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Scenic Analysis for Ikes Valley Vegetation Improvement Project

Unassigned SIO

Cedar City Ranger District, Dixie National Forest

Landscape Character photo taken from Asay Knoll

Prepared By: Del Orme, Recreation Staff Officer, Cedar City Ranger District

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Introduction-

The Cedar City Ranger District is proposing the Ikes Valley Vegetation Improvement Project. The primary purpose of this project is to improve habitat for northern goshawk and its prey, reduce hazardous fuels by lowering potential for stand-replacing crown fire and improve silvicultural condition of timber stands over current conditions. Most of the project analysis area occurs in already assigned Scenic Integrity Objective (SIO). There are two small polygons of unassigned SIO which extent to the east outside the project area (see Map 1). The project area is within the Cedar City Ranger District in Kane and Garfield Counties, Utah, approximately 28 miles east of Cedar City, Utah and located within T37S R6W, T37S R7W, T38S R6W and T38S R7W of the Salt Lake Base and Meridian.

According to the 2001 Dixie National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan Amendment for scenery we must assign a Scenic Integrity Objective (SIO) during project planning for General Management Areas outside Concern Level 1 and 2 use areas and travelways (Page 10, Plan Amendment). The landscape theme is Natural Appearing. SIO”s will be assigned as Distinct (high), Common (moderate), or Indistinct (low). There is one polygon within the project area and two polygons to the east of the project area which will be assigned SIO with this analysis (see Map 1). Following is an analysis that includes Landscape Character Elements, past developments/projects and conclusion.

Map 1 Current SIO

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Landscape Character Elements-

1. Landform Patterns and Features-Includes characteristics landforms, rock features, and their juxtaposition to one another.

The Markagunt Plateau is a relatively flat to gently rolling, high elevation landscape with distinct lava flows, cinder cones, open, large green meadows, rust and yellow aspen groves and deep green forests of spruce and ponderosa pine. The plateau’s size is 800-square-mile (2,100 km2) located in southwestern Utah between Interstate 15 and U.S. Route 89. It is one of the plateaus that make up the High Plateaus Section of the Colorado Plateau Province. The name is derived from a Piute word meaning "Highland of Trees". The Markagunt Plateau volcanic field is an area of basaltic cinder cones and blocky lava flows. The most recent flows occurred around 1050 A.D. and were preceded by a series of trachytic, andesitic and rhyolitic lava. The field lies east of Cedar Breaks National Monument. Navajo Lake was formed when a lava flow dammed a creek on the plateau. Mammoth Cave is a lava tube cave located on the plateau. The youngest features of the Markagunt Plateau volcanic field are blocky unvegetated lava flows known locally as the 'Black Rock Desert.' They extend from near Miller Knoll on to the southeast. These flows also extend northeast to near Panguitch Lake. Asay knoll is a predominant volcanic feature that is within the project area.

The eastern and south-eastern edge of the plateau transitions into sedimentary rock formations known as The Claron Formation. The Claron Formation is known for its wide variety of colors. The colors visible in the rock come from various amounts of oxidized irons (red and orange hues) and manganese (purple hues). Although The Claron Formation is well known for its red and pink colored hoodoos, walls, and spines similar to the geological feature found in Bryce Canyon National Park, few of these feature exists in the project area.

2. Surface Water Characteristics-The relative occurrence and distinguishing characteristics of rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands. Includes features such as waterfalls and coastal areas.

Water Features in this area include washes that typically transport water during snowmelt in the spring time and precipitation events during summer monsoon season. A wash can be characterized as being a usually dry creek bed that temporarily fills with water after heavy rain. Washes are common features on the Cedar City Ranger District, Dixie National Forest.

In the analysis area are four intermittent streams that create a riparian area; West Fork of Asay Creek, Strawberry Creek and Swains Creek join and become Asay Creek. These riparian areas support cottonwood trees, willows and other riparian vegetation. These types of intermittent stream-based riparian areas are common on the Cedar City Ranger District.

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3. Vegetation Patterns-Relative occurrence and distinguishing characteristics of potential vegetative communities and the patterns formed by them.

The 21,640-acre project area is characterized by the following cover types (see Map 2: Vegetation Type for depiction). These are the dominant cover types found on these acres: Ponderosa pine (17,662 ac.), mixed conifer (342 ac.), Mountain brush (701 ac.), Grass/forb (2,299 ac.), pinyon/juniper (262 ac.). The vegetation found in the area of the Claron Formation is mostly spare and becomes denser in the drainage bottoms. The vegetation found in the area of the lava flows and cinder cones varies widely from brushy flats and opening, sparse ponderosa pines stands, to dense mix-conifer stands. In addition, there is riparian vegetation along Swains, Strawberry, West Fork of Asay Creek and Asay creek that consists of cottonwoods, willows, and other riparian vegetation. Overall the analysis area is characterized by openings in the canopy of overstory vegetation.

Map 2 Vegetation Cover Type

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Conclusion-

Within the project area, there are nodes of Class A landscapes. However most of the characteristic landscape is common to the Markagunt Plateau. A Class B-Typical Scenic Attractiveness Classifications are defined as areas where landform, vegetation patterns, water characteristics, and cultural features use combine to provide ordinary or common scenic quality will be assigned to this area. These landscapes have generally positive, yet common, attributes of variety, unity, vividness, mystery, intactness, order, harmony, uniqueness, pattern, and balance (page 1-16, Landscape Aesthetics). This area should be classified as Class B-Typical because of the relative common vegetative, geologic, water features, and past development characteristics for this area (see Map 3). As directed in the 2000 SMS amendment, class B scenic areas are assigned a Moderate SIO. This analysis supports classifying this area as a Moderate Scenic Integrity Objective (SIO).

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Map 3 Proposed SIO

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LITERATURE CITATIONS USDA Forest Service. 1995 Landscape Aesthetics: A Handbook for Scenery Management. Agriculture Handbook No 701. Washington DC. USDA Forest Service. 2000. Scenery Management System. Amendment to the Dixie National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. Dixie National Forest. Cedar City, UT.