Landscape Conservation Forecasting (LCF) completed by The Nature Conservancy indicates that present day ecological systems across much of the Escalante Ranger District are highly departed from their reference conditions as a result of past management activity. Prior landscape management on Forest Service lands, including decades of fire suppression and periods of heavy logging, have promoted a trend in mid to late successional vegetation alongside excess fuel loads in the Mountain Shrub, Mountain Big Sagebrush, and Ponderosa Pine systems across the project area. The departure of vegetation systems such as conifer encroachment into riparian areas and mountain shrublands, in addition to pressure on the limited water resources available in the arid environment due to an increased demand from surrounding communities, has diminished many of the water sources that were historically available to wildlife. Past and upcoming vegetation management projects in Upper Valley are addressing concerns of uncharacteristic wildfire, in turn improving wildlife forage capacity and overall habitat effectiveness through the removal of encroaching conifers. The proposed project aims to improve water resources through the following actions: - Disperse water resources across Upper Valley by leveraging ongoing fuels work, strategically placing guzzlers adjacent to treatment areas that have rendered ideal habitat, providing dedicated water sources for wildlife and promoting effective habitat utilization across a wider area. - Dredge and reinforce historic sediment catchment ponds within the project area to allow for renewed catchment, as well as provide additional water sources for wildlife during seasons when adequate runoff is available to fill the catchments. - Remove encroaching conifer in both wetland areas and upland areas using mastication, lop and scatter and lop and pile crews, alongside multiple phases of mechanical treatment to promote the growth of desirable native vegetation that better aligns with reference conditions as identified by TNCs data, including shrubs, forbs, and grasses.

Improve existing water features (sediment catchment ponds and spring exclosures), as well as expand water developments by installing two fenced in rainwater collection guzzlers with storage tanks up to 2,500 gallons designed for wildlife use. This project is designed to implement watershed restoration actions proposed in the Upper Valley Landscape Improvement Project (UVLIP) including the following: -Dredge sediment from infilled dry catchment ponds south of HWY 12, restoring functionality, and redirect/reinforce outflow to mitigate potential of future head cutting. -Install two fenced in guzzlers through a drinker designed for wildlife use in locations that have ideal habitat in drier areas. - Repair fence line along multiple spring sites. -Manage forest cover types to provide variety in stand sizes shape, crown closure, edge contrast, age structure and interspersion. -Use existing TNC LCF data to mitigate the current and future impacts of conifer expansion by targeting encroaching conifers (pinyon-juniper, white fir) in Ponderosa Pine Mesic, Montane Riparian, Mountain Shrub, and Mountain Big Sagebrush ecological systems. The proposed actions will: -Build off prior and ongoing mechanical treatments in the Upper Valley Vegetation Improvement projects (WRI IDs: 4711, 6182), lessening the risk of stand replacing fire by reducing ground and ladder fuels. -Mitigate the current and future impacts of conifer expansion into crucial mule deer and elk habitat. -Improve habitat quality and promote biodiversity by implementing treatments in a mosaic pattern across the landscape. -Disperse water across drier habitat areas, allowing wildlife to better utilize improved habitat and reducing competition for water resources, alleviating stress on wildlife populations. -Improve existing infrastructure and wetland areas to promote excess water storage during seasons with adequate runoff and overall resiliency of water resources in Upper Valley. -Implement a combination of fuels reduction treatments to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, as well as second order fire effects to wetland areas, while promoting a fire resilient landscape. - Change plant composition from encroaching coniferous species to palatable grasses, forbes and browse. -We anticipate a 400 percent increase in annual yield in palatable forage. - The FRCC will go from missing 2-3 fire return intervals to 1.

