1 

Forest Supervisor’s Letter 

In this issue: 

Forest Supervisor’s 

Letter 

1 

What does the 

Forest Service do? 

2 

Sustainable 

Recreation Planning 6 

Recreation Fee 

Increases and New 

Rentals Proposed 

6 

Red Canyon Visitor’s Center 

The Red Canyon Visitor 

Center (RCVC) is going 

through a major 

remodel of all interior 

exhibits, interior walls 

and partitions and new 

carpet that will continue 

through the summer of 

2014. 

 RCVC strives to 

Ashley National Forest May 2015 Volume 1, Issue 1 

John R. Erickson, Forest Supervisor

2014 Year in Review 

When I think of 2014, I think of extremes. The spring field 

season started with drought conditions in June that 

resulted in reduced livestock forage production and water 

availability. Then in the fall the Ashley NF received record 

rainfall and it looked like the drought had ended. Finally, at 

year’s end, there was a lack of snow in the valley and in the 

mountains. 

Similarly, oil and gas development on the Forest, started 

fairly strong in 2014 yet unfortunately ended with low 

crude oil prices world wide that affected the amount and 

rate of new well applications on the Forest. 

Extreme conditions, whether it be precipitation that affect 

forage production, road conditions that affect desired 

access to the Forest, or lightning that affects the number of 

wildfires on the forest, affect the amount of goods and 

services anticipated by the public as well as the workloads 

assigned to Forest employees. 

Success in the future depends, in part, on accurately 

forecasting changing conditions and working with the 

public to determine the best management options for the 

future. Good relations with the public and communication 

is the key. 

It is my hope that as we look at the year 2015 and beyond, 

we will learn from the past and, working with each of you, 

plan a sustainable path of action for the future that meets 

the challenges ahead. 

enhance visitor 

experiences as they 

Discover, Immerse and 

Explore the rich cultural 

and natural history of 

the area through 

displays and interpretive 

services offered by the 

Forest Service as well as 

our partners. Displays 

and activities targeting 

children and adults will 

be offered to help instill 

a respect for the natural 

resources and geological 

wonders of the area. 

The new exhibits will 

touch on various topics 

that include, but are not 

(Continued on page 8) 
 2 

Many people may be surprised by the activities taking place in the Ashley National Forest. Many are 

unseen by the normal visitor to the Forest yet provide data that assists scientists and others to maintain and sustain the Forest and drive future projects. 

Every year the Ashley National Forest publishes a Monitoring Report that provides forest managers 

and the public with a brief look at the monitoring accomplished during a given year. 

Program areas in the 2014 report include air quality, fisheries and wildlife, forest vegetation, heritage 

resources, rangeland management, recreation management and soil and water resources. 

The 2014 Annual Monitoring Report can be found on the Ashley National Forest homepage at 

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3822623.pdf . 

 AIR QUALITY

Air Quality continues to be monitored by various indicators. A visibility camera on Lake Fork Mountain offers a 

qualitative view of the High Uintas Wilderness which 

can be observed at the following link: (http://

www.fs.usda.gov/ashley) . 

The digital images are analyzed for visibility on a quarterly basis; complete tables along with the details on the 

analyzing process are available at: http://arsfsairpgm.com/. Once at the site click on the tab for analytical reports, then on the tab for visibility reports to 

view the site specifications and qualitative data. 

 

WATER QUALITY

Water quality samples were collected from Walkup, Uinta 

Noname, Upper Coffin and Fish lakes in 2014. This is part 

of an ongoing data collection process to create a chemical 

analysis to determine trends in lake chemistry. The lake 

samples are collected in late August to mid-September. 

The Ashley National Forest works with Western University 

to collect water quality sampling data to investigate potential air deposition (air quality) and changing temperature 

effects on lakes in the Uintahs. The lakes sampled in 2014 

(Continued on page 3) 

What Does the Forest Service Do? 

View from Lake Fork Mountain 

Coffin Lake
 3 

included Walkup, Larvae Lake, Denise Lake, Taylor Lake, Hidden Lake and Jessen Lake. 

