Watts Mountain Habitat Improvement Phase 2
Region: Southern
ID: 5584

Project Status: Proposed

Project Details

Of particular concern in this area is the loss of grasses and forbs in sagebrush communities.  One issue is sagebrush decadence, and many stands within the project area have reached densities of 25-40% cover of mature and old plants, and this dominance has caused grasses and forbs to decline.

Pinyon-juniper encroachment is having a similar effect.  Pinyon and juniper canopy cover in most of the grassland and sage-steppe community selected for treatment exceeds the desired condition of 10% or less (Miller et al. 2000, 2005, 2008).  The stands proposed for treatment currently contain between 10 and 30 percent of phase 1/2 cover.  This "gap" between current and desired condition points to a need for management based upon loss of habitat and forage production, increased risk of wildland fire, and potential changes to the water cycle.

Much of the area proposed for treatment is big-game summer and transitional habitat, which is used for fawning and calving in early summer.  Forbs make up a large proportion of the diet of both deer and elk, so increasing herbs would directly benefit these species. Both deer and elk populations are currently below Utah Division of Wildlife management objectives for herd unit 21b-Pahvant.   Increasing flowering plants in the understory would also benefit pollinators and other wildlife.  Several species of pollinators in are in decline with some, like the Western bumblebee and Monarch butterfly, proposed for listing.

Another concern is the current state of riparian areas in and adjacent to the project area.  Riparian habitat is extremely limited and is highly important to wildlife, cattle and recreation.  There is an immediate need to fence these areas to control grazing, and an opportunity to establish native vegetation to benefit multiple wildlife species.

The treatments proposed in the Watts Mountain 2 project would also connect previous treatments.  This project is located adjacent to the Elsinore Project that was implemented in 2022, the Joseph Project that was completed in 2021, and the Watts Mountain Phase 1 that was implemented in 2017.  Located north of the Watts Mountain project is the Little Valley project that was completed in 2015. By funding and implementing Watts Mountain Phase 2 there will be a connected mosaic of roughly 17,500 treated acres and 37,500 affected acres stretching from Fremont Indian State Park along I-70 and to just South of Richfield and east up on the bench of the Pahvant mountain range.

Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.

Purpose of this cooperative project is to achieve the following goals:

1. Integrate vegetation management with resource management to maintain productivity and provide for diversity of plant and animal communities (LRMP, IV-3).
2. Protect aquatic habitats which are in good or excellent condition and improve habitats where ecological conditions are below biological potential (LRMP, IV-3).
3. Rangeland vegetation is managed to provide needed vegetation species composition and interspersed grass, forb and shrub sites or variety in age of browse plants (LRMP, IV-95).
4. Vegetation characteristics and human activities are managed to provide optimum habitat for the selected species, or to meet population goals jointly agreed to with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (LRMP, IV-95).
5. Grass, forb and browse vegetation characteristics are regulated (LRMP, IV-95).

Thinning decadent stands of sagebrush to increase grasses, forbs and shrubs will move the project area toward desired conditions, improving big game fawning or calving habitat. A more diverse and resilient ecosystem will provide long-term benefits to many wildlife species.

Need:
There is a need to restore the sagebrush ecosystems by removing old and decadent sagebrush in order to diversify age classes and allow young grasses, forbs and shrubs to establish. There is a need to reduce fuel loads and decrease risks of unwanted wildfire behavior on uplands that flow into Pole Creek drainage.

PJ portion: 
The goals and objectives of this portion of the project is to decrease the risk of catastrophic fires, improve and protect watersheds, improve wildlife habitat including big game winter range, improve rangeland, and to provide increased livestock forage by removing pinyon-juniper trees and develop a healthy rangeland community with diverse age classes and species composition by mechanically hand thinning phase 1/2 pinion/juniper from approximately 4,004 acres on the east side of the Pahvant range.

Goals: 
1) Implement a landscape level ecosystem restoration project that will reduce hazardous fuels and reduce the risk for large scale catastrophic wildfires with less risk to public and firefighter safety. 
2) Reduce threat of catastrophic fires to valuable infrastructures such as multiple watersheds. Interstate 70, the town Joseph and Elsinore, high voltage major power transmission line, homes, summer cabins, outbuildings, hay sheds, livestock corrals, which all are located within the project area. 
3) Promote landscape level treatments on federal, state, and private lands along the Pahvant range with a collaborative effort between USFS, UFFSLs, Private and UDWR.
4) Implement a landscape level ecosystem restoration project with an increased pace and scale of implementation across boundaries.
5) Manage forest cover types to provide variety in stand sizes shape, crown closure, edge contrast, age structure and interspersion.
6) Minimize project costs by promoting cost effective treatments along with increased scale and size of treatments that will reduce overall cost/acre.

