Proceedings brand creation for a prescribed fire culture – utilizing key social media parameters. Lars Coleman*1, J. Kelly Hoffman1, Thomas McDaniel1, R. Patrick Bixler2, Urs P. Kreuter1, Morgan Russell3
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ABSTRACT Forage kochia (Bassia prostrata, synonym=Kochia prostrata), a perennial, semi-shrub adapted to the semiarid rangelands of the western USA, is one of few species that can establish on degraded rangelands, compete against annual weeds, and be used in greenstrips to stop wildfires. Forage kochia’s grazing potential primarily includes extending grazing into the fall by maintaining high CP (> 7%), and increased carrying capacity and improved cattle health. This presentation reviews recent research, further highlighting the potential of forage kochia to rehabilitate and improve Great Basin rangelands. First, ‘Snowstorm’ forage kochia, was released by the USDA-ARS, and provides ranchers and land managers a new, taller, more productive, more nutritious cultivar capable of further increasing carrying capacity and nutritive value of rangelands, including where snow cover had limited forage kochia use in the past. Second, Gardner’s saltbush ecosystems are increasingly being invaded by halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus), an annual halophyte that increases soil surface salinity and reduces plant biodiversity. A study in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area evaluated the potential for rehabilitating halogeton-dominated Gardner’s saltbush ecosystems with forage kochia. Forage kochia established, persisted, and reduced halogeton frequency by 52% within two years. Results indicate that forage kochia provides an opportunity for rehabilitation of halogeton-invaded, saline rangelands. Third, highly erodible farm acres coming out of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts could remain in perennial species and be used for fall and winter grazing if wheatgrass monocultures could be interseeded with nutritious forage species. An on-farm study evaluated the success of interseeding forage kochia into established wheatgrass stands, and measured the effect on forage mass, forage nutritive value, and economic return. Forage kochia successfully established, improved nutritive value, and increased stocking rates for fall grazing, resulting in economic value that was greater than previous CRP contracts. REVEGETATION OF EXOTIC ANNUAL GRASS-INVADED RANGELANDS.
Revegetation of exotic annual grass-invaded rangelands is challenging with high rates of failure. Successful revegetation starts with effective control of exotic annuals. Effective control may require integrated treatments. Following control, high establishment of perennial vegetation is critical to limiting re-invasion by exotic annuals. However, establishment of perennial vegetation can be low, especially with native species. Introduced perennial bunchgrasses establish more reliably and compete better with exotic annuals than native bunchgrasses on drier sites. However, on cooler and wetter sites or with above average precipitation, native perennial vegetation may establishment in high enough numbers to limit exotic annual grasses. New technologies may improve revegetation success. For example, activated carbon pellets can be used to protect seeds incorporated within from pre-emergent herbicide damage. This allows desired species to be seeded at the same time exotic annuals are controlled with pre-emergent herbicides. Successful revegetation of exotic annual grass-invaded rangelands will require continued research to provide longer-term control of annuals and improve the establishment of seeded vegetation. SHRUB ISLAND ESTABLISHMENT INNOVATION: SACRIFICING A FEW SAGEBRUSH TO PLANT MANY. . Kent McAdoo*1, Kirk W. Davies2; 1University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Elko, NV, 2USDA - Agricultural Research Service, Burns, OR ABSTRACT Several studies have indicated unreliable or sporadic establishment of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) using conventional seeding methods. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the fall placement of sacrificed sagebrush plants in recently burned areas. The harvested sagebrush could serve both as snow catchments and seed source as the seeds dehisce, with the accumulating dead leaves potentially providing litter/mulch that could also enhance germination by increasing soil moisture. We established treatments within three newly burned sites in northern Nevada, 30 to 60 km apart and having variable elevation, topography, and soils. We used a randomized block study design, with five blocks at each site. Within each block, three 15-m2 plots were randomly selected for either cut-shrub placement, broadcast seeding, or no treatment. At each of the cut-shrub plots, we placed Wyoming big sagebrush