3 Creeks Allotment Consolidation Project Update

Presentation by Taylor PayneUtah Grazing Improvement Program

Brief History of 3 Creeks Project

Proponent driven NEPA process started in Fall 2011 through permittees and Rich County Commissioners

Demonstrate good land stewardship through switching to rest rotational grazing across 146,000 acres, 10 allotments, multiple land owners

Patterned after Deseret Land and Livestock grazing management plans

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Archeology survey has to be completed across the entire project area of each of the established pre-existing infrastructure.

Special attention is being focused on the riparian areas believed to be used by livestock the most in the project boundaries.

Preliminary survey will evaluate roughly 3300 acres of ground and proposed new infrastructure will be completed at an earlier time.

What about the Project’s Livestock Producers?

Political and Pro-Grazing Support from Agencies and NGO’s

Recently we’ve had letters of support committed from:

Governor Herbert’s Economic and Rural Development Office

Senator’s Hatch, and Lee’s office Rep. Bob Bishop’s office Bear River Association of Governments Trout Unlimited RMEF, MDF, and multiple others

Monitoring to Evaluate Vegetation Change

• Hired Open Range Consulting to Establish Base Cover of Vegetation through remote sensing.

• Documenting changes that result from improved grazing management is important! How will you know if it’s worth the effort? How will you convince others it’s working? How will you make decisions and adjust management

(Adaptive Management)?• Monitor upland and riparian vegetation cover and

species changes – for example, photo points, transects.• Track livestock use faithfully – what kind, when, how

many, how long, and the utilization levels

Novel Approach to Livestock Distribution Monitoring

Permittees Organization

Permittees will form an LLC that also consolidates their current grazing permits together.

Permittees will lease their corresponding base properties back to the LLC.

The LLC will establish Articles of Organization and an Operating Agreement with which to operate under.

Potential and Current Funding Sources

Utah Grazing Improvement Program NRCS, EQIP Watershed Restoration Initiative DWQ Hardship Grant

DWQ Watershed Hardship Grant

Awarded to the 3 Creeks Association to perform maintenance.

Increased ability to complete tasks once prohibitive because of cost

Examples include: hired fence contractor, hired riders, water system maintenance

Estimated Timeframe into the Future

Finish Archeology Requirements for NEPA Process Install Capital Improvement Projects in summer

of 2014 Finish the Organization of the 3 Creeks LLC Hope to be grazing in the summer of 2015 as 2

consolidated herds of cows along with affiliated bands of sheep.