Project Objectives:
1)Reduce hazardous fuels while maintaining and improving fire resilient landscapes by improving the fire regime condition class to FRCC 1 and FRCC 2.  
2) [Reduce] pinyon-juniper canopy to less than 10%, modification of existing pinyon-juniper stands, improvement of riparian zone vegetation, and rejuvenation of mountain brush [to] improve conditions for MIS.
3) Improve and/or maintain the quality of habitat on big game winter and transition habitat by thinning or removing PJ with prior seeding. Design forage to cover ratios to benefit a variety of wildlife species.
4) Improve or maintain quality of habitat for wild turkeys by increasing acres of grass and forb communities. 
5) Increase overall forage production, habitat quality, and species diversity by treating in a mosaic pattern.
6) Improve and maintain species diversity.

A more fire resilient ecosystem would be promoted while reducing the risk for large scale, intense wildland fires to communities and watersheds located on the east side of the Pahavnt range near the communities of Joseph and Elsinore.  Reducing the risk for large scale, intense wildland fires along with potential fire and smoke impacts to Interstate 70 and the high voltage powerline corridor that run through the project area is also an objective of this project. Soil erosion from the site will be greatly minimized.

This proposal would help maintain the existing sagebrush and grass/forb communities in the area and it would allow for additional acres of sagebrush/grass/forbs to be restored. This would also help improve age class and species diversity in the mountain shrub communities and it would improve habitat for wildlife species dependent upon both the sagebrush/grass/forbs and mountain brush communities.

Improve riparian habitat by excluding livestock grazing and establishing key plant species.

Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.

As the understory declines, cheatgrass cover can increase.  Once cheatgrass is dominant the increased fuel load beneath the canopy of decadent sagebrush makes it highly likely that a stand-replacing fire will occur.  By treating this area we can reduce the overland fuel load of sagebrush that will be consumed by a wildfire, additional threats are that the sagebrush continues to become older and more mature and dominant we will continue to see the reduction of perennial understory with the existing grasses, forbs that are critical in this area for fawning and calving areas as well as livestock grazing, In addition the presents of noxious weed species will become an issues if sagebrush trends increase, soil erosion and decline soil potential of producing perennial grass, and forb species will take hold and the loss of established but suppressed herbaceous understory will be lost. Other threat will be the reduction of grazing on the Forest Service Allotments due to the shrub and browse component taking over, grass, and forbs are critical summer grazing forage for the livestock industry, and will result in forge loss if treatment is not implemented.   Forbs are also declining in the current plant community.  During the summer of 2021 our biologist documented several species of bumblebee foraging on alfalfa growing on the Watts Mountain Phase 1 treatment area.  The including forbs in the seed mix for this project should provide at least a short-term benefit to pollinators.

Pinyon Juniper Portion:
Site visits have shown several threats associated pinyon-juniper encroachment with the continual decrease of understory plants in the pinion/juniper dominated areas on the lower elevations of the Pahvant range, increased risk of wildland fire frequency and severity, risk of invasive plant species such as cheatgrass replacing native and desirable introduced plants, increased risk of soil erosion, and lower quality and quantity of water due to continued decreases in watershed functioning.