stems (harvested just before seed-ripe in November 2016). Seeded plots were hand-broadcast with seed zone-adapted sagebrush seed to simulate conventional broadcast-seeding practice. First year results showed that sagebrush seedling survival in cut-shrub plots, though quite variable, was significantly higher (p < 0.05) at each of the sites than in the broadcast-seeded plots. In May, some cut-shrub plots had a “carpet” of sagebrush within 0.5 m of the cut sagebrush, but by October, natural thinning had reduced survivors by approximately 50%. Although more natural thinning is anticipated, the October aggregate survival density mean for cut-shrub plots (5.7/m2) was still two orders of magnitude higher than that for broadcast-seeded plots. Precipitation was higher than normal during this first year of study. For comparison, we will establish additional plots in at least three new wildfire sites during November 2017. Preliminary results indicate potential utility of this technique where establishing sagebrush islands could serve as a seed source for successional recovery of critical sites over time. REHABILITATION OF GREAT BASIN RANGELANDS: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH. Charlie D. Clements*1, Dan N. Harmon2, Robert Blank2; 1USDA, Reno, NV, 2USDA-ARS, Reno, NV
Disturbed rangelands present significant challenges to resource managers and land owners. In the Great Basin, exotic annual grasses have truncated secondary succession by outcompeting native perennial species for limited moisture and nutrients. An integrated approach to successfully control such invasive exotic annuals as cheatgrass can significantly improve rehabilitation efforts. By allowing on-the-ground conditions to dictate a specific or combination of a wide array of tools available, successful rehabilitation practices can be achieved on these disturbed rangelands. The use of plant materials that have the inherent potential to germinate, emerge and establish in specific soil types, precipitation zones and in the face of inter-specific species competition is critical in any rehabilitation effort. Proper weed control practices such as mechanical or chemical (herbicides) are very critical when dealing with cheatgrass rangelands as these weed control treatments can decrease cheatgrass densities by as much as 98%. This level of weed control practice improves the seedling success and establishment by increasing available soil moisture by more than 40%. Since cheatgrass outcompetes native perennials at the seedling stage, this increase in perennial seedling survivability and establishment aids in future cheatgrass suppression and associated fuels. With each passing wildfire season more and more wildlife and grazing resources are burned due to fuels associated with cheatgrass. The effective use of weed control practices and seeding of proper plant materials and rates will allow actions personnel on-the-ground to successfully rehabilitate and improve wildlife and grazing resources. RANGELAND FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATIONS, A "ALL HANDS, ALL LANDS" PARTNER. Steve V. Acarregui*; Bureau of Land Management, Boise, ID
Presentation Title: Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, A “All Hands, All The development of Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) creates a legitimate avenue for private landowners to participate in wildland fire suppression operations with other local, State and Federal agencies. Private landowners, particularly grazing permittees, have a substantial interest in providing fire protection on unprotected private lands and suppression assistance on adjacent State and Federal lands. This level of collaboration requires the removal of certain barriers and the creation of key critical success factors. RFPAs are created when a State establishes statute that allows for their formation, area landowners then create a board of directors, meet established minimum requirements, take wildland fire training, and sign agreements with adjoining agencies. The partnership with RFPAs has become a force multiplier in the arena of wildland fire suppression. Valued relationships have been built between local, State and Federal partners, coupled with enhanced capability and capacity, and increased safety and effectiveness of an integrated response. RFPAs enhance our national effort to build a complete and coordinated approach to wildland fire, and they are an example of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy in action. CHALLENGES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS: PRESCRIBED BURN ASSOCIATIONS OF THE GREAT PLAINS . Brian Teeter*; Pheasants Forever, Schuyler, NE ABSTRACT Prescribed burn associations are built on a concept of neighbors helping neighbors conduct prescribed burns though shared resources, energy, and time within local or regional geographic areas. The