Vegetation restoration and fuel reduction projects have been successful in increasing plant diversity and resilience. However, disturbances--whether from fire or mechanical methods--often promote the expansion of cheatgrass. The purpose of this project is to control cheatgrass by using pre-emergent herbicides, which are effective at preventing the germination and growth of cheatgrass seeds.

The objective is to aerially apply pre-emergent cheatgrass herbicide in late winter or early spring (before germination) over 11,000 acres. The goal is to reduce cheatgrass expansion and provide native forbs, grasses, and brush with improved environmental conditions for growth, diversity, and fire resilience.

Cheatgrass continues to invade newly disturbed or treated areas, reducing the potential for vegetative diversity and overall success. If not specifically targeted, cheatgrass may eventually dominate the landscape, creating a seed source that promotes further invasion into native vegetation and adjacent areas. Cheatgrass monocultures are highly flammable, and newly burned areas typically convert from native vegetation to pure cheatgrass monocultures. These monocultures reduce forage for wildlife and restrict vegetative diversity. There is a risk that, once the area is re-burned and seeded, poor moisture conditions could lead to seed crop failure and cheatgrass re-sprouting. The use of the herbicide Plateau will mitigate this risk for several years, but if failure occurs, the area may need to be re-sprayed, re-burned, and/or re-seeded. As areas convert to cheatgrass, the abundance of small rodents decreases, forcing kit foxes to travel longer distances to find prey. Without this project, the habitat for kit foxes would be significantly diminished. Areas treated with Plateau will be adjacent to cisco milkvetch habitat, potentially opening up more areas for this plant to thrive. Mule deer and elk also utilize the sagebrush and grass in the area. Removing cheatgrass from the landscape reduces the likelihood that catastrophic wildfires will negatively affect their habitat.

