The landscape of the northeast part of the Abajo Mountains is dominated by pinyon-juniper foothills. The Peters Point area was treated by chaining in the 1960's, and limited retreatment has been done in the area on Forest Service lands. Pinyon and juniper have reestablished on the plateau, increasing in size and abundance since the DWR range trend study was set up in 1985. It is still a phase I woodland and currently has a density of 80-100 trees per acre dominated by Utah juniper. The mountain sagebrush component has become increasingly decadent and in 2019 36% displayed heavy utilization. In order to maintain productive range with a herbaceous and desirable browse understory, treatment of the encroaching juniper and pinyon is needed. The treatments would also interrupt the continuity of dense woodland fuels in an area rated High in the Utah Wildfire Risk Assessment. The project will expand similar treatment types from past projects, increasing the size of treated areas within the watershed. It would build on prior investment to further improve landscape resilience and resistance to catastrophic disturbances by creating a variety of seral stages and age classes in all ecological types within the project area.

Reduce the density of encroaching juniper and pinyon through mastication (bullhog) treatment in the 1337 acre project area, maintaining openings and mosaics of vegetation composition and age class structure to increase forage production and availability and reduce live fuel load/fuel continuity.

Local land management agency personnel have been wanting to do vegetation treatment in the Harts Draw/Peters Point area for several years. BLM completed pinyon-juniper mastication/bullhog treatments on adjoining land on Peters Point over 10 years ago. The area to be treated on Forest Service land has been previously chained, and the encroaching conifers are currently a good size for mastication treatment, averaging 8-10 ft tall (too large for lop and scatter). There is still a decent understory of seeded and native grasses, forbs and big sagebrush. The risk of delaying treatment is the trees get larger, more costly to treat and suppress more of the understory, reducing habitat value. WildlifeTracker data for the area shows that while deer and elk move through the project area on NFS lands, there is a concentration of use (especially from elk) on the adjacent treated BLM land and private agricultural fields. The treatments on USFS would create more usable habitat, potentially reducing pressure on adjacent lands while also reducing fuel hazards. Sagebrush habitat with a healthy forb and grass understory are an essential ecosystem in the southwest- they provide range for livestock as well as game species. Encroachment of pinyon and juniper into the sage flats is degrading the resource value of these ecosystems. Inaction will result in the winter range/shrub community's continued decline due to increased dominance of conifers, infrequent fire return intervals due to fire suppression, and over utilization of shrubs with declining herd health for wintering big game and livestock in the area.

The project is consistent with the STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES OF THE MANTI-LA SAL FOREST LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN OF 1986. * Maintain/improve habitat capability through direct treatment of vegetation (LRMP III-23). * Provide habitat needs for deer and elk (LRMP III-19), especially improving the cover: forage ratio. * Minimize hazards from wildfire - Reduce fuel loading, stand and crown/canopy density, and resultant fire hazard to vegetation, the public, private property, and firefighters (LRMP III-5). * The Utah Fire Amendment has a goal to reduce hazard fuels. The full range of fuel reduction methods is authorized, consistent with forest and management area emphasis and direction. * Certain vegetative types are to be managed such that varying successional stages will be present to provide for a high level of vegetative diversity and productivity (III-2). SAN JUAN COUNTY GENERAL PLAN (2018): Support the use of various vegetation manipulation tools (such as mechanical, chemical, biological, prescribed and controlled wildland fire and livestock grazing) to enhance production of wildlife and livestock habitat and forage and improve watershed and water quality conditions on woodland areas with potential for improved ecological condition. STATE OF UTAH RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN: This plan specifically identifies the importance of protecting critical mule deer habitat, maintaining desired vegetation for wildlife and livestock, and actively managing invasive plants and noxious. Specific treatments in the plan include removal of pinyon-juniper. The plan also specifically identifies working with partners in WRI to restore critical habitat for species of greatest conservation need. The proposed treatment will improve forage for livestock and wildlife and diversify vegetation structure. UTAH DIVISION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES STATEWIDE MULE DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN 2024 Strategy for habitat improvement: Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve and restore 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. According to maps in the statewide plan, Peters Point is a High Value migration corridor. DEER HERD UNIT MANAGEMENT PLAN Deer Herd Unit # 14 San Juan September 2020 Reduce expansion of pinion-juniper woodlands into sagebrush habitats and improve habitats dominated by pinion-juniper woodlands by completing habitat restoration projects like lop-andscatter, bullhog and chaining. UTAH STATEWIDE ELK MANAGEMENT PLAN 2022 Habitat Objective: Maintain sufficient habitat to support elk herds at population objectives and reduce competition for forage between elk and livestock. ELK HERD UNIT MANAGEMENT PLAN Elk Herd Unit 14 SAN JUAN December 2023 Maintain and improve winter foraging areas through browse regeneration and pinyon-juniper removal projects. UTAH WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN 2015 Conservation actions to address threat of inappropriate fire frequency and intensity: Conduct mechanical control of invasive/problematic species. Conduct upland vegetation treatments to restore characteristic upland vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. Mountain sagebrush is a Key Habitat in the WAP. Recommendations to improve condition include mulching/cutting invading pinyon and juniper trees. The proposed treatment will increase understory herbaceous production, benefitting prey species such as cottontails and jackrabbits. Creating openings provides foraging opportunities for golden eagles in pinyon-juniper, especially important in this area to provide alternative foraging areas further from the Latigo Wind Park. Yuma myotis and long-eared myotis were documented in the project area via mist-netting in September 2024. The project addresses the threat of fire impacts to these species habitat, and would also be beneficial to foraging habitat by increasing the diversity and productivity of the shrub and herbaceous component which can increase insect diversity and abundance.

