Show y y E I M d y c a I LANDS AND RECREATION Streams such luch as this one in Jones Hole provide recreation on on the tho National Land Reserve This ThIl scene Icene will be changed somewhat when a fish hatchery is Installed In Jones Hole In the next year or two Vernal District Office Administers Acres fly By Vernal Office Staff From From the Bureau of Land Management Vernal District Office administrative fingers reach out to Influence man man- management on more than 1800 acres of public land stretching ching from the Wyoming line south to the Moun- Moun Mountains Mountains all lying within the Uintah Basin In 1962 1062 th the j Vernal District met more of its management goals and accomplished more work than In any previous s year In its history To give you the public an open ac- ac account account count of how your land is managed and what typo of work Is done on It the achievements of this past year are given here for your own re- re review view RANGE MANAGEMENT I Each year about cat cat- cattle cat tie tle sheep and many thousand deer along with elk and antelope graze on the Vernal District One of the jobs of the is to insure that the range is capable of f supporting this many animals without becoming damaged further from overuse If it cannot some animals must be removed or other steps must he be taken The also has the responsibility to allow additional animals per per- perI milted there I Forage inventories were made this summer near Bon Bon- Bonanza Bonanza anza Utah which covered I almost acres Range aids from various universities I were hired for the summer to todo todo do this job They studied V g types made maps and collected data on the forage which is now being complIed compiled This data will Indicate the proper number of animals which should be allowed on the range MANY AREAS such as Clay Basin Brush Creek Dry DryFork DryFork Fork and Ashley Creek drain drain- ages have already been inventoried Members of the dis- dis district district range staff established permanent study plots in those areas this summer which will show if the compo compo- composition composition and density of the for for- forage forage age I Improving or on the de- de decline cline cUne These Condition and Trend study plots common ly called transects are an Im- Im Important important part of range manage manage- management ment on the National Land Reserve districts Since the studies for in in- in instance stance showed that too many animals have been using the Clay Basin allotment steps were taken recently to reduce the use there so that the range could be built back up In some cases a change in the season when the animals use the range is recommended in In- In Instead stead of reducing the actual number numb r of animals In a herd CLOSE is often necessary to Insure that unauthorized livestock are kept off the public range range- rangelands rangelands lands A range rider keeps check on this type of trespass Ills work not only reduces grazing trespass but represents an Important step In ob- ob obtaining ob taming good management on Ft 1 I i dJ iT 11 f U 1418 iff 1 1 I try i ye A w r rr aJ RANGE Heavy CONSERVATION pulls a disking machine over a sagebrush mesa on Donkey Flat This area was seeded and now grows a healthy stand of grass the National Land Reserve Range Managers also must see that deer and other wild wild- wildlife wildlife life have sufficient forage on the public lands Several browse studies were made in inthe inthe the spring and fall in Clay Basin Browns Brown's Park Taylor Flat and the In co- co cooperation cooperation operation with the Utah State Department of Fish and Game A NEW TRANSECT was laid out on the Big Park Burn Project this fall falland falland and is expected to provide accurate Information on the deer herd In that area This old over burned is area con con- tamed within a fence that will forbid use by livestock but will not hinder deer use Being able to distinguish one type of use from another is difficult when both livestock and deer graze the same plants More transects transacts will be established next summer inthe in inthe the which will pro pro- provide provide vide more Information on that deer herd The Soil and Moisture divi- divi division division sion of the Vernal District is responsible for work projects on the district including such things as reservoir construction construction tion fence building road construction chaining and spraying projects and spring developments Projects not only must be Initiated and completed they must also be checked and maintained In good condition each year This phase of work is nearly as important as the construe Lion tion phase First on the list of projects last spring was the Blue Mountain spraying in which about acres or of sagebrush was chemically treated from froman froman an airplane The purpose of this was to eradicate the sage sage- sagebrush sagebrush brush and replace it with a thrifty stand of grass THE NEXT EXT JOB tackled was a acre 1000 woodland eradication project near Pine Springs in the Two large bulldozers with an anch- anch anchor anchor or chain between them laid down row after row of this vegetation type which Is so abundant in that area Before the dozers went to work how how- however ever the area was checked to see that all usable products mainly posts had