A potential risk to this project's area is the possibility of cheatgrass invasive species after a potential catastrophic fire. This risk is somewhat elevational dependent on the project area. The lowest elevations near valley floor pose the greatest risk. As treatments occur further up slope and/ or on northern slopes, the risk decreases.  The District has seen success in previous treatment areas mechanical and hand on the Forest and BLM that have initially shown good response for the native grasses and browse species.  Currently cheatgrass is minimal throughout the project and by treating this area the risk of catastrophic fire will be decreased significantly. Lower elevations (PJ dominated) on the Pahvant range are known for being taken over by cheatgrass after catastrophic fires. This project will reduce the risk of this happening and promote growth and establishment of native grasses and browse species. 
Forage productivity has diminished greatly over the past century and the PJ expansion continues on a yearly basis into the more productive sage/grass/forb communities. Some areas within the project have lost most of the understory sage/grasses/forbs, but other areas have not completely lost the understory. One of the biggest threats realized in this area is if left untreated these areas with some understory of sagebrush/grasses/forbs left will eventually be gone as well. This will continue to be "poor" habitat and range for ungulate animals. 
Majority of this project is in phase I with portions transitioning to phase II.  If left untreated these areas with productive mountain brush and sage/grass/forb communities will degrade in productivity and treatment costs in the future will go up dramatically.  A smaller area of the PJ in the project is in phase II transitioning to phase III.  If left untreated these areas with productive mountain brush and sage/grass/forb communities will degrade in productivity and treatment costs in the future will go up even more dramatically as well. 
As PJ has become dominate on the landscape and the loss of understory vegetation increases, big game and small game animals are experiencing a loss of foraging habitat.  This expansion of more PJ and reduced sage/grass/forb habitat has contributed to the decrease in Mule deer populations, other wildlife species in the area. This expansion factor also contributes to the problem of big game moving closer to higher elevation aspen and local agricultural crops in the valleys to find sustainable forage.  If acres of National Forest lands are returned to properly functioning condition it is possible that big game animals will spend more time on these lands and not as much on agricultural lands. The USFS expects that long-term cumulative effects from this project will be positive. 
This entire area is at risk of large catastrophic wildfires that could adversely affect entire watersheds.  Completed treatments along with planned and future treatments reduce the risk of fire at a landscape level to multiple watersheds along the East side of the Pahvant area while promoting resilient landscapes. Wildfire suppression costs are extremely high when suppressing fires in similar fuel types as present on this project. When wildfires occur, this could result in damage to private property and numerous structures, potential negative smoke and fire impacts to Interstate 70, increased erosion, greater opportunities for noxious weed establishment, impacts to available short-term forage, stream sedimentation, and possible mud slides/flooding events.  Soil movement is especially susceptible in the North Horn Soil Type that is present in areas within and surrounding the project. Restoring uplands will reduce impacts from future wildfires by reducing risk of future impairment and impacts to the North Horn and Sandy Loam Soils.

In Addition several studies have been conducted targeting mule deer and elk summer range improvement as it pertains to overall health and body conditions attached are s few that would warrant working in this are trying to improve summering habitat for mule deer and elk.

Summer Range Projects:
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1090116/full
- Importance of having fat does (summer range nutrition). High fawn birth weight, high fawn growth rates, higher fawn survival

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550742421000804
- This paper just highlights the summer nutritional needs of migratory vs resident deer. The district bios should know where units are more migratory or more residential. Basically, we need really high quality forage on migratory summer ranges to offset the costs of migration while also needing quality forage for residential summer ranges because they tend to have lower summer forage quality.

LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.

TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.

The pinyon-juniper and big sagebrush areas lie within the Mountain Sagebrush Steppe Habitat type which is one of the key habitats identified in the 2015 WAP, and falls one of the  UDWR Focus Areas.

The proposed project will address some of the habitat management strategies outlined in the deer and elk management plans for herd unit 21B (Fillmore Pahvant Unit ) including: 
*Continue to improve and restore sagebrush steppe habitats critical to deer according to DWRs Habitat Initiative. 
*Maintain habitat quantity and quality at a level adequate to support the stated population objectives while at the same time not resulting in an overall downward trend in range condition and watershed quality. 
*Work cooperatively with land management agencies and private landowners to plan and implement improvement projects for the purpose of enhancing wildlife habitat and range resources in general.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule Deer 2025-2030
States: 
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 Implications: Habitat will need to be improved on at least 600,000 acres of crucial mule deer range to meet the population objectives in this plan. If habitat improvement projects cannot be completed because of inadequate funding, environmental restrictions, or unfavorable climatic conditions,
population objectives may not be achieved. Additionally, because habitat treatments often require a number of years before they provide optimal benefits to mule deer, and if large catastrophic wildfires and energy developments continue to negatively impact crucial mule deer ranges, the population and habitat goals of this plan may not be achieved within the 6-year life of this plan.

) 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 Walk-In 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."