Upper Valley is a migratory corridor and big game transitional range connecting the western canyons of Fifty Mile Mountain, including the Death Ridge Wilderness, up to the Aquarius Plateau. Extensive vegetation improvement projects have been implemented throughout Upper Valley throughout the past five years, increasing forage availability for wildlife species. Although mechanical and hand treatments have improved habitat, water resources in these areas are limited. Pressure from human disturbance continues to push wildlife into less desirable locations, i.e. regions throughout Upper Valley that may have available browse but lack water. The proposed work aims to expand on recent vegetation improvement work and add water to these recent projects by installing and improving water features throughout Upper Valley, supporting existing wildlife populations along a crucial migratory pathway. The water is intended to support various birds, bats, large mammals, as well as big-game populations. Sensitive species, including the Townsend's Big-eared Bat, have been captured in the South Hollow area. Four goshawk territories and a large Flammulated Owl population located in the area would also benefit from additional prey species that would occur with additional water availability. The Boulder/Kaiparowits mule deer population has steadily declined since 2015. GPS collaring coupled with body condition measurements have indicated that habitat is the major limiting factor for this unit. Mule deer in this area may travel long distances for water, which can become a great energetic cost, negatively impacting their body condition which is crucial to their survival. In arid ecoregions, supplemental water for mule deer can alleviate threats to the population (Krausman et al. 2006). Female mule deer especially need daily and ready access to free water because of the energetic demands of pregnancy and lactation (Shields et al. 2012). Mule deer in arid environments select for areas with easy access to water (McKee et al. 2015). Supplementing past project with water sources will help ensure that the project areas are both utilized and benefit the wildlife, especially the mule deer, in the area. The elk population in this area is small compared to the northern part of the Boulder. It's an area that could have more elk and provide more hunting opportunity. However, the elk in the surrounding area often cause crop depredation issues. Improved forage and water sources in the area can help draw elk away from agricultural land and remain in desirable areas. Wildlife health and disease is a great concern in Utah, particularly the spread of CWD. Increasing water availability helps disperse wildlife across the landscape so they aren't so congregated around limited water sources. This reduces risk of spreading diseases like CWD and EHD (Gillin and Mawdsley 2018). McKee et al. (2015) also showed that mule deer in arid environments select for areas in close proximity to water during all seasons. By creating additional water sources in areas that lack them, it will help draw mule deer to underutilized habitats and reduce competition. Less travel time and distance to water sources will also help conserve energy to maintain high body condition, which adult does and fawns need for increased survival. Under the current Upper Valley Landscape Improvement Project we are able to continue implementing projects in the 16,885 acre area. This project is a priority as we are waiting for a decision on the Hungry Creek Vegetation Improvement Project. The USFS has received funding for reforestation work with in the ponderosa belts, this money is specifically for the Upper Valley Landscape Improvement Project.

