Project Details

Keg Springs has been the focus of hydrologic monitoring by UGS and is important habitat for terrestrial, avian, and aquatic wildlife. Piezometers have been installed and data has been collected for several years in anticipation of juniper work being completed in the area. Part of the research being conducted is focused on hydrologic response following juniper removal.   Cultural clearance was completed on about 1,540 acres in 2018 and an additional 2,500 acres will be completed in 2025. As this project has evolved it makes sense from a grazing/rest perspective to implement all mastication and seeding treatments within the allotment at the same time which will require postponing the mastication treatments one more year. Additional acres need cultural clearance in order to be ready to implement the mastication and seeding treatments in fall 2026.  Because rest is not required for lop and scatter treatments this phase will focus on removing small, scattered trees throughout the project area and getting the remaining cultural clearances completed. 
This project supports WRI projects 4716, 5026, 5802, and 6133.

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.

Due to large-scale fire suppression through the past century, pinyon and juniper have moved downslope, into sagebrush communities.  Continuing variability in climate could further allow conifer expansion, as drought tolerant conifers are able to exploit open spaces left by other native species.  Conifer expansion and infilling has been identified as a threat to sagebrush habitat.  Therefore, the removal of these conifers could help create and improve habitat for mule deer, pronghorn, and sage grouse which are sagebrush dependent species found throughout the project area.

This project focuses on juniper removal as a means to maintain healthy sagebrush habitat. Sagebrush habitat is at risk of being lost due to excessive juniper, subsequent wildfire, and high potential for cheatgrass invasion. High severity wildfire could lead to an Increase in cheatgrass and loss of perennial native species. This project will decrease the risk of crossing an ecological threshold and high severity wildfire by reducing fuel loading and promoting the growth of sagebrush and perennial understory species which are critical to maintaining ecosystem function and resilience.

Additionally, removal of juniper near Keg Springs may help maintain healthy water levels within the springs which are vital for Least Chub, Western Toad, and Townsend's big eared bats, and livestock which live in or utilize the springs.

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 proposal is related to 14 management plans and policies containing multiple objectives.

1) Box Elder Resource Management Plan (BLM 1986), as amended:
a)	While the action is not specifically mentioned in the original plan, Wildlife Program Decision 6 (forage use) and Decision 7 (protect habitat values) apply to the action and the action is specifically mentioned in the 1998 Salt Lake District Fire Management Plan Amendment.

2) Salt Lake District Proposed Fire Management Plan Amendment (BLM 1998):
a)	Alternative 2-Proposed Action/Integrated Fire/Resource Management Plan (page 7-8) specifically mentions the action, and is consistent with the objectives identified above to emphasize greater use of vegetation management to meet resource management objectives.
b)	This project is within the Fire Management Unit B04 26. Within this Unit, vegetation management would include a wide variety of management activities including mechanical manipulation, seeding to less flammable and more desirable species, fuel break establishment, and other strategies which will improve the fire regime condition class. Treatments will be located in areas where they will reduce the threat of large uncontrolled fires, create small mosaics of impacted area to increase "edge effect" and improve wildlife and plant diversity, and mitigate impacts to local wildlife.