*The proposed projects will address the following goals and objectives of the Division of Wildlife Resources most recent strategic management plan:
*Resource Goal: expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat.
*Objective 1: protect existing wildlife habitat and improve 500,000 acres of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state.
*Objective 3: conserve sensitive species to prevent them from becoming listed as threatened or endangered where it will benefit them due to the treatment area and goals.
*Constituency Goal: Achieve broad-based support for Division programs and budgets by demonstrating the value of wildlife to all citizens of Utah.
*Objective 2: improve communication with wildlife organizations, public officials, private landowners, and government agencies to obtain support for Division programs.

*UDWR SR critical big game summer range are important browse communities that need to be enhanced and improved.  The Division may employ  but not limited to a variety of methods to achieve this including prescribed grazing, prescribed burning, reseeding and seedling transplants, also mechanical treatments.  Priority areas will include sagebrush-steppe and mountain browse communities. Falls within the rangeland focus area for WRI wildlife species for mule deer and elk.

*This plan is consistent with the Fishlake National Forest Plan for wildlife habitat enhancement and fuels management to improve habitat, reduce fuel loading, and protect against catastrophic wildfire.  
*Other project have been completed by the Forest Service, BLM and UDWR in past years within the HUC 12 area. 
*Project within the are also benefit the management plans objectives of the Lower Sevier River Watershed, as this will reduced sediment run off and create a healthy rangeland communities.

*Management Plans are also in conjunction with NRCS overall goals of healthy rangelands and communities, improving watersheds and reducing erosion and sediment. The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment

Project would also be relevant to NCS Goals and supported through the FS National Cohesive Strategies. CAT FIRE Objectives and Strategies:
In 2013, the State of Utah developed the Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy (CAT FIRE) in response to the severe 2012 fire season. Reducing the catastrophic wildfire requires attention to three interdependent goals identified in the National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy -- Restore and Maintain Landscapes, Fire Adapted Communities, and Wildfire Response. These goals have been embraced throughout the development of the state's CAT  FIRE strategy. Mitigation of hazardous fuels can change fire behavior making it easier to suppress. The effects of the mitigation, however, are not limited to life and property safety but will also affect forest health, water quality, vegetative species abundance, etc. As we continue to implement projects across the landscapes in Utah, the only way to truly be successful is to integrate existing programs, utilize local and federal partners and continue to educate the general public to create the desired shift towards more resilient communities and ecosystems.
Relationships to the Fillmore Fishlake National Forest Plan:
 
This action responds to the goals and objectives outlined in the Fishlake LRMP as amended and helps move the project area toward the following desired conditions.

*Diversity: Integrate vegetation management with resource management to maintain productivity and provide for diversity of plant and animal communities.	LRMP, IV-3
*Wildlife and Fish: Protect aquatic habitats which are in good or excellent condition and improve habitats where ecological conditions are below biological potential. LRMP, IV-3
*Management Prescription 4B: Rangeland vegetation is managed to provide needed vegetation species composition and interspersed grass, forb and shrub sites or variety in age of browse. LRMP, IV-95
*Management Prescription 4B:  Vegetation characteristics and human activities are managed to provide optimum habitat for the selected species, or to meet population goals jointly agreed to with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources LRMP, IV-95
*Management Prescription 4B:  Grass, forb and browse vegetation characteristics are regulated	LRMP, IV-95

In addition to the above listed objectives the below goals/objectives are identified in the Turkey Statewide Plan:

General
Suitable habitat includes three key ingredients: trees, forbs and grass. Regardless of the type of environment, this combination must exist for turkeys to thrive. Trees provide food, daytime
loafing and escape cover, and- --most importantly -- nighttime roost sites. Grasses and forbs
provide food for adults and are especially important to poults as an environment in which they
can efficiently forage for insects.

Brood Rearing:
During the first eight weeks after hatching, there are three essential components of brood
rearing habitat. First - Poults need an environment that produces an abundance of insects.
Second - Poults need habitat in which they can frequently and efficiently forage throughout the
day. Third - Poults need an area that provides enough cover to hide, but allows the adult hen
unobstructed vision for protection from predators.
Therefore, the fundamental component of brood rearing habitat is herbaceous vegetation
interspersed with trees. Herbaceous vegetation is key because it provides an ideal foraging
environment for poults.