1) 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 vegetation, 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). This pinyon-juniper removal project also addresses uncharacteristic and surpluses of older age class trees and reduces the threat of Problematic Native Plant Species in Mountain Sagebrush systems. 2) Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan, 2025. pp. 20-23 Habitat Goal: Conserve, improve, and restore mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges. Habitat Objective 1: Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts. Strategies: B. Habitat Management and Conservation a. Work with local, state and federal land management agencies via land management plans and with private landowners to identify and actively manage and protect crucial mule deer habitats including summer (especially fawning), winter, and migration areas as defined in Sawyer et al. 2009 I. Wildlife-Friendly Fencing a. Consider installing or modifying wildlife-friendly fencing for effective and safe mule deer movements. Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 600,000 acres of crucial range by 2030. A. Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI) a. Utilize WRI as a tool to improve deer habitat with all partners across the state b. Continue to support and provide leadership for WRI, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah c. Work with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional WRI teams working groups to identify and prioritize mule deer habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration (Figure 6). Emphasis should be placed on crucial habitats which include summer range habitats such as improving aspen, winter ranges sagebrush habitats, and improving riparian areas e. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve and restore 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 3) Plateau Boulder Deer Herd Management Plan Unit #25C (2020) - 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.(p.3-4) This project is expected to benefit mule deer by improving forage resources long term and restoring sagebrush ecosystems which the deer rely on for browse especially during the winter period. Treatments will include a reduction of pinyon-juniper by use of lop and scatter methods. 4) This treatment is aligned with the State of Utah's Resource Management Plan, objectives for livestock and grazing under page 148. 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. (p. 148) Water quality, quantity and livestock forage should improve by implementing this project. 5) National Cohesive Strategy. By means of mechanical thinning at a landscape scale, the resulting mosaic of sagebrush and persistent pinyon-juniper forests will work toward the goal of restoring and maintaining resilient landscapes, one of the three goals described in the National Cohesive Strategy. 6)Resilient Landscapes General guidance regarding vegetation and fuels management include; Use and expand fuel treatments involving mechanical, biological, or chemical methods where economically feasible and sustainable, and where they align with landowner objectives. (pg. 58) The planned project is within about 30,000 contiguous acres zoned as Habitat Initiative restoration priority lands on the South Slope of Boulder Mountain, which should contribute to a resilient landscape. 7) State of Utah Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy. The South Hollow Project aligns with the mission of the State of Utah's Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy. The project has developed a comprehensive and systematic approach toward reducing the size, intensity and frequency of catastrophic wildland fires near the existing infrastructure. The project reduces the risk of a catastrophic wildfire occurrence negatively affecting property, air quality and water systems. The Mission: Develop a collaborative process to protect the health and welfare of Utahns, and our lands by reducing the size and frequency of catastrophic fires (pg. 8) Under number 5. Adopt Key Recommendations from the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (pg. 15); Encourage federal land management agencies to expedite fuels treatments. (pg. 15) Prioritize landscapes for treatment (irrespective of jurisdictional boundaries) (pg. 15). This proposed treatment will bring potential canopy fire to the ground and allow for greater likelihoods of successful fire suppression or wildfire utilization for resource benefits. 8) This project, with its aforementioned benefits and involvement of various participants, meets the following, selected goals of the DWR Strategic Plan: Goal A- Conserve, protect, enhance and manage Utah's wildlife. A-1. Maintain populations of harvestable wildlife species at species or drainage management plan objective levels. A-2. Maintain distribution and abundance of all other naturally occurring wildlife and native plant species. Goal B- Conserve, protect, enhance and manage Utah's ecosystems. B-1. Increase the functioning of impaired ecosystems. B-2. Prevent declining conditions in both impaired and currently functional ecosystems. Goal C- Enhance wildlife recreational experiences consistent with other DWR goals. C-4. Improve or increase public accessibility for wildlife-related recreational opportunities. Goal D- Provide for a broad base of economic benefits from wildlife consistent with other DWR goals. D-3. Decrease economic losses from wildlife to the citizens of Utah, consistent with wildlife management goals and objectives. Goal E- Ensure broad-based public involvement in the management of Utah wildlife and ecosystems. E-1. Increase support for DWR wildlife management programs in Utah by federal, state, local and tribal governments. E-2. Increase support for DWR wildlife management programs in Utah by the private sector and citizens. 9) UTAH ELK STATEWIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN This project helps to meet Population Objective 2 - Foster support among stakeholders for Utah's elk management program. Specifically the project helps increase tolerance of public land grazers not enrolled in a CWMU or LOA by conducting habitat projects that will benefit livestock and wildlife. The proposed treatments will also assist with meeting Habitat Objectives 1 - Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. 2-Work with partnering agencies, private land owners, and livestock producers to increase soil water retention, establish new water sources, and improve existing sources to promote optimal distribution of animals and increase utilization of all habitat available within the Complex. 10) Strategic Management Plan for Wild Tukey-Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR 2014). Grasses provide food for adults and are especially important to poults as an environment where they can effectively forage for insects. Poults need an environment that produces insects and in which they can efficiently forage. Poults need an area that provides enough cover to hide them, but allows the adult hen unobstructed vision for protection from predators. Thinning treatments will help improve the sage brush and grass/forb vegetation types by removing pinyon/juniper. In addition, treatments will help improve the ponderosa pine foraging habitat for wild turkeys. 11) Utah Upland Game Management Plan Forest Grouse (Dusky and Ruffed Grouse) Potential threats to grouse habitat in Utah include fire suppression policies that impede aspen regeneration, other forest management practices that precludes early successional habitat availability such as degradation of dense understory vegetation, and long-term drought impacts. Timber harvest, fire, and other management practices that support dense, early successional habitats are known to benefit grouse throughout their range. Practices that degrade riparian areas resulting in erosion or loss of water retention or management that promotes older sparser forests is likely detrimental. During the summer months, dusky grouse are found in areas with mixed tree cover, dense understory vegetation, and they regularly used more open shrub habitats adjacent to tree cover, especially when brooding young. As summer transitions to fall, they begin their elevational migration to conifer areas, which in Utah are most often dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Their winter diet shifts to nearly 100% conifer needles until the spring breeding season. 13) Garfield County Resource Management Plan (2019) "Garfield 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."