3) Utah Greater Sage-Grouse Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment (BLM 2019):
a)	Objective SSS-1: Enhance or improve GRSG habitat (e.g., through restoration or rehabilitation activities) within PHMA that has been impaired or altered.
b)	Objective SSS-3: In PHMA, where sagebrush is the current or potential dominant vegetation type or is a primary species within the various states of the ecological site description, maintain or restore vegetation to provide habitat for lekking, nesting, brood rearing, and winter habitats.
c)	Objective SSS-4: Within PHMA, increase the amount and functionality of seasonal habitats by:
i)	Maintaining or increasing sagebrush in perennial grasslands, where needed to meet the Habitat Objectives for Greater Sage-Grouse (Table 2-2 in the Utah Greater Sage-Grouse ARMPA), unless there is a conflict with Utah prairie dog.
ii)	Reducing conifer (e.g., pinyon/juniper) from areas that are most likely to support GRSG at a rate that is at least equal to the rate of encroachment.
iii)	Reducing the extent of invasive annual grasslands.
iv)	Maintaining or improving corridors for migration or movement between seasonal habitats, as well as for long-term genetic connections between populations.
v)	Maintaining or improving understory (grass, forb) and/or riparian condition within breeding and late brood-rearing habitats.
vi)	Conducting vegetation treatments based on the following 10-year (decadal) acreage objectives: For the Rich population area for mechanical treatments the objective is 40,700 acres; for annual grass treatments the objective is 6,800 acres.
vii)	Outside PHMA (in adjacent opportunity areas) improve and restore historical GRSG habitat to support GRSG populations and to maintain or enhance connectivity.
d)	Objective SSS-5: Participate in local GRSG conservation efforts (e.g., the appropriate State of Utah agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and local working groups) to implement landscape-scale habitat conservation, to implement consistent management to benefit GRSG, and to gather and use local research and monitoring to promote the conservation of GRSG.
e)	MA-VEG-1: In PHMA, where necessary to meet GRSG habitat objectives, treat areas to maintain and expand healthy GRSG habitat (e.g., conifer encroachment areas and invasive annual grasslands).
f)	MA-VEG-2: Remove conifers encroaching into sagebrush habitats, in a manner that considers tribal cultural values. 
g)	MA-VEG-4: In PHMA, include GRSG habitat objectives in restoration/treatment projects. Include short-term and long-term habitat conditions in treatment objectives, including specific objectives for the establishment of sagebrush cover and height, as well as cover and heights for understory perennial grasses and forbs necessary for GRSG seasonal habitats (see Objective SSS-3).
h)	MA-FIRE-3: In PHMA, fuel treatments will be designed through an interdisciplinary process to expand, enhance, maintain, or protect GRSG habitat.
4)	Rangeland Health Standards and Guidelines for Healthy Rangelands. BLM Utah State Office (1997). Standard 3:
a)	Desired species...are maintained at a level appropriate for the site and species involved. As indicated by: frequency, diversity, density, age classes, and productivity of desired native species necessary to ensure reproductive capability and survival.

5) Utah Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-Grouse (UDWR 2019):
a)	Conservation goal: Protect, maintain and increase sage-grouse populations within the established SGMAs throughout Utah.
b)	Habitat Objective: Protect, maintain and increase sage-grouse habitats within SGMAs at or above 2013 baseline disturbance levels.
c)	Conservation Strategy 2: Implement the actions outlined in EO/002/2015 and related MOUs, along with the Governor's Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy, relevant sections of State code, and the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, to reduce the size, severity and frequency of wildfires in and adjacent to SGMAs:
i)	2A. Coordinate across relevant state agencies to ensure maximum conservation and risk reduction benefit to sage-grouse populations on all land management projects, prescribed fires, and fire suppression actions in and adjacent to SGMAs.
d)	Conservation Strategy 4b: Work with federal, state and private landowners to protect an average of at least 5,000 acres annually of the highest-priority habitats identified in 4(a) through voluntary conservation covenants, leases, easements, transfers, acquisitions or other legal or regulatory tools.
e)	Conservation Strategy 4c: Using Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI), remove conifer as appropriate in areas protected in 4(b) to ensure that existing functional habitats remain intact. Conservation Strategy 4e: Increase sage-grouse habitats by using the WRI--and other state, federal and private partnerships--to restore or create 50,000 acres of habitat within or adjacent to occupied habitats each year, in addition to those acres identified in 4(d).

6) Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Conservation Objectives: Final Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, CO. February 2013:
a)	General Conservation Objectives: 1. Stop population declines and habitat loss. 2. Implement targeted habitat management and restoration. 
b)	Specific Conservation Objectives: 1. Retain sage-grouse habitats within PAC's. 3. Restore and rehabilitate degraded sage-grouse habitats in PAC's.
c)	Conservation Objective: Maintain and restore healthy native sagebrush plant communities within the range of sage-grouse
d)	Conservation Objective: Remove pinyon/juniper from areas of sagebrush that are most likely to support sage-grouse (post-removal) at a rate that is at least equal to the rate of pinyon/juniper incursion.
i)	Prioritize the use of mechanical treatments.
ii)	Reduce juniper cover in sage-grouse habitats to less than 5% but preferably eliminate entirely.
iii)	Employ all necessary management actions to maintain the benefit of juniper removal for sage-grouse habitats.