Many different forms of monitoring take place across the Ashley National Forest by Forest staff and 

by other agencies. One example of this is the regional snowpack deposition sites that are managed by 

the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Geological Survey. The sampling takes place around the end of 

March on the Ashley National Forest at Grizzley Ridge and Center Park in the Lake Fork Drainage. 

The project spans the Rocky Mountain Region from Montana to New Mexico and has been in place for 

20 years. The Ashley National Forest has been participating since 2007. The project can be found at 

http://co.water.usgs.gov/projects/RM_snowpack/index.html . 

 FISH AND WILDLIFE

Fish and wildlife are also monitored on the Ashley National Forest. Surveys for the Greater Sage Grouse, and migratory birds 

such as the warbling vireo, red-naped sapsucker, northern goshawk, golden eagle, three-toed woodpeckers broad-tailed hummingbird, Brewer’s sparrow, Cassin’s finch and song sparrow to 

name a few. 

Since 1988 the Forest has monitored the northern goshawk with 

the commitment of four employees from late-May to mid-August. 

Sixty-four of the 65 known territories were visited on the Ashley National Forest in 2014. 

Winter Carnivore track surveys were conducted on the Paradise, Spirit Lake, Blind Stream, and 

Elkhorn Loop roads. In total, 20.5 miles were surveyed on the Vernal/Flaming Gorge District and 57 

miles were surveyed on the Roosevelt-Duchesne District. Snowshoe hare, cottontail, weasel, bobcat, 

moose, elk, deer, and red squirrel tracks were recorded. No lynx or wolverine tracks were detected in 

the surveys. 

Riparian protection fences located at Mann Creek (Flaming Gorge District) and South Brownie Creek 

(Vernal District) were checked for broken wires, loose nails or fasteners, and fallen trees across fences 

and repaired where needed. These riparian exclosures (designed to keep livestock out) are expected to 

protect the stream’s water quality for at least a half mile downstream from grazing impacts on both 

streams. 

A 50’ x 5’ baffled culvert was installed on Mann Creek to allow better aquatic organism passage 

through the pipe. The baffles will help hold substrate that naturally flows into the pipe so overtime 

there will be a natural stream bottom through the pipe. 

Ashley NF fisheries staff assisted the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources with an intensive electrofishing effort to remove as many non-native brook trout from these waters to aide in the restoration of 

(Continued from page 2) 

(Continued on page 4) 

Male Sage Grouse on an Anthro Mountain Lek. 
 4 

Colorado River cutthroat trout (CRCT) (Figure 7). Brook trout were removed on seven miles of Reader 

Creek, and four miles on Lynn Creek and North Fork Sheep Creek, for a total of 15 miles of CRCT 

streams enhanced through mechanical removal of non-native brook trout. 

The Middle Fork Sheep Creek from the Spirit Lake outlet downstream to the existing temporary fish 

barrier located just above Hickerson Park was treated with rotenone to remove the last remaining non

-native fishes in preparation for restocking these waters with native Colorado River Cutthroat Trout. 

(This was the third and final treatment, restocking of CRCT will begin in 2015). 

TIMBER and VEGETATION MANAGEMENT 

In FY 2014, the Forest vegetation monitoring program continued to transition our repeat photography 

monitoring program to virtual reality (VR) photography (360-degree interactive imagery) that we post 

on a dedicated webpage: http://anfphotomonitoring.info. The Ashley has already posted some FY 2014 

data and will post the remainder of this year’s collected data over the winter. The advance to VR photography has improved the accessibility, quality, and monitoring utility of the repeat photography program. 

 

 Ashley staff re-visited and re-photographed 10 existing photo monitoring points and established 19 new 

points in an ongoing effort to monitor the vegetation response to timber sales and timber stand treatments and to assess progress toward accomplishing vegetation treatment objectives. 

