This project will be completed on the Gum Hill pasture located on the Gunlock Allotment. Pinyon Juniper mastication took place winter of 2022/2023. This mastication was an effort to maintain the past chaining. Seeding did not take place. Understory vegetation was not sufficient to establish a healthy diverse stand of forage for wildlife or livestock. In order to reduce the fuel load and increase biodiversity, Perennial forbs and grasses are needed to help ward off an invasion of cheatgrass and other undesirable species.

reestablishment of perennial vegetation.

This project is located approximately 3 miles southeast of Enterprise Utah. The project area is important wildlife and is a key pasture of the Gunlock C&H Allotment. It is important to get the seeding established as soon as possible. Ground disturbance took place in late 2022/early 2023. It is important to get the seed established before noxious weeds and cheatgrass overtake the site.

Utah's Wildlife Action Plan (WAP): The WAP lists Problematic Plant Species -- Native Upland as a Very High level threat to Mountain sagebrush communities with the following as potential conservation actions. 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. The treatments proposed in this vegetation type are designed to stimulate the younger/mid age classes through cutting or masticating invading conifer. The WAP lists Invasive Plant Species Non Native as a Medium level threat to Mountain Shrub communities and suggests the following: Promoting policies that reduce inappropriate grazing by domestic livestock and wildlife. Continuing the use of appropriate methods for reducing the spread and dominance of invasive weeds and annual grasses, including "early detection -- rapid response" programs. 2.3.14 Conduct upland vegetation treatments to restore characteristic upland vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. 2.3.15 Conduct riparian vegetation treatments to restore characteristic riparian vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. Pinyon juniper removal as described in the proposed project in and around these stands along with seeding around these stands should reduce the risk of wildfire, as well as limit the spread of cheat grass into these areas. 2.3.15 Conduct riparian vegetation treatments to restore characteristic riparian vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. Pinyon juniper removal as described in the proposed project in and around these stands along with seeding around these stands should reduce the risk of wildfire, as well as limit the spread of cheat grass into these areas. State of Utah Resource Management Plan The States RMP has the following objectives for fire management: The State will advocate for forest management practices that promote species diversity and overall ecosystem health. The State encourages local jurisdictions to prevent wildfires, prepare their residents for wildfire and reduce their fuel load by entering into cooperative agreements that give incentive for those actions. The State will participate with federal wildfire agencies to leverage and combine resources and strengths wherever possible. The proposed project endeavors to increase species diversity through pinyon juniper removal, aerial seeding, chain harrowing and drill seeding. The proposed project crosses jurisdictional boundaries and is adjacent to past work across jurisdictional boundaries. The proposed project is a collaborative effort between State and Federal agencies. The State RMP sets the following objectives for livestock management: Improve vegetative health on public and private lands through range improvements, prescribed fire, vegetation treatments, and active management of invasive plants and noxious weeds. Actively remove pinyon-juniper encroachment in other ecological sites due to its substantial consumption of water and its detrimental effect on sagebrush, other vegetation, and wildlife. The proposed project aims to improve the range through PJ removal, chain harrowing, aerial seeding and drill seeding to provide maximum flexibility to permittees. The State's RMP has the following objectives for Wildlife: Expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat. Conserve, improve, and restore 500,000 acres of mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges. Produce and maintain the desired vegetation for wildlife and domestic livestock forage on public and private lands. Avoid, minimize or compensate for damages to private land occurring when wildlife populations are above targeted management plan objectives. The proposed project will improve forage on public and private lands for wildlife and livestock, improving mule deer habitat and reducing the potential for adjacent cropland damages, Deer Herd Unit #30 (Pine Valley) The proposed project would help to meet the following Habitat Protection, Improvement and Maintenance actions identified in the Mule Deer Herd Unit #30 Plan: Cooperate with federal land management agencies and private landowners in carrying out habitat improvement projects. Protect deer winter ranges from wildfire by reseeding burned areas, creating fuel breaks and vegetated green strips and reseed areas dominated by Cheat grass with desirable perennial vegetation. Reduce expansion of Pinion-Juniper woodlands into sagebrush habitats and improve habitats dominated by Pinion-Juniper woodlands by completing habitat restoration projects like lop & scatter, bullhog, and chaining. The Herd Plan also suggests that: Future habitat work should be concentrated on the following areas. Landscape level watershed improvements on the Pine Valley Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest with a focus on transitional ranges. Retreatment of older treatments (>10years) to protect investment through maintenance. Dixie NF Noxious Weed Management Plan (EA 2000). Prevent spread of noxious weeds and other invasive plants. Project seeding treatment will help reduce spread of cheatgrass. If noxious weeds (scotch thistle) are found, those areas will be avoided by project equipment and reported to district staff. National Fire Plan (NFP) - Primary Goals: 1) Improve fire prevention and suppression; 2) Restore fire adapted ecosystem. Project will reduce fuel loading. Accompanying (NFP) 10 year Comprehensive Strategy - Guiding Principles: 3) Prevent invasive species and restore watershed function and biological communities through short-term stabilization and long-term rehabilitation; 4) Restore healthy, diverse, and resilient ecological system to minimize uncharacteristically severe fires on a priority watershed basis through long-term restoration. Project will help invasive species encroachment by seeding and help minimize severe fires by reducing fuel loadings.

Cheat grass is present throughout the project area and a large wildfire could result in type conversion to cheat grass in sagebrush, mountain shrub and PJ woodland communities. This could have major impacts to big game use of the area, as well as the ability of the area to sustain the current level of livestock AUMs

N/A

NEPA is completed and supporting documentation is attached. Archeology clearance was completed as part of a good neighbor agreement with funding from the WCSL NPL in FY23 (see project 6805). Wildlife surveys will be conducted prior to implementation and in the appropriate season.

Seed will be applied by use of broadcast seeder and chain harrow pulled by a tractor.

This area is monitored by Forest Service personnel every five years for long term vegetation trends. Forest Service personnel will monitor the project site using various methods (photo plots etc.) at one, three and five year intervals. Photos and notes on project success will be downloaded on the project page.

Gunlock Permittees

A minimum of two years rest will take place after seeding.

The entire project area is in the active Gunlock cattle allotment. The Gunlock allotment is currently managed on a 4 pasture, deferred rotation with a permitted use of 621 cow/calf pairs.