Hog Haven Fire burned 12.84 acres of BLM and 9.21 acres of private. This fire has created conditions that are conduce to erosion, noxious weed establishment, and an increase in gamble oak. Seeding the burned area will address these concerns.

1. Soil stabilization, reduced erosion 2. Establish native species, reduce the risk of invasive weed establishment 3. Improve habitat for wildlife and livestock

Without seeding this area is at high risk noxious weed invasion as well as the establishment of a monoculture of gamble oak. Seeding will reduce erosion, if a large precipitation event happens prior to the establishment of vegetation. Their could be a significant increase in runoff leading to an increase in sediment loading downstream.

1. Utah Mule Deer Statewide Plan "Support all habitat objectives and strategies in this plan to protect and improve mule deer habitat..." "Explore additional opportunities to provide incentives to landowners that provide habitat for mule deer." * "Work with university extension to increase landowner participation in the Watershed Restoration Initiative program." "Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that have been taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats, ensuring that seed mixes contain sufficient forbs and browse species." "Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah." This projects falls in the Crucial Mule Deer Habitat Priorities . 2. Deer Herd Unit Management Plan, Deer Herd # 29, Zion *"A major proportion of both summer and winter habitat for deer on this unit is on private land. Therefore, it is paramount to work with private landowners to maintain both summer and winter habitat. Currently, there is one CWMU of 13,000 acres (Mt. Carmel - Zion) in the Muddy Creek drainage on the east portion of this unit. Other landowners have expressed interest in a CWMU and they may be organized in the future." * "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." * "Work toward long-term habitat protection and preservation through agreements with land management agencies and local governments, the use of conservation easements, etc. on private lands and working toward blocking up UDWR properties through land exchanges with willing partners." 3. Utah Statewide Elk Management Plan *"Continue to provide incentive programs for landowners that will encourage elk populations on private land such as the CWMU, Landowner Association, and WalkIn Access programs." * "Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat.' * "Coordinate with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize elk habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration. i) Identify habitat projects on summer ranges (aspen communities) to improve calving habitat. ii) Encourage land managers to manage portions of forests in early succession stages through the use controlled burning and logging. Controlled burning should only be used in areas with minimal invasive weed and/or safety concerns." 4. Utah Statewide Bighorn Sheep Management Plan * "Improve or maintain existing water sources and develop new water sources as needed to improve distribution and abundance of bighorn sheep." Note: These lands are used from domestic sheep summer range. Expanding bighorn sheep habitat is not goal of this project but improving water sources for bighorn sheep is a result of the project. 5. Zion National Park, Virgin River Comprehensive Management Plan/Environmental Assessment * "To protect and enhance free flow and water quantity, promoting the river's ability to shape the geologic landscape by reducing impediments to free flow, improving hydrological function, and ensuring flows that are largely natural." * "To protect and enhance river-related natural resources and ecological processes. The natural function of riparian areas, wetlands, and floodplains of the Virgin River and its tributaries would be maintained and restored; restoration activities would strive to return habitat to natural levels of complexity and diversity; water quality would be maintained at the highest possible levels; and achievement of this goal would benefit fish, wildlife, ecological processes, geologic values, and recreation." 6. Zion National Park General Management Plan * "Maintain the resources, including plant and animal communities, at healthy and viable levels consistent with natural processes." 7. TMDL for Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the North Fork Virgin River Watershed * "Common sources of E. coli include excrement from livestock and wildlife as well as faulty septic systems." Note- the objective is to remove intensive grazing from the riparian area by improving the uplands and taking a watershed approach to the issue. 8. Virgin River Watershed Management Plan * "Key concerns in the North Fork Virgin River Include: (1) Maintenance of minimum flow; (2) threatened and endangered species; (3) wastewater disposal and septic system density; and (4) recreation." 9. USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Strategic Plan * "Project addresses habitat threats for a priority species within a PFW priority area (Plateau Focus Area) for restoration work." 10. Utah Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy * "Reduce fire risk by managing and removing invasive species." 11. Intermountain West Joint Venture Habitat Conservation Strategy * "Support existing public-private partnerships to implement sagebrush habitat conservation, at regional, state, and local scales." "Remove encroaching conifers to functionally restore sagebrush habitat." 12. Utah Wildlife Action Plan * "Lowland sagebrush is a key habitat identified in the WAP." * "WAP identifies inappropriate fire frequency as a threat to lowland sagebrush habitat. This project will reduce future fire risk and act as a fire buffer to adjacent higher risk areas." 13. State of Utah Resource Management Plan "Actively remove pinyon-juniper encroachment other ecological sites due to its substantial consumption of water its detrimental effects on sagebrush, other vegetation, and wildlife." "Conserve, improve, and restore 500,000 acres of mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges." "Work with landowners, federal government and private organizations to conserve valuable wildlife habitat and winter range along urban interface." "Develop mechanisms and policies to incentivize private landowners throughout Utah to conserve valuable wildlife habitat throughout Utah." 14. Kane County Resource Management Plan "However, Kane County encourages vegetative treatments for maximum yield of forage and rangeland health." "Goals include making sure there is quality forage, water, cover, space and security sufficient to support productive populations. This includes conserving habitat for migratory birds, maintaining vegetation treatments that benefit wildlife, prioritizing treatments to improve habitats and coordinating predator control." 15. Southwest Working Third 5-year Review-2012 for California Condor "The recovery strategy for the California condor is to focus on: maintaining habitat for condor recovery and to provide foraging habitat" 16. SECRETARIAL ORDER NO. 3362: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Subject: Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors Sec. 1 Purpose. This Order directs appropriate bureaus within the Department of the Interior (Department) to work in close partnership with the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming to enhance and improve the quality of big-game winter range and migration corridor habitat on Federal lands under the management jurisdiction of this Department in a way that recognizes state authority to conserve and manage big-game species and respects private property rights. Through scientific endeavors and land management actions, wildlife such as Rocky Mountain Elk (elk), Mule Deer (deer), Pronghorn Antelope (pronghorn), and a host of other species will benefit. Additionally, this Order seeks to expand opportunities for big-game hunting by improving priority habitats to assist states in their efforts to increase and maintain sustainable big game populations across western states.