The Ashley monitored timber sale contract compliance on 19 timber sales. Staff completed a minimum 

of weekly inspections on these sales during periods of active logging. Staff also documented contract 

compliance findings in 200 timber sale inspection reports. 

(Continued from page 3) 

(Continued on page 5) 

Cart Creek Salvage 2 Overview Point PreTreatment Photo: July 10, 2007. Cart Creek Salvage 2 - Overview 3- Year 

Post-Treatment Photo: July 18, 2014

(Project Completed in 2011). 

Note the large amount of standing dead. Note the growth of the regeneration in 7 years. 
 5 

 TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT 

The Forest awarded service contracts on one pre-commercial thinning contract totaling 697 acres. Ashley staff monitored compliance on the final 60 acres of the Lodgepole Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) 

Project, a pre-commercial thinning contract that began in FY 2012 and was completed this year. 

Reforestation surveys conducted during FY 2014 confirm 1016 acres have successfully regenerated to 

an appropriate stocking level. These surveys are completed to monitor the success of natural regeneration following stand disturbances such as wildfire, insect outbreaks, or harvesting. Inventories occurred in areas such as the 2007 Neola North Fire and the 2008 Mill Hollow Fire. 

A forest service crew (YCC) collected a total of nine bushels of lodgepole pine cones. The cones were 

sent to the Lucky Peak Nursery in Boise for processing and seed extraction to grow seedlings for future planting projects. The silviculturist worked with the crew to assure the cones were collected in 

accordance with the R4 Seed Handbook and to monitor the quantity and quality of the seed that was 

collected. Sampled cones were cut and examined to determine if they contained an adequate quantity 

of seed. 

 HERITAGE RESOURCES

An active heritage resource program on the Forest monitors priority heritage assets as well as reviewing ongoing projects for compliance. 

 RANGE and RECREATION

Range allotments were monitored for compliance with Allotment Management Plans (AMPs) or Forest 

forage utilization standards. A total of 145 out of 232 pastures were monitored in 2014. Of the pastures monitored 119 (82%) met utilization standards. 

In addition to the pastures that were monitored, forage utilization was assessed at 59 permanent 

study sites on various allotments across the Forest. Of these 59 study sites 27 met utilization standards. 

In 2014 the Ute Mountain Fire Lookout repairs were completed through funding provided by the Ashley National Forest Resource Advisory Committee under the Secure Rural Schools and Community 

Self-Determination Act Title II funds and the site is expected to be open to the public during the summer of 2015 for visitation. 

Ranger district monitoring indicates that 90 percent of developed recreation sites are full on the peak 

Utah holiday weekends of July 4th and July 24th across the Ashley National Forest. 

The activities highlighted in this story are a short list of the work accomplished on the 

Ashley National Forest. Many other projects and activities take place annually to monitor, 

sustain and maintain the health of the Ashley National Forest. 

(Continued from page 4) 
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RECREATION PLANNING EFFORTS 

The Flaming Gorge Vernal Ranger District is currently 

evaluating 12 sites for decommissioning with a decision to 

make in the Fall of 2015. Sites being considered include 

Greendale Campground, Antelope Flat Single Site 

Campground , Skull Creek Campground, Red Canyon 

Campground, Red Springs Campground, Kaler Hollow 

Campground, Oaks Park Campground, old Lucerne Group 

Campground, Navajo Cliffs Picnic Area and Sheep Creek 

Bay Campground. 

This effort is designed to reduce maintenance costs so other 

facilities can be improved. All of the sites identified have 

very light use. Where possible decommissioned locations 

will be available for dispersed camping. 

A recommendation to increase fees at one campground, 

one group site, three cabins and three yurts, along with 

new fee recreation opportunities are being proposed on 

three additional cabins. 

“We have made improvements to many of our fee sites 

over the last 18 years,” said Kathy Paulin, recreation 

program manager for the Ashley National Forest. “Many 

of these improvements were possible because of fees 

collected at recreation sites. Increases in fees will help 

us continue to make improvements and provide quality 

recreation opportunities to visitors.” 