been en removed ed The are three step processes First the live Jive trees are uprooted with the chain Later n a suitable mix mix- mixture ture of grass and browse seed is scattered over the entire area with an airplane In the third step the area Is again dragged with a chain this time to stir up the soil and make conditions favorable for forthe forthe the new seed to germinate and grow WHERE NECESSARY a fence Is built around the en en- en entire I tire area to protect the new grass and browse from live live- livestock II stock for a few years giving It a chance to become firmly established I During the summer months maintenance work takes high priority Spring developments are repaired fences are arc check check- checked ed roads are graded and smaller projects are worked on One of these this summer took place on Dead Man Bench Ben h near Bonanza Utah There Then a acre 40 plot was wasI I fenced off and seeded with various species of grass and browse This planting will be oh ob- ob observed served to determine which species respond best to this I arid environment Depending on the results which will be studied for several years oth oth- other er projects of a more exten exten- extensive sive nature will be undertaken en In this area THIS FALL A new chain chain- chaining Ing project has been started on lower McCook Ridge in inthe Inthe the Several hund hund- hundred red acres of woodland have been chained over and plans are to enlarge the area next spring when the soil is moist again I A new spring development was recently completed on Diamond Mountain It is call call- called ed cd the Diamond Mountain Trail Spring since It is on the trail used by as they bring their herds off the mountain Water was necessary necessary sary at this particular point because no other watering facilities are arc near In addition this development provides good use for the spring water which formerly caused a con con- continual big hole in the Dims Dims- Diamond and ond Mountain road THE LATEST project un- un undertaken undertaken by the district was the seeding and fencing of the Pine Springs chaining area and the seeding of the Ule Boule Boule- Boulevard yard vard Ridge Burn Mallard Flying Service of Shelley Idaho received the flying con con- contract contract tract for the 1500 acres It took only about eight hours to fly the seed on this acreage showing the advantage advantage tage of this method as opposed ed to hand seeding which would have required 2400 man hours to broadcast the seed This Is a pilot project which which I will indicate if this particular I woodland will respond to the chaining treatment If the reI re-I re I suits are favorable a larger project Is planned for tor the tu- tu lure ture Continued on page 7 7 Of Offices f ices Continued from page 6 0 RANGE improvement pro are paid for not only from lands appropriated by Congress but also from outside contributors Often a livestock operator will donate funds for projects occurring on the particular piece of pub pub- public lic land In his allotment The Utah State Department of Fish and Game is another contributor They are inter ested of course in providing abundant forage for Big Game on public lands and of of- of often ten take part in projects For the Pine Springs and Boulevard Ridge Pro Pro- Projects Projects for instance they fur fur- furnished several hundred pounds ot of browse seed as wen well I as bearing part of the finan financial cial load FORESTRY The Vernal District forest forest- forester er initiated a timber inventory tory program in June 1962 1902 to determine how many acres of saw timber existed In the district An additional goal was to determine an mate volume in the timber stands and to gather I tion on the composition and the younger trees In each area Recent aerial photos were used to complete the first stage this summer that of computing the acreage early acres of timber land landwere landwere were delineated and In addi addition tion the locations of sample plots were chosen Data win will willbe be gathered from these sam sam- pie pIc plots next summer by achew a achew chew of trained forestry aid aids PINON PINE IS fast be be- be becoming coming a favorite Christmas tree species for Since so many trees are used each Christmas the question is of of- of often ten who asked will con con- continue to supply the vast num bers of trees required for this purpose now engaged in a vigorous program this year designed to see that more than 1100 trees are shipped to various places in the State A study was made this year to classify trees into various grades in in- in insuring suring that only the most de- de desirable desirable trees would be har- har harvested harvested vested to fill homes during the holidays ABOUT ponderosa pine seedlings were planted last spring in the This project served two pur poses poses-it established a young tree plantation from which l should hould be harvest harvest- harvested ed some day and it helped to stabilize an area which was damaged by fire This was the first tree tre-e planting project ever conducted by the in eastern Utah and much Information information mation was obtained which will be useful in future pro pro- projects projects Another type of planting project Is scheduled for this coming spring More than pounds of pine nuts were re- re