Fall and Winter:
Wild turkeys seek two imperative habitat ingredients in the fall and winter --food and roosting
cover. Vegetation that turkeys utilize during the fall and winter is highly varied. Turkeys increase their use of forested cover during the fall and winter and decrease their use of open areas. Mast (pine nuts, acorns, berries) is the primary food source during fall and winter. Habitat value increases with higher proportions of mast-producing species in the forest and their degree of maturity. In mountainous environments, spring seeps are an important source of fall and winter food. Seeps provide invertebrates, mast and green vegetation. Because such water does not freeze, it provides a microclimate that allows foraging throughout the 
winter.

Golden and Bald Eagles will benefit form this type of restoration treatment as well typically these eagles are found in open country, especially in mountainous regions. They feeds mainly on small mammals, especially rabbits, marmots, and ground squirrels, but it also eats insects, snakes, birds, juvenile ungulates, and carrion. This chaining project will allow for increased open space for hunting small mammals and other pray due to the reduction in pinyon and juniper woodlands.  The increased of understory of grasses forbs and shrubs should increase small mammals and other prey species for the Bald and Golden Eagles to prey upon.

Utah Milk snake and the Soroan Mountain Kingsnake occupy a variety of habitats, including farmland, disturbed areas, meadows, river bottoms, bogs, rocky hillsides, and coniferous and deciduous forests. To support these snakes, these habitat types must have plenty of cover and a healthy rodent population. Information on the limited due to the survey work of UDWR, some survey work was conducted by Jimi Gragg in 2019 stated: "On the maps - we have positive-occurrence data only for these species. We have a distribution-modeling project that'll start in the fall, but we will begin with higher priorities. It will be a few years until we get around to those 2 (although they are pretty ideal candidates - from a technical standpoint - to model, I think). As far as value of habitat - I've tried to address that before. Basically, *all* snakes are predators. These 2 feed exclusively on vertebrates - lizards primarily, and small mammals to a lesser extent. That prey base depends on a landscape that isn't excessively dominated by woody plants, and which also isn't depleted of its herbaceous component. Basically, there needs to be enough seeds and bugs - same story as for so much small wildlife. The location, objectives, and methods of this proposal are well aligned to benefit these 2 snake species. Hope this is helpful". With the reduction of pinyon and juniper woodland, and the increased cover from spoil piles of trees and limbs from the treatment we expect to increase the foraging range for these two predatory snakes and the availability of small mammals and insects across this treatment.  Thus improving habitat for the Utah Milk Snake and Sonoran Mountain King Snake.

Pinyon Jays in Utah need pinyon-juniper woodlands, scrub oak, and sagebrush habitats. They also need edge habitats, which are areas where trees and shrubs meet. During implemention of this project we will continue to work in keeping mosaics, edge treatment both within the chain harrow portion and the Lop and Pile portion of this project. Allowing for the benefit of the  pinyon Jays that inhabit this area.

Monarch butterflies live in grasslands, meadows, prairies, and along roadsides in North America. They need suitable habitats for feeding, breeding, and overwintering, removing older age class sagebrush and reseeding flowering type forbs within the proposed seed mix will allow for improved habitat that may provide increased feeding and or breeding habitats within the Watts Mountain Project. In addition USFS Wildlife Biologist will be conducting monitoring for the Monarch Butterflies as well.

**I have also included information pertaining to the State of Utah Resource Management Plan, Mule Deer Management Plan for the Fillmore Pahvant, along with the Statewide Mule Deer Plan, and Utah Statewide Turkey Plan along with the Sevier County Resource Management Plan located in the Documents Tab of this project.

List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.

This project will have the ability to reduce fuel loading through the process of removing and or thinning older age class sage brush within the Watts Mountain Project. This will be done using a chain harrow piece of equipment this treatment will allow for improved understory of grasses forbs and shrubs that are present and will be released due to the reduction of Mountain Sagebrush.  Treatments like this have been proven to prevent wildfire from spreading during an event, this treatment will create several barriers or buffers between treated and non-treated areas that is critical for controlling or containing wildfires. The FFO FS/BLM have implemented several prior projects that reduced the likely hood of wildfire within the Pahvant Mountain Range, these projects consisted of clear cutting, burning and reseeding along with cut and pile projects. This project will help protect valuable infrastructures, from Catastrophic Wildfires, such as, summer cabins, outbuildings, livestock corrals. This project will also have an effect wildlife population of Mule Deer and Elk   The size of the treatment is around 6,200 acres and is within one mile of several structures including summer cabins, and outbuildings, and within 5-10 miles of Kanosh, Elsinore, Joseph and Richfield UT. This treatment will reduce fuel loads and improve critical habitat for mule deer, elk and turkeys in the future, along with providing additional forage for livestock.

