PROPOSED RESOLUTION AGREEMENT (Appellants)
Wasatch Plateau 31 Sheep Allotments
Note: As used below, "collaboration" involves the Forest Service, Appellant representatives, permittees, scientists, and other legitimately interested parties.
WITHIN TEN YEARS
- NEPA-BASED AMPs for all allotments within the next ten years
(Note: By 2015, the current allotment management plants will be 24-42 years old if not revised. Their monitoring elements, for instance, are not being followed and are terribly outdated.)
WITHIN THREE YEARS
- Collaboratively select and complete an AMP revision (documented within NEPA) within three years for five sheep allotments within the 31-allotments area.
- Each AMP will analyze and determine
- bare soil (see b.)
- native forbs (see b.)
- natural springs
- aspen regeneration
- meadow native grasses and forbs (see b)
- sagebrush native understory (see b)
- monitoring methods and locations (determined in collaboration)
- desired conditions
- Existing range survey sites done as early as 1960 will be resurveyed for the upland conditions (plant species composition, production and ground cover) at a representative subset of those sites based on plant community type, soil type and in capable areas.
- Upon completion of the five AMPs, review by what means and schedule the remaining 26 allotments would be analyzed during the following seven years.
- The Appellants would retain the ability to litigate this appeal after three years if:
- The AMPs for the five allotments were not revised collaboratively and decisions issued.
- A process and schedule has not been established for applying what has been learned in the five allotments to AMP revisions of the other 26 allotments.
WITHIN FIVE YEARS
- ASPEN
- Collaboratively map aspen regeneration within the 31 sheep allotments.
[Note: "The extent of aspen regeneration in the analysis area has not been mapped" (FEIS 2-7).]
- BARE SOIL
- Collaboratively determine whether the % allowable soil disturbance is being met on the 31 allotments as each is analyzed in a NEPA process and based on the type of surveys described above.
[Note: see FEIS, page S-ii for soil disturbance criteria by slope; and 3-21 for regional guidelines by allotments area; note FEIS p. 3-21: " No estimate of the spatial extent or severity of soil disturbance will be made in this [term grazing permit] analysis. ]
- NATIVE FORBS
- Collaboratively establish and carry out a plan for recording native forbs and grasses in Manti-La Sal NF monitoring sites.
- Establish reference areas within the Forest, perhaps using Cedar Breaks or other relevant locations as temporary reference areas. Priority for first four reference areas:
- Aspen
- Sagebrush
- Meadow
- Spring
- AMPHIBIANS
- Collaboratively develop an amphibian monitoring protocol that can be used by both Forest Service and citizen monitors
- Collaboratively survey a subset of wetland areas within the 31 allotments for Western toad
- SPRINGS
- Collaboratively develop and implement a survey schedule that will sample springs within the sheep allotments
- At the end of the survey, collaboratively establish a springs conservation plan within the allotments area that will provide for conservation of natural conditions at a subset of springs
- MIGRATORY BIRDS
- Collaboratively develop a monitoring plan (methods, locations) within the 31 allotments for:
- Brewer's sparrows habitat and populations
- Broad-tailed hummingbird habitat and population