Due to fire suppression and other management practices, the South Hollow project area has fire and fuels conditions outside of the historical range of variability. Currently large portions of the project area are made up of continuous areas of tight crown spacing, and significant ladder fuels. These conditions are increasing the vulnerability of the area to large, high severity fires that have the potential to harm wildlife, plant communities, fisheries, ecological processes, and watershed health. In addition, any future ignitions in this area that occur during hot, dry, and windy conditions are likely to burn large portions of the watershed. Continuous fuels hamper suppression efforts in this area; and increase risk to firefighting forces and the public. Most of the vegetated portion of the project area can be described as Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) 2 and 3. A sharp decrease in fire frequency due to suppression of wildfires post settlement has resulted in expansion of the pinyon-juniper woodlands. Subsequently fire exclusion, and cultural practices, resulted in an altered fuels profile that increases the fire severity, and slows the development of late-succession stands. FRCC reflect the current condition and that conditions' degree of departure from modeled reference fuel conditions. Wildland fires burning in the South Hollow project area under 90th percentile or higher weather and fuels conditions are moderately difficult to suppress and can result in large fire growth. However, the largest danger lies in fires from shrublands moving into adjacent stands of trees and shrubs acting as ladder fuels allowing the fire to move into the canopies of trees in those stands. Due to flame lengths in the shrublands an indirect control strategy would need to be employed to control fires on days at the 90th percentile or above. This increases hazard exposure and reduces safety for fire personnel and the public. The South hollow project area is located along Utah State Highway 12, a crucial corridor connecting the local community of Escalante to the western regions of Garfield County and containing multiple private structures throughout the valley that would be at risk in the event of a wildfire. The proposed work will build off ongoing projects in the area to bring potential canopy fire to the ground in Ponderosa Pine systems through lop and scatter treatments, along with dissecting the landscape to dissuade the spread of fire by strategically implementing lop and pile treatments along roads to create shaded fuel breaks. In addition to mitigating the potential for crown fires in Ponderosa Pine systems, the project will address the threat of high fire intensity presented by conifer encroachment in Mountain Shrub and Mountain Big Sagebrush systems. Fuels treatments are expected to promote the longevity of existing water resources in the project area by maintaining or increasing the quantity of available water and protecting water resources from the threat of uncharacteristic wildfire.

This project proposes to implement a variety of treatments to improve water quality and quantity throughout South Hollow. USFS and State employees will direct efforts to remove encroaching conifer, including pinyon and juniper. A combination of USFS, State, and contracted crews will also install two 1,800 gallon boss tanks complete with wildlife-friendly fencing, repair fence line protecting hydrologic features, and dredge existing sediment catchment ponds along FR 146. The project area contains approximately 1,500 acres of lop and scatter treatments targeting problematic native plant species in Mountain Big Sagebrush, Mountain Shrub, and Ponderosa Pine systems. Contracted crews will remove encroaching pinyon and juniper from shrubland areas and target dense stretches of unmerchantable white fir located within ponderosa forests between Willow Creek and FR 146. Hand treatments implemented by crews are expected to increase water quantity through reduced conifer presence (Shinneman et al. 2023). This work will compliment efforts undertaken in ongoing projects across Upper Valley, such as Upper Valley Phase 2 Hand Treatment (6182) which covers hand treatments across roughly 3,700 acres. Vegetation treatments throughout Upper Valley to reduce conifer encroachment will increase water availability, particularly in the springtime, in turn supporting increased growth of desirable shrubs and herbaceous vegetation (Roundy et al. 2020). Removal of trees by contracted crews will also reduce fuel loads, an effort which is already being undertaken by affiliated projects throughout Upper Valley. A higher cover of desirable understory species is expected as ladder fuels will be moved to the ground through lop and scatter and lop and pile methods, providing mulch that mitigates runoff and erosion while increasing the density and diversity of grasses and forbs (Ashcroft et al. 2017). In addition, hand treatments will prevent the likelihood of uncharacteristic wildfire by moving fuels to the ground and creating strategic fuel breaks. Reducing the risk of wildfire in this system protects existing water resources, such as Willow Creek, from second order fire effects. Extensive hand treatments will promote the regeneration of desirable shrubland vegetation and browse for big-game species. To promote access to the resulting improved habitat, up to five guzzlers will be installed by USFS and State crews in stages throughout the project area. Work proposed at this stage includes the installation of two 1,800 gallon boss tanks protected by wildlife-friendly fencing. Adding water sources to the area is expected to increase water quantity by allowing for more available surface water, and improve water quality as big-game species such as elk and mule deer are able to disperse, lowering the potential for heavy concentration on a single water source. Improved habitat resulting from vegetation treatments will also be paired with work to restore the functionality of existing water sources, including wildlife-friendly fencing repair around existing spring sites and other hydrologic features. Repairing wire fence around Willow Spring, the Willow Creek exclosure, Garden Springs, and Liston Flat Spring will protect water sources from livestock trespass and associated overuse impacts (Ranganath et al. 2009). Reduced grazing pressure at select wetland riparian areas will promote vegetative abundance and diversity as well as mitigate the potential for nonpoint-source pollutants associated with concentrated use of a water source by livestock (Line et al. 2000). Sedimentation concerns present within this highly erosive landscape will also be addressed by dredging existing sediment catchment ponds, improving water quality for Upper Valley Creek by removing sediment from the system before it is transported downstream. During heavy precipitation or snowmelt events the catchment ponds may also retain water, providing additional water for wildlife.