PJ Portion:
This project will reduce fuel loading by removing the pinyon-juniper trees with a phase I lop and scatter treatment.  By treating this project and reducing the risk of catastrophic fires it will help the risk of the area being dominated by invasive annuals such as cheatgrass that perpetuate a rapid-fire cycle. Currently cheatgrass is minimal throughout the project, by treating and seeding this area the risk of catastrophic fire will be decreased significantly. Lower elevations (PJ dominated) on the Pahvant range are known for being taken over by cheatgrass after catastrophic fires. This project will reduce the risk of this happening. Treatments like this have been proven to prevent wildfire from spreading following an ignition event, and this treatment will create several barriers or buffers between treated and non-treated areas that will be critical for controlling or containing wildfires.

The majority of this project is within fire regime III -- 35-100+ year frequency and mixed severity (less than 75% of the dominant overstory vegetation replaced); The Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) is estimated to be both moderate (FRCC 2) and high (FRCC 3) departure from the central tendency of the natural (historical) regime.  The central tendency is a composite estimate of vegetation characteristics (species composition, structural stages, stand age, canopy closure, and mosaic pattern); fuel composition; fire frequency, severity, and pattern; and other associated natural disturbances.  The majority of this project would be in FRCC 3. This project will improve the fire regime condition class to FRCC 1 and FRCC 2.

Look at this from a catastrophic fire standpoint by reducing the fire loading and changing fire behavior on a large landscape scale it will help to reduce and minimize the potential threat of a large catastrophic fire. A catastrophic fire would most definitely have an effect on those watersheds/species. Looking at this project as a phase 3 of the Joseph project and they actually connect so we used a lot of the same information for this portion of the project. It is true that BCT and Southern leatherside are not found directly within the project area nor is there a direct positive effect to these species linked to perennial streams within the project area. The Elsinore (phase 2) project in connection with the Joseph (phase 1) project will reduce the potential for hydrologic overland flows that carries sediment and debris produced by flash flood, post fire and rain on snow events. The canyons found within the Joseph and particularly the Elsinore projects have chronic flooding issues. The Sevier County is currently working with the Forest Service to construct debris basins within the flat Canyon area as part of their County Watershed Plan. The NEPA on this project is in the Draft EA stage and awaiting NRCS WO review. The most recent flood was in 2016. It consisted of an isolated cloud burst lasting less than an hour the flow stopped 7,890 feet short of reaching the Sevier River but caused significant structural and agricultural damage to properties between Elsinore and Richfield.

If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.

Watts Mountain Habitat Improvement Project aims to increase watershed health across sagebrush communities by increasing ground cover in native grasses, forbs, and shrubs. The project aims to do this using harrow treatments to return to a healthy sagebrush age class diversity, density, and increase grass and forb density. This would result in a more efficient use of plant water use, decreased overland flow and erosion, and decreased sediment delivery to surface waterbodies in the project area. Surface waters that would benefit from this project include lower reaches of Deer Creek, Cottonwood Creek and a number of ephemeral streams in Little Valley. The Forest will be evaluating existing springs and areas that may produce additional water for fish and wildlife within this treatment as well as improve the overall goals and objectives of the Forest Service through their Land and Resource Management Plan (LMRP).

In Addition several studies and documentation have been made such as more of the notable ones we see from Kormas et al, Deboodt et al (2008), Baker et al (1984), Roundy et al (2014), Roth et al (2017) and Young et al 2013 have all documented various aspects of water yield and quality benefits from PJ removal projects such as increased and prolonged stream flows, decreased erosion, and delayed snow melt.

Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.

Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.

Methods will consist of a two-way chain harrow project to reduce the existing older sagebrush component on this project within 2,210 acres.

Patches of cover, corridors, may be left to meet Forest Plan big-game guidelines.  Also, piles of brush removed during harrowing will be left in strategic locations to provide habitat for kingsnakes and small mammals.

PJ Portion:
To move towards desired conditions and meet the purpose the district will implement approximately 4,004 acres of hazardous fuels reduction, stand improvements or wildlife habitat improvements designed to remove undesirable pinyon and juniper cover from encroached habitats.

