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 additional forage for wildlife and livestock through conifer removal and seeding desirable species. - Passively increase the populations of local willows and improve water availability through construction of in-stream structures. - Provide better access to water for the local terrestrial wildlife. - Increase the health of the riparian and upland areas within the Willow Creek watershed

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.

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.

Dense pinyon and juniper canopy cover creates a high risk of stand-replacing wildfire. Removing pinyon and juniper trees in this area will provide a valuable fire-break that could slow or stop the spread of a wildfire in this area. Beaver dam analogs and re-establishment of riparian vegetation will increase soil moisture along the riparian corridor, creating green fire breaks during drought periods.

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.

Archaeology surveys and NEPA are complete or in progress for the mastication. We are requesting some funding to allow for future bullhog/mastication work to move forward. DWR is consulting with the division of water rights on stream alteration permits and water rights issues. We will file all necessary applications prior to beginning work on in-stream structures.

Bullhog: Mastication areas will be aerially seeded prior to tree removal. Conifers will then be removed by a mechanical wheeled or tracked machine (bullhog). This portion of the project will be conducted in the fall-winter of 2023-2024. BDAs: Low tech structure design and construction will be contracted out to a river restoration crew that has experience planning and implementing low tech restoration projects.

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.

The Book Cliffs Working Group was developed to find solutions to decreased survival, reproduction, and body condition of Book Cliffs deer and elk populations. The working group established includes representatives from the DWR, BLM, SITLA, Ute Tribe, as well as private landowners/ranchers and wildlife conservation groups. The terrestrial treatment projects in this proposal have been presented and discussed in Book Cliffs working group meetings and gained support from the partners involved. DWR staff have met with private landowners and permittees to discuss grazing rest. Permittees have committed to use more intensive herding and monitoring to keep cattle off seeded areas for a period of two growing seasons. Sageland Collaborative is a community science-based nonprofit with over 25 years of experience collaborating with UDWR and other partners in Utah. Rose Smith brings expertise in stream ecology, hydrology and stream restoration to this project.

Conifer Removal: Permittees have committed to use more intensive herding and monitoring to keep cattle off seeded areas for a period of two growing seasons. The book cliffs working group has discussed grazing conditions and strategies and is working on solutions to provide better grazing for both livestock and wildlife. A high priority for the group is to repair fences to improve the ability of the permittee to rotate among the different allotments. Another high priority is to find solutions to high numbers of wild and stray horses in the Book Cliffs. As an established herd area with little funding, it is difficult to manage horses in the area. Work is ongoing and the Book Cliffs working group is continuing to discuss appropriate steps and develop adaptive management actions.

Improving forage resources on winter ridge will help protect and enhance livestock operations in the book cliffs and provide additional feed for livestock. Projects that improve forage for livestock also help contribute to a better working relationship between permitees/ranchers and government agencies. Willow creek and Meadow creek support a fishable population of Colorado River cutthroat trout. Maintaining stream and riparian health will preserve and enhance this recreation opportunity. Enhancing wildlife habitat will protect and enhance wildlife populations, which are utilized for hunting, wildlife viewing, and shed antler gathering.

10/01/2023

06/30/2024

2024

Bullhog: Seed was flown on with a fixed wing aircraft. Trees were mulched with mobile mulching bullhog machines. Contract specs indicated that trees over 12 inches diameter were to be left in place. Contractor ended up leaving many trees under this specification and wasn't able to re-treat the needed areas before work got shut down for winter. In-Stream structures: A contractor performed maintenance on 60 structures on Willow Creek and Meadow Creek using 8' posts and locally sourced material including sagebrush, greasewood, dirt, and rock. They also constructed an additional 10 structures on Meadow Creek.

Archaeology surveys: Surveys were completed in the fall of 2023. Avoidance areas were mapped and will be incorporated into future phases. Bullhog: Aerial Seeding took place in early October 2023. Tree removal began on October 25, 2023. Only about 277 out of 1,215 acres were completed before winter weather shut down work. The contractor was unable to come back in the spring due to equipment issues and funding was not carried over, leaving 938 acres untreated and almost $100,000 worth of seed on the ground uncovered. In-Stream Structures: Maintenance and construction of BDAs and PALS took place in June of 2024. Most of the structures built in 2022 and 2023 along Meadow Creek are still in place and functional. Many of them only needed one or two posts and reinforcement materials to be placed to regain full function. Many of the structures along Willow Creek which were built between 2019 and 2021 needed significant reinforcement to regain function. Between the two streams, a total of 600 8' posts were used to reinforce the previously constructed structures and build an additional 10 structures. Overall, the structures have provided positive results. Meadow Creek structures, although smaller, are creating a significant amount of habitat diversity for the local aquatic species, have arrested a headcut, and have reactivated portions of floodplain along the stream. Willow Creek structures have increased sedimentation, and in some cases have needed to have structures built on top of the previously built structures to maintain function. Many had parts of their structure wash away due to the use of 6' posts in previous projects.

Grazing permittees agreed to keep cattle off the treated areas for two growing seasons. May attempt another contract to treat the original project area. In-stream structures will be monitored and repaired/replaced as needed.