Great Plains has experienced great interest in these associations and we share some challenges associated with forming and sustaining them while relishing in their successes. We look at the four main challenges we have identified when starting a prescribed burn association; (1) people,(2) training, (3) equipment, and (4) laws and regulations. The first thing we look at is the willingness of local landowners and stakeholders to support these associations. Lacking support from the community is most often the reason for PBA failing to get off the ground. We then will look at access to training; classroom and live experience. During the early stages of PBA’s forming there is a great need for not only information in the classroom but more importantly live fire experience. The third major challenge is access to equipment. While many farmers and ranchers have access to some equipment used on the fire line, specialized equipment is often needed and can be expensive. The final challenge are laws and regulations which are often the most difficult to overcome, but I argue that with the support of the community these can also be overcome. Despite these challenges, prescribed burn associations across the Great Plains have continued to form and prosper with great success. While we often measure success in terms of the acres we burn because it is tangible, I argue that the greatest measure of success cannot be immediately measured as it is the change in the culture and attitude of prescribed fire on local, state, and regional level over time that should be our measure of success. Examples of successful prescribed burn associations and programs will be highlighted. CALIFORNIA'S FIRST STEPS IN PRESCRIBED BURN ASSOCIATIONS. . Jeff Stackhouse1, Lenya N. Quinn-Davidson*2; 1UCCE, Eureka, CA, 2University of CA Cooperative Extension, Eureka, CA ABSTRACT In California, some of the most valued landscapes are the ones that humans have actively managed with fire: grasslands, woodlands, pine forests. Unfortunately, across much of the state, humans have lost their connections with fire; the fear of liability, the perceived complexity of permits and regulations, and the generational and cultural gaps in fire experience have virtually eliminated fire from the toolbox for most landowners. In recent history, CAL FIRE has been the leader in private lands burning. In the 1980s, their Vegetation Management Program (VMP) was responsible for 30,000-65,000 acres of prescribed burning every year, but in recent decades, those numbers have consistently fallen short of 10,000 acres a year—a drop in the bucket given the habitat and fuels issues that face California. CAL FIRE is currently revamping and reinvesting in the VMP, but it’s become clear that other pathways are needed for landowners to reclaim fire as the important tool that it is. One of the most promising models of landowner-led burning is the prescribed burn association (PBA) model, through which landowners and other interested partners can work together to burn each other’s properties. In 2015, there were 62 PBAs, almost all of which were in the Great Plains and Texas. The PBA model has spread into parts of the Southeast, too, but these types of efforts have been noticeably absent in the West. Over the last year, the PBA model has gained traction in Humboldt County, CA. University of CA Cooperative Extension advisors have worked with landowners, non-governmental organizations, volunteer fire departments, and others to host workshops and trainings and increase the capacity for landowner-led burning, and the formation of California’s first PBA is anticipated in 2018. RELATING BURN SEVERITY WITH ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS AT HIGH-ELEVATIONS WITHIN THE BEAVER CREEK AND BROADWAY WILDFIRES. Bryn D. Marah*, John D. Scasta; University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY ABSTRACT Fire is an ecological and social feature that varies across dominant vegetation types, environmental drivers, and social dynamics. Evidence suggests that future fire regimes may include more frequent and intense fires. Moreover, federal agencies are increasingly aware of the need to strategically allow fire to function while continuing to protect life and property. The Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in Colorado and Wyoming experienced several fires in the year of 2016 including the Beaver Creek Fire (Colorado and Wyoming) and Broadway Fire (Wyoming). The Beaver Creek Fire was highly complex due to the overlap of jurisdictional boundaries, surface ownership, fire weather, acres burned, and cost of the incident. An analysis of burn severity related to soil and vegetation effects is underway in order to assess ecological responses to wildland fire events in the Rocky Mountains with altered lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) fuel types. We