Treatment methods will include hand cutting pinyon and juniper with handsaws or chainsaws, lopping and piling. Approximately 4,004 acres will be cut and piled. With the cut and pile trees will be cut as close to the ground as practicable and no live branches will remain on the stump. Within the cut and pile area, cut pinyon and juniper will be piled into large piles to be burned at a later date. Preferred method will be utilizing contract crews for the cut and pile.

Individual trees will not be designated within treatment units.  All pinyon and juniper over (approximately 12 inches DBH) will be retained wherever they found. All cut all pinyon and juniper tree stumps should be no more than six inches above ground level.  Retain standing dead trees that are not a safety hazard for cavity-dependent wildlife.

A mosaic treatment pattern combined with travel corridors (keeping openings no wider than 400 yards) will be designed into the project to allow some hiding, thermal and migration cover for big game. This diversity will help create a mix of life cycle benefits for a variety of wildlife and insect species. Curl-leaf mahogany and other key brush species will be designed away from fire opportunities to maintain browse integrity. In crucial or high value big game range, at least 40% hiding cover, well distributed over the planning unit will be maintained.

Hiding cover along at least 75% of the edge of arterial and collector roads and 40% along streams and washes will be maintained. Precautions will be taken to avoid the take of migratory birds during the nesting period where feasible.

This project will protect and improve key riparian and aquatic habitat by constructing a pole-fence to manage grazing and recreation on Oak Springs. Plant species crucial pollinators will be established through seeding and transplant.

Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.

Monitoring of this project will be done through the Fillmore Forest Service Office, along with the UDWR.  Monitoring will  be done through the use of Photo Points, vegetation transects and/or browse canopy inventory.  Pre-season classification of elk and deer will be conducted by the area UDWR Biologist. Project Manager will also be in touch with the range trend crew from GBRC to request a permanent range trend study be placed within the treatment area.  Monitoring of the perennial understory will be done as to the recruitment and reseeding that is expected post treatment. Weed control will be done as determined necessary by the District Range Management Specialist.

In 2021 we began monitoring for bumblebees on the Watts Mountain Phase I treatment, and plan on establishing an additional survey plot within the boundary of this project to document species occuring in this area.  We will also establish a pellet group transect to monitor big game and livestock use and will survey for reptiles and migratory birds when reading this transect in May.

PJ Portion:
Fuels treatment monitoring will take place involving multiple repeatable photo points.  Several Fuels Monitoring Plots have already been established within the project. Plots will be visited post 1 year, 3 year, and 5 year, monitoring vegetation response and ground cover. This will be accomplished by the Forest Service SCA Monitoring Crew.

We are fortunate to have the Richfield Breeding Bird Survey route bisecting the proposed treatment area. This route has data going back to 1966 and should provide an excellent means of monitoring effects on the bird species that should benefit from treatment. There is also a pellet group transect established on the project area in conjunction with the Jackass Flat guzzler in 2017 that we use to monitor changes in deer and elk use, but we also record indices of lagomorph (pellet groups) and record reptile and small mammals found along transects. And yes we have worked with private landowners and 2 that are involved with this project and have acres tied in with the USFS. It is explained in the project details. The Ezra Flat Range Trend Study (21R-18) is located approximately 8 miles north of Richfield in pinyon-juniper/black sagebrush habitat. It was established to monitor vegetation changes following bullhog treatment and was read by UDWR range crew in 2013 and 2016. While it is several miles outside the project boundary, It is the closest range trend study to the project and has habitat similar to many sites proposed for treatment under the Elsinore project. A copy of the latest report has been added to the project documents section.

Study will include long term annual pollinator surveys conducted by Fillmore Ranger District.

UDWR has been monitoring Big Game Populations on the Pahvant Mountain Range see attached Wildlife Tracker Information in the images/documents page that shows movement within the proposed treatment areas.  This is a critical area for mule deer elk and turkeys, Mike Wardle (District Biologist) has this rated as his #1 mule Deer Project and #1 Elk Project and #3 Turkey Project.  The Southern Region has this project ranked as the #1 Overall Elk project in the region.

Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.

List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.