The Upper Valley Landscape Improvement Project decision was completed and signed on October 25th, 2017.

Sediment Catchment Ponds: Heavy equipment will be used to dredge sediment from eight existing catchment ponds ranging from 30 to 70 feet in diameter, restoring pond functionality, and spoils will be used to repair earthen dams and begin repair on any existing head cuts or gullies. Wood or rock structures will be installed as needed to reinforce catchment pond outflows and mitigate the potential for future head cutting. Guzzler Installation: 1,800 gallon boss tanks and their aprons will be installed at two locations across Upper Valley utilizing existing roads. Equipment, including a dozer, will be used to repair existing roads as needed to allow for transportation of boss tanks and fencing materials. Wildlife-friendly fencing will be installed around the guzzlers to exclude livestock. Hand Treatments: Hand treatments will correspond to ongoing treatments outlined in adjacent projects, i.e. the Upper Valley Phase 2 Hand Treatment (6182). Hand treatments will be used to thin, prune, and pile the live and dead vegetation along the roadway where designated to create a shaded fuel break. Retaining trees will be limbed up to 6ft high and surface materials less than 6 inches diameter will be hand piled. Generated piles will be burned when conditions allow. Additional hand treatments include 1058 acres of lop and scatter treatments used to thin and prune live and dead vegetation. Areas will subsequently be broadcast burned to achieve the desired 5-10 tons per acre fuel loading. Lop and scatter treatments will target unmerchantable white fir under 7 inches in diameter, Pinyon under 15 inches in diameter, and Juniper under 24 inches in diameter. Mechanical Treatments: Mechanical treatments in the project area consists of a combination of dry and wet mowing Mountain Big Sagebrush systems with multiple entries across 200 acres within the project area. Treatments will target areas around the catchment ponds to encourage a more desirable composition of grasses and shrubs alongside sagebrush. Wet mowing treatments will reduce the vigor of undesirable vegetation classes in Mountain Big Sagebrush, including high concentrations of Early Shrub composed of dense rabbitbrush, instead promoting the regeneration of desirable shrubs, forbs, and grasses.