Moab Field Office Resource Management Plan (RMP), approved 2008 (BLM-UT-PL-09-001-1610 UT-060-2007-04) Pg 139 (WL-23): Management of pronghorn habitat will be done in coordination with DWR and may include the following actions: 'Increase forage through vegetation treatment on approximately 4,400 acres.' (Note: this RMP action was developed specifically for the Bitter Creek area fire restoration area of this project). Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 Sec 103 (C)): The BLM is directed to manage public lands in a manner that will best meet present and future needs of the Nation. Public Rangelands Improvement Act 1978, Title II (43 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), as amended: Among other management objectives, this act provides for temporary discontinuance of grazing uses for the specific purpose of improving public rangeland conditions and production. BLM Grazing Management Regulations, 43 CFR Subpart 4120.2: Objectives are to promote healthy sustainable rangeland ecosystems; to accelerate restoration and improvement of public lands to properly functioning condition. This requires development of guidelines to address the restoration, maintenance, and enhancement of habitats to promote the conservation of Federal proposed, Federal candidate, and other special status species. BLM National Policy Guidance on Wildlife and Fisheries Management (Manual 6500): This manual provides direction "to restore, maintain, and improve wildlife habitat conditions on public lands through the implementation of activity plans." Cisco Wildlife Habitat Management Plan, 1978: The overall objective of the plan is to improve the 242,560 acres of area to provide habitat capable of supporting adult antelope year-round. Utah Pronghorn Statewide Management Plan, 2008: Statewide Management Goals and Objectives: Goal B. Habitat Management Goal: Assure sufficient habitat is available to sustain healthy and productive pronghorn populations. Objective 1: Maintain or enhance the quantity and quality of pronghorn habitat to allow populations to increase. Grand County General Plan: On page 50 of the county plan update, Grand County points out that throughout the county there are a "number of damaged areas, and the county encourages public land agencies to restore these lands." Utah Wildlife Action Plan: Lowland Sagebrush is a Key Habitat in the 2015-2025 Plan. One of the threats identified to lowland sagebrush is invasive plant species/non-native and improper grazing. Current recommendations to improve condition include: Promoting policies that reduce inappropriate grazing by domestic livestock, feral domesticated animals, and wildlife. Promoting and funding restoration that reduces the uncharacteristic class, including cutting/mulching/chaining of invading pinyon and juniper trees, herbicide or mechanical treatment of non-native invasive species such as cheatgrass and secondary perennial weed species, and rehabilitation of burned areas following wildfire. Developing and deploying techniques to diversify species composition in monoculture or near monoculture stands of seeded non-native plants (e.g., crested wheatgrass). Promoting management that includes seeding a diversity of grasses, forbs, and shrubs that will lead to increased resiliency and resistance in the plant community. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule Deer 2014-2019: Section VI Statewide management goals and objectives: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range. Initiate broad-scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire-damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges being taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinyon-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. Work with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize mule deer habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration. Initiate broad-scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire-damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges being taken over by invasive annual grass species, and ranges diminished by encroachment of conifers into sagebrush or aspen habitats. Continue to identify, map, and characterize crucial mule deer habitats throughout the state, and identify threats and limiting factors to each habitat. Work with land management agencies and private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer habitats, especially fawning and wintering areas. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Elk 2015-2022: Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. Reduce adverse impacts to elk herds and elk habitat. 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. Identify habitat projects on summer ranges (aspen communities) to improve calving habitat. Encourage land managers to manage portions of forests in early succession stages. Deer Herd Unit Management Plan Deer Herd Unit #10 Book Cliffs (March 2012): A. Maintain and/or enhance forage production through direct range improvements to support and maintain herd population management objectives. B. Work with private landowners and federal, state, local, and tribal governments to maintain and protect critical and existing ranges from future losses and degradation. C. Provide improved habitat security and escapement opportunities for deer. Habitat Management Strategies: A. Work cooperatively to utilize grazing, prescribed burning, and other recognized vegetative manipulation techniques to enhance deer forage quantity and quality. B. Protect, maintain, and/or improve deer habitat through direct range improvements to support and maintain herd population management objectives. C. Work with private landowners and federal, state, and local governments to maintain and protect critical and existing ranges from future losses and degradation through grazing management and OHV and Travel Plan modifications. D. Work with federal, private, and state partners to improve crucial deer habitats through the WRI process. Elk Herd Unit Management Plan Elk Herd Unit #10 Book Cliffs: Improve forage and cover values on elk summer ranges. Practices will include prescribed fire, selective logging, and mechanical treatments that promote a diverse age structure in aspen communities. Over 300 acres per year will be targeted. Remove pinyon-juniper encroachment into winter range sagebrush parks and summer range mountain brush communities. Over 500 acres per year will be targeted using primarily mechanical treatments. Promote sustainable livestock grazing practices that minimize negative impacts to plant health and diversity, especially on summer ranges and on SITLA and DWR lands where DWR holds the grazing permit or controls livestock grazing. Develop new and protect/improve existing water sources for wildlife and livestock to improve distribution and minimize overutilization in proximity to water sources. Remove coniferous and juniper tree encroachment into winter range, sagebrush parklands, and summer range aspen forest and mountain browse communities. Approximately 1,500 acres per year will be targeted. Open the closed canopy pinyon-juniper forest lands at mid-elevation zones throughout the Book Cliffs to enhance perennial understory vegetative maintenance. Approximately 1,500 acres per year will be targeted utilizing mechanical and prescribed fire technology. Enhance riparian system and canyon bottom vegetative communities through continued agricultural practices, prescriptive grazing, and mechanical or chemical treatments. Emphasis on greasewood community improvement will continue. Manage to minimize wild horse herds and their impacts. Explore ways to improve Wyoming sagebrush community condition and perennial vegetative health. Improve existing canyon bottom riparian communities by treating greasewood and over-mature sagebrush through chemical, mechanical, and other methods, and minimize impacts on croplands in these habitats.

In rangeland, the most profound impact of cheatgrass is its influence on fire regimes. Cheatgrass increases the continuity of fine-textured fuel, which promotes larger and more frequent fires. Because the fire return interval is shortened, perennial vegetation is unable to completely recover before the next fire. At the same time, cheatgrass continues to increase, promoting larger and more frequent fires. Perennial vegetation is eventually removed from the system, resulting in a near monoculture of cheatgrass (MT200811AG Revised 6/12). The loss of sagebrush and other native vegetation, combined with the invasion of cheatgrass into the area, has altered the ecosystem's integrity and productivity. The project intends to reduce unnatural increases in wildfire frequency in project areas and in adjacent sagebrush communities. Additionally, by treating the area with Imazapic (Plateau) herbicide prior to seeding, this project should reduce the amount of flammable cheatgrass in the area. Without treatment, the area is considered to be at a very high risk of more frequent and intense wildland fires. Reducing the fire risk in the treatment area would also reduce fire risk in adjacent sagebrush areas. These areas offer crucial antelope habitat, potential pronghorn fawning grounds, critical winter habitat for mule deer, and habitat for elk. The area also supports habitats for ferruginous hawks, prairie dogs, and kit foxes, as well as foraging areas for eagles and various other raptor and migratory bird species.

