The area is dominated by Class three fire regimes and needs to diversify the plant community from becoming a pinion juniper tree monoculture. Reduce high amounts to standing heavy fuels for wildfire. Making the treated areas more diverse in vegetative age stages to promote beneficial plants species for forage and habitat. The vegetation composition needs to move away from a pinion juniper tree dominated monoculture and reduce invasive annual plant species. Phase two of this area was surveyed for cultural resources, to continue the treatment these acres need to be as well.

The area is dominated by Class three fire regimes and needs to diversify the plant community from becoming a pinion juniper tree monoculture. Reduce high amounts to standing heavy fuels for wildfire. Making the treated areas more diverse in vegetative age stages to promote beneficial plants species for forage and habitat. The vegetation composition needs to move away from a pinion juniper tree dominated monoculture and reduce invasive annual plant species.

The site area as a whole is dominated by pinion juniper trees to the point that other vegetation is being crowded out and will continue to be more and more as time passes without a change to the current status of the vegetative structure. Much of the understory plant species; grasses, forbs, and shrubs; have been out completed leaving high amounts of bare soil on the landscape. Cheatgrass, an annual invasive, is present in this area which in the event of a wildfire the probability of beneficial plant species returning is diminished. Annual invasive grasses establish faster and at a higher rate which creates an unhealthy fire cycle wherever such plant species overtake the vegetative structure and completely dominate as the ground cover. Before the current understory plant species become further depleted, removing pinion juniper trees to release resources for these grasses, forbs, and shrubs native to the area will benefit the landscape in regard to erosion prevention, forage production (primarily for wildlife in the proposed treatment areas), wildfire resilience, and overall range health.

Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1701) Sec. 102 (c)(8) the public lands be managed in a manner that will protect the quality of scientific, scenic, historical, ecological, environmental, air and atmospheric, water resource, and archeological values; that, where appropriate, will preserve and protect certain public lands in their natural condition; that will provide food and habitat for fish and wildlife and domestic animals; and that will provide for outdoor recreation and human occupancy and use; Chipman Peak EA/FONSI/DR - December 2016. (see Alternative A - Proposed Action) 2.1.3.3 Pinion Pine and Juniper Woodland Treatment Desired Future Condition- Pinion pine and juniper stands exist on woodland ecological sites across the landscape in a variety of conditions, including young regenerating stands, mid-aged stands, mature stands, and old growth stands. Pinion pine-juniper stands are typically multi or even-aged with 5-20% canopy cover. Other vegetation cover is as follows; shrub canopy 25-35% and grass cover 20-35% and forb cover 0-5%. Color Country and Paria River Fire Management Plan 3.3 Fuels Treatments - Objectives The focus of fuels treatments is to move Condition Class 2 and Condition Class 3 areas toward historic fire conditions, based on resources objectives. Projects are closely tied to habitat, watershed, and other natural resource objectives, as well as hazardous fuels reduction. National Fire Plan (2000) Hazardous Fuel Reduction -- Invest in projects to reduce fire risk, including fuels reduction in high-risk areas, primarily on Federal lands. Fuels management work will be targeted to high priority areas, especially wildland-urban interface areas. Fuels management includes fuels reduction, hazard mitigation, and ecosystem restoration. The Departments also plan to work with States and local communities in order to implement a collaborative program across agency boundaries Deer Herd Unit Management Plan Unit #22 Beaver (2020) The project will be consistent with the habitat management strategies identified in the Deer Herd Unit Management Plan for Deer Herd Unit #22 (Beaver) (UDWR) which pertain to the Project Area are as follows: * 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 reseed areas dominated by cheatgrass 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. Though Sage-Grouse concerns are not the primary goal for this project, they are still relevant to the project because the project site is located between two Sage-grouse PHMAs. The project may not to create long term suitable SG habitat but the treatment would help create a more conducive corridor for the birds to traverse between PHMAs due to the reduction in Pinion Juniper tree density. The Utah State Wildlife Action Plan 2015-2025 (Final) is a comprehensive management plan designed to conserve native species populations and habitats in Utah, and prevent the need for additional federal listings.

The area proposed to be treated will benefit to have reduced fuel loads. The majority of the area is high potential for damage by fire (see Soil Report). There have been numerous large fires (Baboon, Black Mountain, Maple Spring, and Greenville) within the immediate vicinity of the project area. Of the entire Mineral Black Mountain Fire Management Unit (FMU) (646,151 acres), 235,986 acres have burned over the past 20 years. This amounts to over 36% of the FMU being impacted by high intensity wildfire. Of the acres burned, more than 40,000 acres have burned more than once (cheatgrass burn/re-burn cycle). Most alarming is the fact that for the 22 years in which fire records are available (1993-2014), while the number of fires has decreased over the past 10 years, the acreages burned has increased more than 200%. This project will reduce the amount of existing trees and curtail the expansion of PJ trees that would provide fuel in the area for a high intensity fire. Thus, wildfires would be more difficult to control and would have much more devastating effects by burning at a higher intensity over larger areas. Because there is a greater risk of converting this area into a vegetation structure overrun with annual grasses following a high intensity fire, the need to manage the area with pro-active treatments would reduce the likelihood of cheatgrass invasion and help perennial grasses and forbs persist long-term. Treatments identified within this proposal would help reduce hazardous fuel loads, create fuel breaks, and reduce the overall threat of a catastrophic wildfire which could impact the watershed, and wildlife habitat. Treatments in and around the sagebrush, bitterbrush, and cliffrose present in this area would break up continuous fuels and reduce the risk of high intensity wildfire entering these sensitive areas.