are analyzing ecological responses to wildfire events that have exhibited unusual fire behavior which is likely due to beetle kill epidemics, a century of active wildfire suppression, and global climate change. These results will be important in their application to incident and post-burn management for the future. This study is underway in collaboration with the United States Forest Service, University of Wyoming, and Southern Rockies Fire Science Network. Two years of post-fire results and implications of the project will be shared during the discussion. LAKEVIEW PILOT PROJECT: A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO BLM LAND HEALTH EVALUATION PROCESS IN OREGON. Molly Anthony*; Bureau of Land Management, Portland, OR
In 2016, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Agricultural Research Service (ARS) proposed a pilot study, in cooperation with a BLM grazing permittee on the Lakeview District in Oregon, to explore the applicability and utility of incorporating the Oregon threats-based State and Transition Model (STM) Framework into a BLM Rangeland Health Assessment and Evaluation. The Oregon STM Framework is comprised of threat-based ecological models and was developed over the last 5 years by the ARS and Oregon State University. These models were developed to simplify and structure conversations about the primary threats to sagebrush steppe communities and associated potential management responses, and facilitate monitoring of key habitat features at various scales of management. In a Rangeland Health Assessment, BLM gathers, synthesizes, and interprets inventory information on indicators of land health measured in designated assessment areas. Information from this assessment is evaluated along with other available data, including the Oregon STM ecological states map, and the Sage-Grouse Habitat Assessment Framework multi-scale suitability ratings to determine if the Standards and Guidelines for Rangeland Health are being attained. The objective of this pilot project was to determine the proper use of multiple sources of information and synergies among these information sources in completion of BLM’s evaluation of the Land Health Standards. The collaborative approach to this pilot project was critical to providing a common set of tools to more easily and clearly communicate the assessments and evaluations, and application of tools with stakeholders and agency partners. TARGETED GRAZING FUEL BREAKS. Chris J. Mitchell1, Hanes Holman*2; 1BLM, Elko, NV, 2Elko Land and Livestock Company, Elko, NV
Targeted grazing and minimal mechanical treatment will be used to strategically reduce fuel loads on degraded sagebrush steppe now dominated by annual invasive grasses. Treatment areas have been identified within four allotments in the Tuscarora Field Office: the Hadley, Carlin Field, T Lazy S, and Blue Basin Treatment Areas. Current permittees would be asked to implement fuel treatment actions as part of a strategic, landscape effort to protect and conserve sagebrush-steppe habitats. Priority Habitat Management Areas (PHMAs) exist on the leeward side of the grazing treatments, and would be at reduced risk of wildland fire spread when objectives are met in the proposed treatment areas. Free Use Permits would be issued to the current permittees on Hadley, Carlin Field, T Lazy S, and Blue Basin for periodic biologic treatment of annual fine fuels. OUTCOME BASED GRAZING AUTHORIZATIONS DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS. Richard Mayberry*; USDI Bureau of Land Management, Gettysburg, PA
The presentation will identify and describe the processes for developing and implementing Outcome Based Grazing Authorizations. Following a description of the concept, information regarding the process that was used to cooperatively develop a strategy and guidance for implementing demonstration projects will be provided. The presentation will address the expectations for developing the authorizations in consultation and coordination with BLM grazing permit holders, state agencies and interested parties. Partnerships for developing monitoirng plans and exercising grazing management options will be discussed. INCREASING FLEXIBILITY, ADAPTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH THE COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OUTCOME-BASED GRAZING PERMIT: WINECUP-GAMBLE RANCH, NEVADA. James Rogers*; Winecup-Gamble Ranch, Montello, NV
