Project Details

This project contains several components. The need for each component will be discussed individually.

Bullhog/Mastication
The Winter Ridge area of the book cliffs is utilized by bison, elk, mule deer, wild horses, and livestock. Available forage appears to be a limiting factor for all of these, particularly on dry years. The Book Cliffs working group has identified implementing vegetation treatments to improve forage as a high priority. This project will help provide additional forage resources in an area where there is high demand. Wildlife tracker data from the area (see documents tab) indicates that bison especially tend to utilize the areas that are more open than the conifer covered ridge tops targeted for treatment here. This data also indicates that smaller openings within larger forested areas are also utilized. This suggests that a clear-cut is not necessary to provide benefit to these wildlife species. As such, this project will leave larger trees (over ~12 in diameter) standing to maintain some cover and value to species that prefer wooded areas. It is anticipated that collar data post-treatment will show higher utilization from wildlife, especially bison, in these treatment areas. GPS collar data on mule deer show that this area is in a migration corridor. By removing trees and seeding diverse grasses and forbs, migrating deer may linger in the treatment area for longer. Providing additional high-quality forage for migrating deer should improve fat reserves and increase winter survival rates, as well as subsequent birth weights and survival of fawns born to those deer.

In-Stream structures (BDAs and PALS)
Low tech restoration methods have become a valuable tool for tackling river restoration problems. Installing structures in degraded riverscapes have been shown to reverse incision and increase stream complexity. There have been a number of projects along Meadow Creek and Willow Creek and by continuing these efforts, we will continue to improve the health of the river. Increased complexity in streams benefit terrestrial wildlife by providing water longer into the summer.

These areas were initially targeted for treatment in FY2023, but due to lack of funding and delays in getting NEPA completed, we are proposing to move these treatments to FY2024.

Arch Surveys
Portions of this project are to conduct archeological surveys so that future bullhog/mastication work can be conducted.

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.

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.

The following threats have been identified in the Utah Wildlife Action Plan:

--Inappropriate Fire Frequency and Intensity: This threat has been identified for elk, deer, cutthroat trout, and wild turkey, as well as the sagebrush habitat types. This project addresses this threat by removal of pinyon and juniper trees, which can present high fire risk when in dense stands. If left untreated this area will be more prone to a large-scale catastrophic fire event that would seriously impact the plant community and the species that live there, as well as soil and water resources. A fire in this area would also have devastating effects on the trout population downstream.

--Problematic Plant Species-Native Upland: This threat has been identified for mule deer and the sagebrush habitat types. The problematic plant species in question are pinyon pine and juniper species. This project will address this threat by removing pinyon and juniper trees that are encroaching into sagebrush areas. It will mimic the natural disturbance of a fire, allowing for new growth of seeded species while creating fire-breaks that will help protect surrounding pinyon and juniper areas from a stand-replacing fire.

--Livestock Farming and Ranching: This threat was identified for American Bison. There have been conflicts between bison and cattle in the Book Cliffs, primarily over forage resources and water availability. This project can help mitigate those conflicts by creating additional forage opportunities for both.

--Droughts: This threat has been identified for elk, deer, Colorado river cutthroat trout, northern leopard frog, wild turkey, monarch butterfly, western bumblebee, and aquatic and riverine habitat types. Construction of BDA's in Willow creek and Meadow creek will help hold water in the system for longer periods of time, and will create deeper pools for fish to use during dry spells. Recent drought have also had a large impact on terrestrial wildlife, resulting in poor body condition and survival. Projects which will create and improve forage will help offset some of this impact.

--Channel Downcutting (indirect, unintentional): This threat is identified for cutthroat trout, northern leopard frog, as well as the aquatic and riverine habitat types. Channel downcutting will be directly addressed by the construction of beaver dam analogues, which can collect sediment and aggrade the stream bed. Erosive water energy is dissipated by the ponding effect from the BDA's rather than further downcutting an incised channel where these sediment transport issues are out-of-balance due to long-term upland and riparian issues. They will also mitigate associated problems with downcutting by holding water in the soil for longer, and providing more consistent moisture spread over a wider area for riparian plants. Colorado River Cutthroat trout and leopard frog greatly benefit by the increase in habitat diversity provided by the ponding effects of the BDA's. Bio-energy is conserved because less energy will be expended versus existing in a limited area, high velocity environment.

--Increasing Stream Temperatures: This threat is identified for cutthroat trout, as well as the riverine habitat type. Construction of BDA's will result in ponding and increased stream depth, thereby helping to maintain cooler temperatures. It will also result in healthier riparian vegetation, which will provide shade to the stream.

-- Sediment Transport Imbalance: This threat is identified for northern leopard frog and the aquatic and riverine habitat types. BDAs constructed in the stream channel will trap sediment and reduce water velocity in the stream.

There is a risk of weed infestation in the mastication treatments, particularly in areas of the project where trees are more dense. Contractors will be required to wash equipment before entering the project to minimize introduction of other weeds. DWR personnel will monitor the area for weeds and treat as necessary. A maintenance project a year or two after implementation may be considered to combat any weeds before they become a problem.

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 Utah Elk Statewide Management Plan has the following applicable objectives and strategies:
Habitat Objective 2, strategy d -- Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve elk habitat with emphasis on calving habitat and winter ranges.
Habitat Objective 2, strategy h -- Emphasize improvement of upper elevation winter ranges to encourage elk to winter at higher elevation than mule deer.

The Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan has the following applicable objectives and strategies:
Habitat Objective 2, strategy d -- Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on... ranges being diminished by encroachment of conifers....

The Utah DWR Deer Herd Management plan for the Book Cliffs has objectives to maintain and/or enhance forage production through range improvements and vegetative manipulation techniques.

The Utah DWR Bison Herd Management plan for the Book Cliffs addresses concerns of competition between bison and livestock. This project will help mitigate conflict between bison and livestock by providing improved grazing opportunities for both.

The Utah Wildlife Action Plan identifies Lowland Sagebrush and Mountain Sagebrush as key habitat types as well as several threats to species that will benefit from this project. See the Threats/Risks section for details on how this project relates to the WAP.

The Utah State Resource Management Plan has several applicable objectives and policies & guidelines: 
-- The State promotes fuel breaks, thinning, chaining, prescribed fire and the selection of fire-resistant vegetation in green-stripping and burned areas.
--Support the use of mechanical or chemical means or fire to alter or perpetuate forests and increase herbaceous yield where timber harvest is impractical or demand does not exist."
--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.
--Protect existing wildlife habitat and improve 500,000 acres of critical habitats and watersheds throughout the state by 2025.
-- Improve vegetative health on public and private lands through active management of invasive plants and noxious weeds.
-- The State will pursue opportunities to conduct and assist other partners with fuel reduction work including mechanical treatments and prescribed fire.
-- Improve vegetative health on public and private lands through range improvements, prescribed fire, vegetation treatments, and active management of invasive plants and noxious weeds. 
-- Expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat.
-- Conserve, improve, and restore 500,000 acres of mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges. 
-- Produce and maintain the desired vegetation for wildlife and domestic livestock forage on public and private lands.

Grand County Resource Management Plan has the following applicable objectives and policies:
-- The County supports wildlife management that seeks an optimal balance between wildlife populations and human needs.
-- Support the removal conifers as determined appropriate....
-- The County supports wildlife management that seeks an optimal balance between
wildlife populations and human needs.

The Uintah County Resource Management Plan has the following applicable objectives:
-- Encourage management of forest resources to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires
-- Manage lands to maintain or increase forage allocation for livestock grazing. 
-- The county expects the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to participate in managing forage and grazing allotments in relation to wildlife populations. 
-- The county favors the best management practices that are jointly sponsored by cattlemen's, sportsmen's, and wildlife management groups such as chaining, logging, seeding, burning, and other direct soil and vegetation prescriptions that are demonstrated to restore forest and rangeland health, increase forage, and improve watersheds in grazing districts and allotments for the mutual benefit of domestic livestock and wildlife.

Book Cliffs Working Group Action Plan has the following applicable objectives:
-- Vegetation Treatments
     a. Identify additional areas to complete vegetation management projects with emphasis on projects with the potential of increasing forage on or near summer range.
     b. Complete a 10 year plan for vegetation improvements.
     c. Propose at least two vegetation improvement projects annually to the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative and Grazing Improvement Program.
-- Bison 
     1. Distribution
          b. Complete vegetation and water developments to further distribute bison use.

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.

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.

Bullhog:
As conifers are removed in the mastication project, more snow will be able to reach the ground. In addition, competition for water is reduced, freeing up resources for the remaining shrubs and forbs. An increase in soil moisture is also likely. This could potentially translate into more water downstream in Meadow Creek. Removing trees could increase the solar and wind energy to the area, which could reduce the amount of water, but by leaving larger trees in place we hope to counteract this effect. Mulching operations will leave a large amount of woody debris scattered on the surface. This woody debris should reduce the impact on the soil from rain events, and can disrupt overland flow patterns, therefore reducing soil erosion and loss. By reducing the risk of large scale fire, which would result in soil erosion and impacts to water quality, this project will help protect water quality in the Willow Creek watershed.

BDAs:
BDA's are documented by the literature to retain fine sediments and restore or recover a proper sediment transport balance. In essence they act as a pseudo-natural sediment catch basin and retain fine sediments further upstream in a watershed. BDA's have been documented to retain additional "pulsed" water that comes from high precipitation events and moderate these peak floods. BDA's have also been studied to have an effect on water temperature quality where water is stored and retained laterally beyond the active channel; this water retains a cooler temperature and helps to maintain more stable baseflow discharges.

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.

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.

Conifer Removal:
The DWR has several range-trend sites established in the project area, including some established to monitor previous treatment activities. This monitoring continues on a 5 year rotation and will document changes due to this project. Range-trend reports are uploaded to the WRI database as they are completed.

BDAs:
The implementation of Low-Tech structures requires maintenance to some level. Yearly site visits will be conducted to evaluate structural stability of BDAS and determine which (if any) need maintenance work as well as additional areas that may benefit. The hope is that natural beaver populations downstream in Willow creek will eventually expand into this project area, at which time human maintenance of the BDAs may become unnecessary.

Riparian monitoring: we will use the Rapid Stream-Riparian Assessment (RSRA) tool to assess  habitat condition before & after BDAs and grazing exclosures at established sites along Willow & Meadow Creeks to inform monitoring & habitat outcomes of restoration.  This protocol assesses 5 categories of riparian condition (water quality, riparian vegetation, fish/aquatic habitat, terrestrial wildlife habitat, and hydro-geomorphology). Data is stored online at citsci.org. We will also document presence of milkweed, monarch butterflies, and western bumblebee through Utah Pollinator Pursuit.

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.

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.

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.