The Project Area elevation ranges from 6,000 - 7,500 feet above sea level; therefore, it is expected that the opportunity to restore native species to the composition and frequency appropriate to the area is high. The majority of the area is dominated by pinyon pine and juniper (Phase 2 and Phase 3). There is noticeable soil erosion throughout the area due to the absence of perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs. The project is expected to improve herbaceous understory, which will reduce water runoff and decrease soil erosion while increasing infiltration. Improvements to the Standards and Guidelines for Healthy Rangelands (Standard 1 and Standard 3) are expected through project implementation. It is expected that Standard 1 (Soils) -- will improve by allowing soils to exhibit permeability and infiltration rates that will sustain/improve site productivity throughout the area. This will be accomplished by making improvements to the Biotic Integrity of the community by converting areas that are dominated by pinyon pine and juniper to a diverse component of perennial grasses, forbs and shrubs that is consistent with Ecological Site Description (See Chipman Peak EA appendix 11 pg.168 and Soil Report). Indicators will include sufficient cover and litter to protect the soil surface from excessive water and wind erosion, limiting surface flow and limiting soil moisture loss through evaporation, which will promote proper infiltration.

NEPA (Environmental Assessment and Biological Assessment) have both been completed from the Chipman Peak EA. The required cultural surveys will be conducted prior to treatments for this project. Livestock permittees will be required to rest the mechanically treated areas from livestock grazing or use for a minimum of growing seasons.

Chaining and mastication (bullhog) with heavy equipment will be the methods that will be used to remove pinion juniper trees. The areas where these mechanical treatment are to be implement will be seeded with grass, forb, and shrub plant species to promote rangeland health, soil stability, and fire resilience. Proper cultural and wildlife surveys will be done prior to these treatments. BLM will provide overall project oversight. BLM will designate of the treatment areas (i.e. leave islands/stands of trees to protect cultural and wildlife resources) in cooperation with UDWR and State Lands. Archeology/cultural surveys will be completed by DWR contract with project oversight provided by the BLM Fuels Archaeologist. Project Area is currently in Phase 2 and Phase 3 fire regime condition classes. Although sagebrush and perennial grasses are present in portions of the Project Area that is currently in Phase 2 condition; the species vigor, composition, and production are well below what should be expected for the site as revealed by the Ecological Site Description.

The BLM uses the Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring program (AIM) to improve the effectiveness of monitoring on BLM lands. This monitoring program uses standard core indicators and methods to provide a statistically valid sampling design across the landscape. Other standard methods of monitoring include surveys such as: Wildlife Use Pattern Surveys (i.e. Pellet Counts), Wildlife Population Surveys, Key Forage Utilization, Nested Frequency (Trend), Line Intercept (Shrub Cover and Age Class), Standards and Guidelines for Rangeland Health Assessment, Photo Points, Breeding Bird Surveys, Raptor Nest Surveys, General Wildlife Use Surveys and Noxious weed inventory / monitoring. Monitoring data will be compiled into an overall monitoring report that will help determine the level of success for the project in the short-term and long-term. This data will be utilized to support an Adaptive Management Strategy to determine if further treatment methods would be needed to meet measurable objectives.

The BLM coordinated with DWR, SWARM, USU extension, UPDOG, UPDRIT etc... during the NEPA process when treatments within the project area were being considered for authorization. The BLM works the livestock permittees to ensure quality improvements be implemented and rangeland health practices followed. During the planning, contracting, and implementation of this project; the BLM coordinates with the DNR through this initiative. The majority of the acres in this phase of the project are state trust lands. The BLM and State Trust Lands are working together get all requirements to do this project, including the cultural survey.

Once the project has been implemented and the seeding establishment has been confirmed, BLM may authorize grazing according the the Utah Fundamentals of Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Grazing Management. Vegetation would continue to be monitored for utilization, cover and trend. Following the two year rest period, the grazing management system identified during the grazing permit renewal process would be resumed. Key Management Areas are typically established in grazing allotments to monitor trend where there is livestock use. The trend sites that have been established in the Project Area will provide for baseline monitoring data so that short-term and long-term treatment success can be monitored. Because trend within the treatment area that has been collected is baseline data trend will be determined in subsequent years as data is collected. Trend will be collected at these sites for following treatment and the overall range vegetative monitoring schedule provides for collection every 3-5 years. Grazing permit renewals are current for all allotments throughout the project area. Grazing management systems that identified livestock numbers, season of use and AUMs were identified through this process. Future maintenance projects to protect investments made by UWRI/NRCS/BLM have been addressed and allowed through the project planning document (NEPA). Adaptive Management has been allowed for in the NEPA/Decision document. A large variety of treatment methods have been identified and authorized for use within the Project Area. NRCS will require the permittee to follow all the BLM grazing requirements and also defer grazing on the private ground for a minimum of two growing seasons. At the end of each growing season NRCS will coordinate with BLM and the private landowner on progress and establishment of the seeding.

The majority of the project area is in Phase 2 and Phase 3 condition. The project is expected to improve health, composition, and diversity of shrubs, grasses, and forbs in accordance with Rangeland Health Standards and Guidelines and the Ecological Site Description, which will be beneficial to create forage primarily for wildlife but also livestock. Furthermore, the project will be proactive in improving vegetative communities and reducing heavy fuels in areas that are dominated by pinyon and juniper, which will minimize the potential for a catastrophic wildfire throughout the area. It is also expected that the treatment will also benefit hunting opportunities within the area in the long-term. Treatments that have occurred within the vicinity of the project have been highly successful for improving vegetation structure to increase grasses and shrubs. Wildlife viewing is popular with the public and the treatments have provided greater opportunities to view wildlife. Bird watching would also be included and increased with the greater variety of grasses and forbs, with near by roosting and loafing habitat.