This presentation will highlight the Winecup-Gamble Ranch (Montello, NV) as an example of a collaborative, outcome-based grazing (OBG) term permit renewal process that is currently underway. The Winecup has been engaged in various collaborative efforts focused on identifying opportunities for public land grazing allotments to be managed more holistically and locally for many years. Most recently, they have been an active member of the Results Oriented Grazing for Ecological Resilience (ROGER) group; a newly formed, rancher-led collaborative group focused on expanding grazing flexibility and adaptability to achieve specific ecological and ranch sustainability objectives. One option currently being pursued by ROGER is the development of OBG permits (i.e., Winecup), and a commitment to share successes/lessons learned with a wider audience. The Winecup operates on approximately 1 million acres in a checkerboard arrangement (390,000 acreas private and 558,000 acres BLM). The ranch currently enjoys quite a bit of flexibility within their existing permit, which has substantially contributed to their success. The goal for developing an OBG term permit is to ensure that existing flexibility in terms of seasons of use, livestock numbers, and the ability to implement needed range improvements is maintained and enhanced; while at the same time ensuring accountability through the development of a robust planning, monitoring and adaptive management strategy. The intent is to map the allotment using remote sensing, threat-based modeling and vegetation mapping (in addition to standard BLM data) to help identify current conditions and threats, and develop ecological objectives; consider the various management tools available to meet stated objectives; determine appropriate thresholds and responses to drive management actions predicated on established rangeland management principles/practices; and design a monitoring plan that provides timely, cost effective, and relevant feedback at an appropriate scale to guide adaptive management. This entire process is embedded within an ongoing collaborative effort. UTILIZING DISTURBANCE RESPONSE GROUPS AND STATE-AND-TRANSITION MODELS IN GRAZING PERMIT RENEWALS . Maria M. Ryan*; BLM, Ely, NV ABSTRACT The BLM has been utilizing Ecological Site Descriptions (ESD) to monitor grazing allotments for decades. The recent update of the ESDs in Nevada that include the new State-and-Transition Models (STM) are particularly well developed and accurate in describing eastern Great Basin ecological site dynamics. The BLM is using the new ESDs with STMs on grazing allotments to set objectives and determine if they are being met. Standard BLM protocols to measure community function include the Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) protocols and others to understand current states and phases of the major ecological sites with an allotment. STMs in Nevada are sufficiently detailed so that they provide the ability to determine if the proposed grazing action under a 10 year permit renewal will continue to meet or make progress toward meeting objectives. BLM grazing allotments in eastern Nevada are large (generally > 15,000 acres) and when combined with other allotments for the grazing permit renewal, analysis using ecological sites can be too small-scale. Smaller allotments can use ESDs where larger allotments or groups of allotments require a large-scale tool for analysis. Disturbance Response Groups (DRG) can be used on very large grazing allotments or groups of allotments, as DRGs combine ecological sites that respond similarly to disturbance and are more appropriate for large-scale analysis. The current ESDs and DRGs provide an increased level of information to better inform land management decisions that link community function, ecological resilience and resistance to invasive species. IMPORTANCE OF STMS FOR BLM-NV MANAGEMENT . Sarah E. Peterson*; Bureau of Land Management, Reno, NV ABSTRACT In Nevada, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages over 48 million acres throughout the State. In order to achieve BLM’s multiple-use and sustained yield mission, a thorough understanding of the complex and diverse landscapes the agency manages is necessary. Increasing threats, such as wildland fire and invasive species, coupled with altered site conditions across much of the State, exacerbates the management complexity of these landscapes. BLM-NV has partnered with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and the University of Nevada-Reno to develop state and transition models that land managers and technical specialists can use to identify current site conditions, potential thresholds that could result in altered site conditions, and possible pathways for restoration. These models have proven to be effective tools for identifying changes needed in management activities and for restoration options across Nevada’s vast landscapes. UTILIZING DISTURBANCE RESPONSE GROUPS IN FUELS MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND POST FUELS REMOVAL MONITORING. Cody Coombs*1, Tamzen Stringham2; 1Bureau of Land Management, Ely, NV, 2University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV Yüklə 459,26 Kb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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