The fee increases would be consistent with inflationary 

costs as well as ensure that fees are more comparable to 

similar public and private sites in their respective areas. 

“We are proposing to have price consistency throughout 

the Forest at similar sites with similar amenities provided”, stated Kathy Paulin, Recreation Program Manager. 

The majority (95%) of the revenue collected at recreation 

fee sites remains on the Forest to operate, maintain and improve the facilities and programs at the recreation sites. User-generated revenue supplements appropriated funds and 

helps the Ashley National Forest reinvest in recreation facilities that are important to the public. 

New rental opportunities if approved would be the Moon 

Lake Guard Station, Rock Creek Guard Station and Yellowstone Guard Station. 

Fee increases are proposed for Moon Lake Campground, 

Colton, Paradise and Trout Creek Guard Stations, Limber 

Flag, Grizzly Ridge and Carters Military Yurts. 

All fee change proposals will be presented before a citizen’s advisory committee. 

Sustainable Recreation Planning effort

Navajo Cliffs Picnic Area along Sheep Creek 

Recreation Fee Increase and New Rentals Proposed 
 7 

Land Use Permits 

Non-Recreation.151

Recreation.........122

Power....................20 

Total Collected..............................$193,716.81 

Fire Management 

Fuel Treatment Acres..........................7,589 

Prescribed Burn Acres.........................3,558 

Number of Wildfires..................................19 

Wildfire Acres Burned ..........................295 

Fish and Wildlife Habitat Improved 

Enhancement (Miles):

Terrestrial Acres...................................6,379

Lake Acres ...................................................0

Stream Miles...........................................18.9 

Surveyed:

Terrestrial Acres...............................,.68,986

Aquatic Acres........................................1,250 

Livestock Grazed 

Horses .....................................................26 

Cattle ................................................13,744 

Sheep ..................................................5,284 

Head Months Annually .....................53.598 

Allotments/Livestock Areas.....................74 

Ashley National Forest Acres:........1,382,347 

Acres in Utah:..................................1,286,124 

Acres in Wyoming:................................96,223 

Wilderness Areas Acres 

High Uintas Wilderness 

Ashley N. F..............................276,175 

High Uintas Wilderness 

Wasatch Cache N. F.............. 180,530 

Recreation

Campgrounds (Family).......................60 

Campsites......................................1,156 

Campgrounds (Group)........................12 

Picnic Areas...........................................8 

Trailheads............................................10 

Total Trail Miles.............................1,196 

ATV (All Terrain Vehicle)...................194 

Biking.................................................325 

Hiking.................................................939 

Snowmobile.......................................116 

Total Road Miles............................1,818 

ATV..................................................1,151 

Employees 

Permanent Employees..................100 

Temporary/Seasonal..................... 91 

Payments to Counties Amount 

Uintah County...................$13,859.72 

Duchesne County ............$43,676.48 

Daggett County ................$13,313.19 

Sweetwater County, WY...$4,957.59 

Wasatch County ...............$61,526.06 

Utah County ......................$63,238.93 

ASHLEY NATIONAL FOREST STATISTICS 
 8 

Caring for the Land and 

Serving People 

355 North Vernal Avenue 

Vernal, Utah 

84078 

Tel: 435-789-1181 

Fax: 435-781-5254 

E-mail: ljhaynes@fs.fed.us 

Ashley National Forest 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its pro-grams and activities on the basis of 

race, color, na-tional origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political be-liefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternate means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audio-tape, etc.) should contact the USDA Target Center at 

(202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA Director, Office of Civil Right, 

Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-

5964 (voice and TDD): USDA is an equal opportunity employer. 

limited to; Native American history, settler and pioneer history, geology of the area, wildlife exhibit including 

aquatic, reptile, avian, and mammal species, children’s activity area, Forest Service history, and forest 

information. This project is designed to provide visitors with information about the interesting history 

surrounding this unique area and forest. 

(Continued from page 1) 

Red Canyon Visitor’s Center Continued