recently recently shipped in from south south- southern ern em Utah and are now in cold storage for the winter This tree species although similar to the local pinon pine species will be planted because its excellent form makes a much better Christ Christ- Christmas mas tree A total of acres will wUl be planted FIRE CONTROL The year 1962 1902 witnessed considerable of the Vernal District fire con con- control organization which was guided by the district forester A fire control organization is just about as effective as the detecting job it does docs Detection work therefore re- re received received a lot of emphasis this year Planes from Basin Fly Fly- Flying ing Service in Vernal were put under contract and were used extensively on aerial pa pa- pa patrols trois of t the Mountains an area of high fire danger Patrols were made whenever lightning storms hit the district and this was of of- of often ten len One storm started at least seven fires the same day Another type of patrol was the ground surveillance and was done by the district Fire Control Alder Aide He maIn main- maintained a constant vigil during the weekends when danger of man caused fires was high TWO TWENTY fires burn burn- burned burned ed on the Vernal District this summer nearly all of which were started by lightning Their sizes ranged from only a few square feet to nearly acres The large Ire fire on Boulevard Ridge was especial especial- especially ly damaging because it de- de destroyed destroyed a new stand of grass and browse whIch had been planted only one year earlier After a fire has been found the next job is to move on It fast before it has a chance to spread The most effective way to do this is to fly over a afire afire fire pinpoint Its location then land on one of the emergency gency airstrips in the Book Dook cliffs where the Fire Control Aide Is waiting and proceed to the fire on the ground By using this method only the Boulevard Ridge fire one out of 22 reached an appreciable size before being put under control THE PLACEMENT of di di- di directional signs is another vital al phase of fire control In an anarea anarea area the size of the Vernal District persons can very easily become lost in in- inthe the maze of roads it if there are no direction tion signs to guide them When moving equipment to a afire afire fire a smooth and efficient flow of traffic is a necessity Again one of the responsibilities of the Fire Control Aide was to place signs where they were most needed In ad ad- ad addition to helping Ire fire control these signs are useful to any any- anyone one working on the district and are especially appreciated ed by deer hunters each fall LANDS Much of the land administered by the Bureau ot of Land Management Is the residue which was left after much of I the original public domain had been transferred to I vate ownership these trans transfers fers fers being made possible by I I byI several pUblic land laws The I public lands are now called I the National Land Reserve and are attaining greater im im- im importance each year They serve as a reservoir of undo undo- undeveloped land for intensive public and private use A new system has been de- de developed developed which will identify these lands and will insure desirable land tenure arrange arrange- arrangements ments within them It is known as the Master Unit System A Master Unit may maybe be defined as a distinctive geographic land uw use study area characterized by similar similar- similarities in its physical and econ economic resources and environ environ- environment ment WITHIN THE Vernal Dis- Dis District District there are two of these I Master Units When broken down each M Master ster Unit con con- contains clearly divided project areas and around each project area a comprehensive management plan is formed Each portion of the project area is inspected carefully to determine what particular use or uses should be nude made of it If IC it is found that Uw the best use is not being made of it plans will be Included in the Master Unit plan which will classify It to Its highest and recommend necessary rehabilitation and Improvement projects Some Seine lands In the Master Units ma may be classified for public sale This is done when It Is evident that the lands land's highest use would be represented by Its transfer to private vate or State ownership Varl o ous s land laws provide for this type of public land transfer ONE Or OF THE project areas in the Vernal Master Unit Is known as the Flaming Gorge area The plans for develop develop- development development ment of this area have been completed and are ure now pend pend- pending Ing approval They call for more intensive ive management of the area and feature such Items as re- re recreational developments measures to increase forage production art an Increase in Ire fire control protection and sever sever- several al 01 other conservation meas meas- measures ures It Is anticipated that the plans may be put into effect within the next year Another project area is 10 lo- lo located just north of Vernal and andis andis is appropriately called the Vernal Project Area First draft of the plan is now being formulated and should be complete within the next month or two IT IS APPROPRIATE IA TE to mention here the many land laws which are still in effect |