This project will improve the winter range on the Wallsburg Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The Wallsburg (WMA) is located within the boundaries of the wildlife management unit 17, Wasatch Mountains, which provides habitat for 500 to 600 wintering deer and up to 300 wintering elk on a normal winter. Shrub poor areas are increasing on the Wallsburg WMA as decadent sagebrush die off and are not replaced by new plants. Some of the recruitment problem is caused by an understory of mostly non native perennial grasses and an increase of bulbose bluegrass. Older sagebrush have also been affected by voles which girdle the bark. This project will help to increase diversity of Shrubs and create a multi age class of preferred plants that will provide additional winter forage for big game. A shrub seedling planting study on the WMA will help DWR determine the best size of shrub seedling to grow and the best season to plant to insure success of shrub seedling planting projects in the future.

1. Scalp and seed 20 to 30 acres in shrub poor areas 2. Establish a density of 500 shrubs per acre by the end of the 3rd growing season 3. Plant 5,000 seedling shrubs seedlings in scalp rows

The density of important browse for wintering deer and elk will decline without seeding intervention.

This project will help achieve 15 different goals and objectives from various management plans. * Wallsburg Coordinated Resource Management Plan (CRMP) Objective: Increase greater sage-grouse and big game habitat -- "Target 3,150 acres for sagebrush Utah Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range. b. Work with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize mule deer habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration (Figure 6). d. Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve 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. Deer Herd Unit Management Plan -- Unit 17 Habitat protection and maintenance -- Work toward long-term habitat protection and preservation through the use of agreements with land management agencies and local governments, and through the use of conservation easements, etc. on private lands. Future Habitat work -- Wallsburg WMA Elk Unit Management Plan -- Unit 17 Habitat Within the next five years, enhance forage production on a minimum of 20,000 acres of elk habitat, through direct range improvements to maintain population management objectives. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Strategic Plan. Goal A: Conserve, protect, enhance and manage Utah's wildlife. Obj. A-1:Maintain populations of harvestable wildlife species at species or drainage management plan objective levels through 2003. Obj. A-2:Increase the distribution and/or abundance of 10% of the 1998 classified state sensitive species by 2003. Obj. A-4: Maintain distribution and abundance of all other naturally occurring wildlife and native plant species through 2003. Goal B: Conserve, protect, enhance and manage Utah's ecosystems. Obj. B-1: Increase the functioning of 10% of the currently impaired ecosystems. Obj. B-2: Prevent declining conditions in both impaired and currently functional ecosystems through. The Habitat Management Plan for this unit states: Goal III, objective 1 "Maintain key forage species on winter range" This project will help meet some of the Habitat management strategies listed in the Wallsburg Habitat Management Plan (March 2016) including: * Improve sagebrush and bitterbrush habitats with seed and/or seedling transplant projects. * Utilize mechanical treatments to enhance sagebrush seedling establishment in over mature sagebrush stands. Wildlife Action Plan 1. The project area occurs within the sagebrush steppe type which is one of the key habitats identified in the WAP. This area supports mule deer (S4), elk (SNA) and Greater sage grouse (S3). Numerous other species of concern also inhabit the area including neotropical birds and raptors. WRI Focus Areas The proposed treatments lie within Central Region UPCD focus areas. SVARM sage grouse conservation plan; Strategy 6: Maintain and improve habitat conditions in winter range.

By having younger shrubs that are not as decadent and dry as older dying shrubs it will reduce the risk and severity of fire. Hopefully it will serve as green strip areas where fires will slow or stop. By maintaining healthy stand of shrubs and native plants it will prevent annual grasses from establishing that can increase the fuel load and dryness of plants that increase fire risk.

Scalping along contour will increase water infiltration in treatment areas.

The project area has been previously cleared. All necessary cultural clearances will be conducted prior to implementation of this project. This project is on UDWR property and NEPA will not be necessary.

Use the Mad Max dozer to scalp strips in shrub poor areas. The scalps will reduce competition from grasses and allow for naturally seeding to occur. The Mad Max dozer will also broadcast seed over the tracks and use seed dribblers to plant bitterbrush seed. Plant 5,000 shrub seedlings in scalp rows with a contractor.

Photo point monitoring will be done and shrub counts on selected scalp rows.

The DWR is partnering with sportsman groups to help fund this project.

This project occurs on the Wallsburg WMA which will continue to be managed for big game winter range. This property will continue to be grazed in early spring and summer with cattle to help to reduce grass competition with the shrubs. This WMA has a published management plan that lists goals and objectives for the property.

This will help to improve the diversity and quantity of browse species on the Wallsburg WMA. The Wallsburg WMA is grazed and this will help to prevent annual grasses from establishing that will reduce the amount of available food for livestock. This property offers a variety of recreational activities including hunting, camping, target shooting and hiking. The WMA is a pheasant release site for pen raised birds which are hunted during the fall. A youth Chukar hunt is also held on the property.

11/01/2023

11/20/2024

2025

Used the Mad Max bulldozer to scalp and seed 10 acres of grassy area on the Wallsburg WMA in early November of 2023. Bitterbrush seed was planted about 2 inches in depth in the middle of the scalps while sagebrush, fourwing saltbush and some forb seed was broadcast in front of the dozer tracks. 6,400 shrub seedlings were planted in a nursery in March of 2024 and were transplanted in scalps on December 16th through the 19th of 2024.

Seedlings have to be planted in March in a nursery. These seedlings are grown for about 6 months before they are ready to be planted in the late fall. This project provided money for the shrubs to be gown but funds to pay for a contractor to plant the shrub seedlings in the Fall need to be carried over to the next fiscal year. Shrub seedlings were planted in scalps created in early November of 2023 as part of the Timpanogos WMA FY-24 project.

This project occurs on the Wallsburg WMA which is managed by the DWR primarily for big game winter range.