With all natural and human caused disturbance, the disturbed area becomes suspectable to invasive species. The controlled presence of cheatgrass in the area increases the importance of seeding this fire scare. As shown through numerous projects, desire species will establish and began to dominate the area, reducing the effects of cheatgrass. Cheatgrass increase the fire return frequency, which will increase cheatgrasses present in the area, creating a fire cycle that will lead to more fires. The seeded species are less suspectable to fire and stay lush longer and will serve as a fuel break in the future. The fire has left the area susceptible to a increase in gamble oak. The oak is a fire loving plant that can create a vicious cycle of more frequent and intense fires. In addition the fire has left the area susceptible to noxious weed establishment and erosion.

Hog Haven fire occurred in the North Fork of the Virgin River drainage, after a fire burned soil is vulnerable to erosion. This sediment could move into the North Fork reducing the water quality as it flows though Zion National Park. Reseeding will help to stabilize the soil preventing sediment loss from wind and water. Once established vegetation can help have a positive impact on water quantity by retaining soil moisture and slowing runoff.

Seeding will be done to UDWR and UFFSL standards.

Seeding of burned area via ground application. To be implemented fall 2024.

Pre and post pictures will be taken where the seeding occurs. Monitoring sites within the burn area will be established to monitor vegetation changes and help inform future management.

UFFSL, UDWR, and a private landowner.

The project area will be monitored to determine if future treatments are needed seeded areas will be monitored (depending on available funding) at 3 to 5 year intervals to determine future actions in the project area.

Establishing native vegetation will stabilize the soil, reduce erosion, and improve water retention. The seed will promote greater biodiversity leading to the sustainable use for big game and other species that frequent the area.

01/04/2025

01/04/2025

2025

The fire was seeded by hand by the landowner. With the unseasonable dry winter that we have experienced in 2024-2025, the landowners decided to seed on 1/4/2025. They seeded the 22 acres by hand using the seed provide by GBRC and UFFSL.

Seed was delivered and ordered from the GBRC in late fall on 2024. The landowners took the seed to the burn scare and hand seeded the area simply broadcasting the seed throughout the burned area. Because of the burned tree skeletons, dragging the area was not going to work.

Area will be rested from grazing for a minimum of 2 growing seasons. Area will be monitored by Area Forester and potential photo point may be established.