7) Utah Wildlife Action Plan. DWR Publication Number 15-14, State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources, Effective 2015-2025:
a)	The proposed action supports mitigating threats to Lowland Sagebrush including: 
i)	Promoting policies and management that allow fire to return to a more natural regime.
ii)	Promoting policies that reduce inappropriate grazing by domestic livestock, feral domesticated animals, and wildlife. 
iii)	Promoting and funding restoration that reduces the Uncharacteristic class, including cutting/mulching/chaining of invading pinyon and juniper trees, herbicide or mechanical treatment of non-native invasive species such as cheatgrass and secondary perennial weed species, and rehabilitation of burned areas following wildfire.
iv)	Promoting management that includes seeding a diversity of grasses, forbs and shrubs that will lead to increased resiliency and resistance in the plant community.

8) Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources:
a)	Section IV Statewide Management Goals and Objectives. This proposal will address Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2019 (see pages 19 and 20). 
i)	Strategy 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.
ii)	Strategy 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. 
iii)	Strategy F: Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages.

9) Utah Mule Deer Unit #1 Management Plan:
a)	Pinyon-juniper encroachment on summer and winter range in Unit 1A is increasing resulting in less forage and increased fire risk.
b)	Additional threats and losses to deer summer and winter range in the West Box Elder area is the reduction in habitat quality due to the loss of critical browse species (sagebrush, bitterbrush etc).
c)	To address habitat quality and degradation, habitat improvement projects have been, and will continue to be planned throughout the unit. Through annual grass control and shrub plantings, and pinyon-juniper thinning/removal on summer, winter, and transitional range in West Box Elder.
d)	In critical winter range habitat, Pinyon-Juniper expansion is a crucial aspect of winter browse species loss. Projects that address the removal of P/J from these areas are of high importance and should be addressed whenever possible.
e)	These projects should be done on public and private lands when the opportunity is available. Addressing these needs on private land is crucial as a large majority of winter range falls on private lands. All tools that are available should be considered, such as chaining, lop and scatter, bullhog removal, and chemical removal as well. In accomplishing the removal of P/J on private land, private landowners' needs should also be considered.
f)	Devil's Playground, Emigrant Pass, and Warm Springs Hill, Park Valley and Rosette. Projects on the east side of the Grouse Creek Range and south slope of the Raft River range should be focused on removal of encroaching pinyon-juniper, and reestablishing understory with summer and winter browse species as well as species of plants that can be used in the spring by wintering deer.

10) West Box Elder Coordinated Resources Management Plan:
a)	Vegetation cover is managed to promote infiltration and recharge. Continue On-going Public and Private Pinyon/Juniper Treatments.
b)	To maintain momentum, continue on-going treatment efforts, using mechanical means as well as fire to remove encroaching pinyon/juniper and reseeding areas with shrubs, grasses, and forbs, and ensure maintenance of areas treated in the past.
c)	Recognize and publicize successful treatments in maps, on websites, and in end-of-season press releases.
d)	Winter Rangeland Improvement. Implement Forage Improvements. Based on the results of the forage assessment, seek funding for recommended improvements. Start with projects on private land to avoid extended timeframes associated with NEPA review and other agency procedures.

11) The Utah Smoke Management Plan (1999, 2006 revision): 
a)	By using mechanical mastication this plan will accomplish Goal #5, Use of alternative methods to burning for disposing of or reducing the amount of wildland fuels on lands in the State (p3).

12) State of Utah Hazard Mitigation Plan (March 2011): 
a)	This plan accomplishes statewide goals including, 1) Protection of natural resources and the environment, when considering mitigation measures and 2) Minimize the risk of wildfire (p12).

13) A Collaborative Approach for Reducing Wildland Fire Risks to Communities and the Environment 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy Implementation Plan (U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service 2002): 
a)	1) Improve fire prevention and suppression; 2) Reduce hazardous fuels; and 3) Maintain and restore fire adapted ecosystems.