In addition to reducing cheatgrass cover and creating vegetative diversity, this project will create structural diversity on this landscape. Sagebrush plants are good at catching drifting snow and holding that snow longer into the spring. This could result in more available moisture for other plants. Cheatgrass, as a winter annual, gains a competitive advantage over native and rangeland species that may not grow very much through the fall and winter and do not begin growth as early in the spring. Soil water depletion is one of the primary mechanisms by which cheatgrass competes with vegetation. This is especially problematic when attempting to revegetate land infested with cheatgrass. As spring precipitation diminishes and summer temperatures rise, perennial grass seedlings may not be big enough to survive, while cheatgrass plants are already producing seed to continue the next generation (MT200811AG Revised 6/12).

Crescent Junction Seeding: A Class III Cultural Resource Survey (U24MQ0367) was conducted for the mechanical/drill seeding treatment units of this undertaking totaling 1,109 acres. The cultural survey identified 18 cultural resources within the Area of Potential Effect (APE), five of which are eligible for listing on the NRHP. Project will result in No Adverse Effect as long as site-specific protection measures are followed including. Eligible sites will be treated by hand vegetation treatments only, such as hand seeding, within the site boundary plus a buffer around site boundaries and/or contributing features. SHPO concurrence was received on 09/30/2024 (Case No. 24-2321). Section 106 tribal consultation was initiated via letters on 10/4/2024. No responses have been received to date. Aerial Cheatgrass Project: A literature review identified 94 sites within the Area of Potential Effect, 35 of which are eligible or unevaluated for listing on the NRHP. The nature of the proposed project is such that historic properties will not be adversely affected. No ground disturbance is expected during this undertaking is expected as the application of herbicide and seed will be executed aerially. Known rock art sites were purposefully excluded from the APE, and project boundaries were modified to provide at least a 300-foot buffer between rock art and the APE preventing chemical drift from effecting the resource. Under the State Protocol Agreement between the BLM and the Utah SHPO under appendix H. D. 3. the project is exempt from SHPO consultation. Section 106 tribal consultation was initiated via letters sent out on 5/4/2023. One response was received by the Southern Ute Tribe on 10/29/2024 agreeing with the BLM's determination of no adverse effect.

Crescent Junction Seeding: A Class III Cultural Resource Survey (U24MQ0367) was conducted for the mechanical/drill seeding treatment units of this undertaking, totaling 1,109 acres. The cultural survey identified 18 cultural resources within the Area of Potential Effect (APE), five of which are eligible for listing on the NRHP. The project will result in No Adverse Effect as long as site-specific protection measures are followed. Eligible sites will be treated using hand vegetation treatments only, such as hand seeding, within the site boundaries plus a buffer around site boundaries and/or contributing features. SHPO concurrence was received on 09/30/2024 (Case No. 24-2321). Section 106 tribal consultation was initiated via letters on 10/4/2024. No responses have been received to date. Aerial Cheatgrass Project: A literature review identified 94 sites within the Area of Potential Effect, 35 of which are eligible or unevaluated for listing on the NRHP. The nature of the proposed project is such that historic properties will not be adversely affected. No ground disturbance is expected during this undertaking, as the application of herbicide and seed will be executed aerially. Known rock art sites were purposefully excluded from the APE, and project boundaries were modified to provide at least a 300-foot buffer between rock art and the APE, preventing chemical drift from affecting the resource. Under the State Protocol Agreement between the BLM and the Utah SHPO under Appendix H.D.3, the project is exempt from SHPO consultation. Section 106 tribal consultation was initiated via letters sent out on 5/4/2023. One response was received from the Southern Ute Tribe on 10/29/2024, agreeing with the BLM's determination of no adverse effect. Aerial Herbicide and Seeding Project: Aerial spray will be conducted at all locations designated for herbicide application using Plateau herbicide during late winter or early spring before cheatgrass germination begins. Seeding will be carried out using a mix of aerial applications and drill seeding. All aerial applications will be contracted through the Utah DWR, while drill seeding will utilize equipment from the Great Basin Seed Warehouse.

Monitoring will consist of randomly located vegetation transects with the purpose of measuring both over-story and under-story vegetation change. Measurements will include line-point intercept cover, tree density, species richness, and seeded species frequency using BLM's Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) protocols. Repeat photographs will also be taken.

BLM, Sitla, UDWR will contract the spraying, Great basin seed warehouse provides seed and equipment.

Monitoring will consist of randomly located vegetation transects with the purpose of measuring both over-story and under-story vegetation change. Measurements will include line-point intercept cover, tree density, species richness, and seeded species frequency using BLM's Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) protocols. Repeat photographs will also be taken. The goal is to knock back cheatgrass infestation with one application of pre-emergent herbicide, which has been shown to decrease germination for two growth cycles. Locally, effects have been observed for up to 5 years. Seeding will take place two growing seasons after the herbicide is sprayed. After seeding, the areas will be rested from grazing for two growing seasons.

although this may affect grazing in the short term. It will hopefully lead to better forage in the long term.