This region can have frequent initial attack fires from cloud to tree/ground lightning strikes during monsoon season. The fires tend to occur in remote, hard to access areas delaying response times from fire staff. With increased fuel continuity due to lack of structural diversity, these fires have the potential to turn into large acreage extended attack fires under certain weather conditions and fuel moisture levels. The proposed project will reduce live and dead fuels within the treatment area while restoring the fire regime condition class (FRCC). It will reduce the continuity of vegetative crown and ladder fuels and provide fire fighters the opportunity to suppress fires under conditions that allow for firefighter safety and protection of life, property and improvements. This improved condition class and reduced fire risk will benefit all lands and improvements within and adjacent to the project area by aiding in protection from fires.

Reducing fuel loading by reducing pinyon and juniper densities reduces the probability of high severity wildfires. By reducing the chance for wildfires, we indirectly reduce the probability of significant overland flow, rilling, and other erosional processes. The increase in ground cover from mastication treatment and reduction in wildfire probability will ensure that water quality will be protected in these watersheds. In the Peters Canyon HUC 6 watershed, pinyon juniper comprises 72% of the vegetation on National Forest lands. There is a similar high percent on BLM and private land. The proposed treatment will reduce woody vegetation on 1337 acres in the upper part of the watershed, with the potential to improve water yields from nearby springs (Jackson Spring) and downstream.

The Harts Draw project has been included in the FY25 Program of Work for the Manti-La Sal National Forest. The Forest Service will compete the required NEPA environmental analysis by summer 2025. Archaeological surveys have been completed on the project area, and concurrence from SHPO will be obtained.

Mastication with bullhog machines to remove encroaching juniper and pinyon within the 1337 acres of treatment units. The small stands of mature pinyon-juniper retained in the original treatments will be maintained for cover and structural diversity. Design features included as part of the proposed action include; equipment cleaning for weed control) and standard soil and water conservation practices (soil moisture limitation for operation, protection of streams and springs). In the project area, 938 acres have been identified for contracting. The additional 398 acres will be treated by Forest Services crews and equipment. Some of these additional acres are more suitable to hand thinning than machines, and Forest Service crews can be flexible, using the most appropriate tool for the site.

In addition to the long-term DWR range trend monitoring site established on Peters Point (study #14-8) and monitored since the 1980s, there are four Forest Service rangeland health monitoring sites within the project area. All of the studies confirm the continued increase in pinyon-juniper cover and concurrent decline of sagebrush vigor, herbaceous vegetation and ground cover. The FS study sites were read pre-treatment (2023) and will be monitored 1, 3 and 5 years post-treatment. Acoustic detectors were utilized in the spring of 2023 to determine occupancy and use by pinyon jays. FS Range personnel will monitor for weeds post-treatment. Existing or new weed populations will be treated in accordance with existing noxious weed management guidelines.

The Manti-La Sal Natl Forest, Moab/Monticello District will continue to coordinate with DWR and BLM Canyon Country District as they propose treatment on additional lands in the greater Indian Creek/Harts Draw area.

There are an additional 1400 acres that can be treated in a Phase II of the Harts Draw project to improve wildlife habitat/big game winter range and rangeland health, and reduce vegetative fuel hazards. The area has an herbaceous understory component, so the need for seeding is not anticipated. No changes to livestock management are anticipated at this time, but utilization and trend monitoring will continue and adaptive management can be applied if required.

This federally managed land will continue to be managed for multiple resources, including wildlife habitat, range, hunting and other recreation. The proposed treatments would improve forage production and availability on important deer and elk winter/transition range and for the currently permitted livestock grazing. The Abajo deer herd has been 70-90% of the herd unit population objective over the last 5 years. Elk on the San Juan unit are at objective. Continued improvement and maintenance of crucial habitats supports healthy deer and elk populations. On the acres treated by Forest Service hand crews, wood can be supplied for the Wood For Life program.