14) Secretarial Order 3336 -- Implementation Plan: Rangeland, Fire Prevention, Management and Restoration.
a)	Section 7b(iii) -- Expand the focus on fuels reduction opportunities and implementation
b)	Section 7b(iv) -- Fully integrate the emerging science of ecological resiliency into design of habitat management, fuels management, and restoration projects.

Utah Greater Sage grouse Management Plan, 2009 Publication 09-17, State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources, - Specifically the plan addresses goals outlined in part B-1.3 Public land habitat objectives; A Vegetation management, D Fire Management, and E Conifer Encroachment - 1. Reduce conifers that are encroaching on sagebrush habitats using appropriate methods, which may include: masticators, chains, chain saws, prescribed fire, etc (pp45-48). In addition it addresses goals in section B-2.3 Public land habitat restoration objectives (p 49-50).

Utah Conservation Strategy (Utah Wildlife Action Plan), 2005 Publication Number 05-19, State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources, Effective 2005-2015. The proposed action supports: The General Threat of Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercusurophasianus) habitat loss due to Pinyon -Juniper succession in sagebrush habitats should be addressed by the conservation actions of enhancing fragmented and degraded  habitats [Juniper removal] (6-27). Habitat problems and conservation actions (8-8) by addressing fire cycle alteration with methods to disturb decadent [Pinion-Juniper] vegetation

Box Elder Deer Herd Management Plan Unit #1. The proposed action supports: Population Management Strategies Limiting Factors- Pinyon/Juniper encroachment on summer and winter range in Unit 1A is increasing resulting in less forage and increased fire risk. Specifically: Habitat Concerns, Habitat Management Identified Projects: Devil's Playground, Emigrant Pass, and Warm Springs Hill, Park Valley and Rosette. Projects on the east side of the Grouse Creek Range and south slope of the Raft River range should be focused on removal of encroaching pinyon/juniper, and reestablishing understory with summer and winter browse species as well as species of plants that can be used in the spring by wintering deer.
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Statewide Management Plan for Mule deer. Section VI Statewide management goals and objectives. The proposed action will support: Population Management Goal, Strategy C -- Support all habitat objectives and strategies in this plan to protect and improve mule deer habitat, including energy development mitigation in crucial mule deer habitat.  Habitat goal: Conserve, improve, and restore mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges. Specifically Habitat Objective 1: Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts. Habitat Objective 1 Strategy (c): Work with local, state, and federal land management agencies via land management plans and with private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer habitats, especially fawning, wintering and migration areas. Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2019.   Habitat Objective 2: (Strategy 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. Habitat Objective 2: (Strategy d): Initiate broad scale vegetative treatment projects to improve mule deer habitat with emphasis on drought or fire damaged sagebrush winter ranges, ranges that are being 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. Habitat Objective 2: (Strategy g): Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages using various methods including timber harvest and managed fire. (pages 18-19).

West Box Elder County Coordinated Resource Management Plan (January 15, 2013). The plan supports Project I. Programmatic Pinyon/Juniper Control (Page 29) Task 1. Continue On-going Public and Private Pinyon/Juniper Treatments. Task 3. Planning for Coordinated and Comprehensive Pinyon/Juniper Treatments. Task 4. Monitor Pinyon/Juniper Treatment.
West Box Elder Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Local Conservation Plan. This plan addresses Section V Conservation Strategy (page 57) (A. Strategies and Actions) 1. Strategy: By 2016, identify P/J stands within the resource area that are encroaching in key sage-grouse habitats. 1.1 Action: Revisit and make recommendations to retreat as needed P/J removal sites. 1.2. Action: Work with partners to ensure that any P/J removal projects are not detrimental to other wildlife species. Partners include: UDWR, NRCS, BLM, USFS, UPCD, UFBF, SITLA, USU Extension.

Boreal Toad Management Plan - Hogrefe, T.C., C.L. Bailey, P.D. Thompson, and B. Nadolski. 2005.  Boreal Toad (Bufo boreas boreas) conservation plan for Utah.  Publication Number 05-31.  Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Least Chub Conservation Agreement and Strategy - Least Chub Conservation Team.  2014.  Amendment to the 2005 conservation agreement and strategy for the Least Chub (Iotichthys phlegethontis).  Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.  Salt Lake City.

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.

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.

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.