Vegetation surveys will occur following treatment and five years after treatment. These tools for assessing potential for conifer encroachment and invasive plant establishment, as well as a qualitative site condition assessment, will be completed in accordance with existing monitoring protocols. Repeat photo points and range site survey locations consisting of nested frequency sites recording vegetation and percent cover already exist within the proposed project area. Pellet transects can be completed associated with this monitoring effort and can help document direct wildlife use of the areas. UDWR's Habitat Department has recently acquired a drone, and has a certified drone pilot on staff that will utilize this resource to trial a drone repeat photography monitoring program for 3-5 years on this project. This process paired with an AI interpretation of the photographs will be utilized to monitor effectiveness of the treatment. We anticipate that this type of monitoring will help biologists to understand the changes in plant composition correlated with the treatments that have been implemented, and track the changes in plant presence/absence prior to treatment and for successive years following the treatments. The Utah Division of Wildlife (UDWR) regularly conducts mule deer and elk population estimates within the Boulder/Kaiparowits Unit 25C/26 area. The UDWR also is conducting long term monitoring of mule deer and elk survival rates, migration information, and body condition using GPS collars. Aspen regeneration - Within aspen and conifer regeneration treatment areas, stocking surveys will be conducted following the first, third, and fifth growing seasons as directed in Forest Service Handbooks. Adaptive management actions will be defined within the project's Decision Notice to assure satisfactory stocking Fuels monitoring - Ten Brown's transects have been established to measure fuel loading throughout the South Hollow project area. Transects in treated units can be repeated one year, five years, and ten years post-treatment. Results from Brown's transect comparisons can be used to gauge effectiveness of treatment.

Project design and location has been coordinated between the USFS and UDWR. There were discussions with local residents and Garfield County officials to create safer conditions on the Boulder. This proposed treatment will bring potential canopy fire to the ground and allow for greater likelihoods of successful fire suppression or wildfire utilization for resource benefits. Financial benefits that come with improved habitat, (grazing, hunting opportunity etc.), have been discussed with city and county officials. Conversations and relationships have been curated with the allotment permit holders to reach an agreement that best suits all objectives. Mule Deer populations on the Boulder are in tough shape as listed in ecological risks. DWR will have data through the Migration Initiative that will show radio collared deer movements in and around the project area with pre-treatment and post-treatment indicators. USFS staff have received nearly one million dollars for habitat improvement and reforestation projects with in this area. The Escalante Ranger District is willing to partner with UDWR on projects to meet high priority objectives of both organizations. USFS is the land management agency.

South Hollow will be A phased approach to implementation allows for sagebrush and mountain shrub community response monitoring to inform future phases. Phase two of this project is planned to extend these treatments to the north. As monitoring indicates a need for re-treatment, and capacity allows, areas will be treated to maintain grass, forb, and shrub communities. The project area will be monitored for re-encroachment and proposed for re-treatment either through volunteers like the DH program or a full WRI proposal depending on the severity and extent of the re-encroachment. This project will also help with managing natural fire ignitions in the future by giving land managers more fire management options. The project is located on the Upper Valley east grazing allotment. This allotment is managed under a deferred rotation grazing system which is in compliance with allotment management plans and annual operating instructions. Implementers will coordinate project activities with permittees in order to minimize impacts. Areas within the project have not been highly utilized by livestock in the recent past. With no seeding proposed, treatment areas will not likely be rested from livestock use following treatment.

The Canaan Mountain is part of the Boulder Mountain hunting unit, a known destination for deer, elk, turkey, grouse, dove, black bear, and cougar hunting. Improvements to habitat will support these species by increasing forage for select species such as mule deer and elk and dispersing water access across the landscape. The USFS has the objective of improving, enhancing, and expanding wildlife habitat on public lands. Increased availability of surface water will increase the distribution and or abundance of popular and economically important game species such as mule deer, elk, turkey, and grouse. Water developments also benefit non-game wildlife, particularly birds, and bats. Wildlife will use waters from springs and streams and those developed for livestock, such as tanks and troughs. However, persistent drought conditions have limited water available for wildlife thus, reducing the utilization and distribution of all ungulates. The construction of guzzlers in Upper Valley, alongside continued maintenance of fencing around hydrologic features such as springs, will ensure that wildlife have access to water throughout the year. Livestock may benefit from the placement of these guzzlers depending on the guzzlers distance and remoteness from livestock use. While water developments will be fenced to exclude livestock use, overflow tanks will be considered where appropriate as outlined in the NEPA. In situations where overflow tanks are implemented, rainwater harvested would allow for livestock to better utilize the surrounding forage. Where adjacent to existing roads, lop and scatter material from this project will be made available for firewood gathering. Cutting of pinyon and juniper for posts and white fir for Christmas trees, with a permit and permission from the District Ranger, will continue to be allowed.