been identified based on proposed methods (see below) as the following: * Secondary establishment of invasive, non-native species. * Short-term reduction in wildlife habitat due to secondary weed establishment Many of these risks can be mitigated (e.g., herbicide treatments can be used to control secondary weeds) or are expected to be temporary.

State of Utah Resource Management Plan: This plan specifically identifies the importance of protecting critical mule deer habitat, maintaining desired vegetation for wildlife and livestock, and actively managing invasive plants and noxious. Specific treatments in the plan include removal of pinyon-juniper into other ecological sites. The plan also specifically identifies working with partners in WRI to restore critical habitat for species of greatest conservation need. Bureau of Land Management Moab Resource Management Plan (2008, updated 2021): The BLM plan identifies the importance of protecting communities, restoring ecosystems, managing fuels, and maintaining wildlife habitat specifically for deer and elk. Specific tools identified include prescribed fire and a variety of manual and mechanical treatments. Sagebrush steppe communities are a priority for reducing risk from catastrophic fire. Smoke management and avoidance of archaeological resources will occur to comply with the plan. (1) The Moab Field Office's Programmatic Invasive Species Management Plan (PISMP) uses an integrated pest management approach to eradicate, contain, control, and prevent targeted weeds within the MFO. The desired goal is to contain or control the spread of invasive species, and eradicate species that pose the greatest threat to the biological diversity within the MFO, and prevent any new weeds from becoming established by utilizing a wide range of treatment options (i.e. mechanical, manual, herbicide, etc.). The resulting pro-active management of these plants would promote the areas ecosystem health and promote diverse native communities by maintaining and improving native forbs and grass species, increasing the regeneration of native cottonwoods and willows in riparian corridors, and ultimately preventing the loss of wildlife habitat, species diversity, and wildfire risk. (8) Pursuant to the Utah Noxious Weed Act, Section 7, to every person who owns or controls lands in Grand County, Utah, that noxious weeds standing, being, or growing on such land shall be controlled and the spread of same prevented by effective cutting, tillage, cropping, pasturing, or treating with chemicals or other methods, or combination methods, or combination thereof, approved by the County Weed Supervisor, as often as may be required to prevent the weed from blooming and maturing seeds, or spreading by root, root stalks or other means. Listed species that DRRP will manage include hoary cress, tamarisk, Russian knapweed, and Russian olive. (10) BLM Healthy Lands Initiative: The DRRP project area has been identified as a focal area of this vegetation-resources enhancement initiative to restore and improve the health and productivity of western public lands. The Healthy Lands strategy increases the effectiveness and efficiency of vegetation enhancement treatments by focusing on treatments on a significant percentage of lands -- both Federal and non-Federal -- within six geographic locations, rather than focusing on the local project level.

Fuel loading along I-70 and highway 191, 128, and 313 varies depending on the location, but is primarily cheatgrass, and Russian Thistle (Tumbleweed). Locations along Highway 128 include tamarisk and some shrubs, which would require bullhogging (chipping) to reduce the fuel continuity, height from he ground, and overall size. Fuel break maintenance and establishment is a proactive measure to reduce the number of overall fire starts, and provides for greater success in suppressing fires due to the reduced fuel loading after mowing and bullhogging treatments.

After a fire, the competition with understory vegetation can increase the amount of bare soil, which can lead to an increase in runoff, soil loss and erosion (Thurow and Hester 2015). Erosion can lead to a reduction in soil productivity and can also increase non-point source water pollution, thus having the potential to affect water quality within a watershed over time (Thurow and Hester 2015). Invasive species such as cheatgrass currently exists in the project area. Cheatgrass has a higher fire frequency meaning it burns more often which results in more soil erosion. Noxious and invasive weed species utilize large amounts of water and release toxins into the soil that inhibit growth of other plants, which can also reduce the water quality and quantity. The impacts from a fire would be at a local site level.

Project work will be completed only within the existing UDOT ROW under an agreement between the Federal Highways Administration and UDOT. No Additional NEPA compliance is needed Areas of concern for wildlife and botany have been identified by BLM Moab Office botanist. Timings and avoidance will be established on an as needed basis. Milkvetch habitat has been identified within project area. Mower height will be adjusted and herbicide precautions will take place in these areas.

All methods of vegetation removal and maintenance will be conducted with UDOT staff, and will occur within the median or UDOT ROW. -Mowing median and within the ROW (5,415 acres). FY25 -Tamarisk removal along Highway 128/I-70 (324acres). FY25 -Herbicide for cheatgrass and tamarisk (5,415 acres). FY 25 Mowing and herbicide application would have the same project footprint. Total of approximately 5,500 acres total.

Vegetation monitoring for this project would be pre/post treatment photos. Monitoring data; trend data, photo points including pre and post treatments, will be uploaded into the WRI database.

This project is a continuation of UDOT/BLM fuel break maintenance along I-70 West of Green River. BLM, SITLA, Private, and DWR. BLM or the state will contacted SITLA about the fuel break project. State biologist will consult with private land owners that border the project area. BLM met with UDOT and discussed the project in December 2023. It was agreed to expand the project towards the Thompson Springs UDOT shed and South into Moab.

The project area will have continued monitoring with photo points, and maintenance of the fuel breaks. This project will also be re-mowed as needed.

The project is designed to establish fuel breaks along existing roadways to reduce the risk of more frequent fires and protect big game habitat and livestock forage. The roadways have been identified as areas where fires are sparked by vehicles. Improving conditions within these remote parts of I-70, highway 191, 128, and 313 may also improve opportunities for wildlife viewing and other recreational activities.