Future Management of the project will be based on the effectiveness of the treatment and how much of the sagebrush is reduced through this project.  Mountain Sagebrush can respond quickly to treatment and the need to retreat maybe needed in the future.  We will look at the loss of sagebrush and how the perennial forbs and grasses are responding, if amount of forge for livestock utilization has improved, possible weaning weights for livestock in comparison to previous years due to the treatment being done.  Improvement of springs in the area that are providing water for wildlife due to the treatments.  Treatment may need to be followed up, if portions of the project is not completed this fall, we may need to complete in early spring and the need to work with the Forest Service Rangeland Specialist on pasture rotational efforts will need to be addressed going forward.

Implementation of this project will reduce the risk of catastrophic high severity wildland fire; thus, reducing the risk to the public and firefighters. This also reduces the risk to private property and values such as high voltage powerlines. Health and public safety are improved. With this reduced risk, future management of naturally caused fires on USFS lands may be possible to allow fire to play greatest feasible natural role in the environment, thus potentially further reducing risk to public and firefighters.

Increased pace and scale of restoration type projects in this area are currently underway. Multiple projects have been and are currently being implemented and more are being planned in this area and are part of the Fishlake National Forest Pinyon and Juniper Project.   Also, this is in effort to disperse browse pressure of both wild and domestic ungulates and improve watershed health, decrease fire risk to I-70, communities of Joseph and Elsinore, major transmission powerline, watersheds, private lands, scattered out buildings and cabins across the entire area.

By continually promoting a collaborative effort between USFS, UFFSLs, UDWR and Private Land Owners, it is anticipated that a long-term level of success will be obtained on all the current and future treatments along the Pahvant range.

As habitat is improved for ungulates (deer, elk, cattle, sheep) and additional forage becomes available, the Fishlake National Forest expects the flexibility and management of ungulates will improve, hopefully with less controversy. Maintaining healthy populations of wildlife while also responding to the needs of livestock permittees is expected to become easier.

As future pinion/juniper encroachment occurs, maintenance/re-treatment of this project via hand thinning of new PJ growth/whips is expected to be implemented to maintain the integrity of this project and the anticipated continued pinion/juniper encroachment.

Invasive and noxious weeds are known to occur in the treatment areas; however, treatment areas will be monitored post-implementation. If noxious and/or invasive weeds are detected, the District will take the appropriate actions to control spread and eliminate the noxious and/or invasive weeds from the treatment areas.

UDWR will continue to manage and monitor Big Game Populations on the Pahvant Mountain Range with the use of Wildlife Tracker/Collar Data Information, this will continue to show how Habitat Treatments will continue to help big game populations providing the necessary forage, cover and water necessary to survive on the landscape.

Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.

The Forest Service and the Permittee will work on a rotational system on the Watts Mountain Allotment and the Cottonwood allotment that will benefit the livestock during this time, depending on the pastures that will be treated and the timing of the implementation.  With this being said this treatment should produce additional forage for livestock and wildlife in the Watts Mountain Area of the Pahvant Mountain Range, increasing weaning weights, producing better milk for you calves and distribute cattle throughout allotments, allowing for improved grazing of the range.

Other Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
This project promotes sustaining hunting of big game such as elk and deer along with wild turkeys within the Southern portion of the Pahvant range. Treatments like this have potential to increase wildlife numbers and potential hunting opportunities to future generations. A main goal of these treatments is to enhance habitat on USFS and private lands to promote increased utilization of big game animals and lessen the impact on private agricultural cropland, grass pasture land, and fences. 
The Southern Portion of the Pahvant range is a popular hunting area for big game, fishing (a variety of fish species), camping, wildlife viewing, hiking, site seeing, private land ownership, wild turkeys and a variety of upland game and non-game species. Treatments will improve winter transition and summer ranges that will benefit wildlife along with improving water quality and reducing risk to necessary fish habitat and watersheds. This project will promote sustainability for a variety of sportsmen and sportswomen along with providing more hunting and fishing opportunities for future generations.
Objectives
PJ portion: 
The goals and objectives of this portion of the project is to decrease the risk of catastrophic fires, improve and protect watersheds, improve wildlife habitat including big game winter range, improve rangeland, and to provide increased livestock forage by removing pinyon-juniper trees and develop a healthy rangeland community with diverse age classes and species composition by mechanically hand thinning phase 1/2 pinion/juniper from approximately 4,004 acres on the east side of the Pahvant range.

Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.