This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

RE: [iowa-native-plants] RE: a worrisome news item

Lon:
In the light of how difficult it is to get crew and resources together to do
the few hundred acres of burns done here at Shaw Nature Reserve each season,
you make a really key point. The other stock answer is we have to educate
more people and get them involved and on board, but you're right; this is
not very satisfactory, and maybe a pipe dream. But, I'm still not sure we've
been offered a viable alternative. So, let me ask this: What precisely is
the alternative being offered, and what is its future? From what we've
learned, it seems quite short-sighted and not really likely to solve the
preblem of grassland degradation in the Great Plains.

-----Original Message-----
From: Lon Crosby
To: James Trager; iowa-native-plants@list.uiowa.edu
Cc: prairie@hort.net
Sent: 2/19/2003 1:43 PM
Subject: Re: [iowa-native-plants] RE: a worrisome news item

James, 
 
You have given the stock answer, which at one level, I agree with -
since I grow this stuff. But at another level, you didn't answer the
question. Lets assume that there is 150 million acres of "prairie" in
the US that everyone agrees ought to be burned to maintain species
diversity. Lets assume that a single burn in 10 years is adequate - not
true but best case. So I need a plan to burn 15 million acres in the
Spring of 2004. So you have a year to plan. How are you going to do it?
How much money? Where are you going to get the individuals to do the
work? How are you going train them? Who is writing the burn plan, and
the follow-up plan? I'll let you use prison labor, but you have to
provide transportation and security. Who is providing the workman comp
insurance and the liability insurance? What is the cost? For acres
burned/year/person, you can use Nature Conservancy data, but any
estimates higher than that have to be documented. I'll even let you use
volunteers but they have to be properly trained and properly equipped.
Don't forget the requirement for back-up for all of the burns. Will that
be the local volunteer fire department? For the most part, they are not
trained or equipped to handle an out-of-control wildfire so factor this
in as well. 
 
Anyone that can craft a viable solution will be welcomed with open arms
by USDA/FS/BLM. Until we craft a solution, non-native invasives will
continue to take an ever increasing toll. Until then, I'm willing to
consider alternatives - even ones that go against my prejudices.
 
 
Lon

----- Original Message ----- 
From: James  <J*@mobot.org> Trager 
To: 'Lon Crosby' <l*@starband.net>  ; James
<J*@mobot.org> Trager ;
iowa-native-plants@list.uiowa.edu
<i*@list.uiowa.edu>  
Cc: prairie@hort.net <p*@hort.net>  
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 9:43 AM
Subject: RE: [iowa-native-plants] RE: a worrisome news item


-----Original Message----- 
From: Lon Crosby [ l*@starband.net
<l*@starband.net> ] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 5:18 PM 
To: James Trager; iowa-native-plants@list.uiowa.edu
<i*@list.uiowa.edu>  
Cc: prairie@hort.net <p*@hort.net>  
Subject: Re: [iowa-native-plants] RE: a worrisome news item 

James - Didn't ask you to buy anything. Only asked for an implementable
solution (technically and economically) to a huge problem. The patient
is in the ER on a gurney. Here, throwing up your hands and doing nothing
is a choice. Unfortunately, if you want either perfect information
and/or a perfect solution, the patient is going to die. What do you
propose doing?

(MY REPLY) 
Excellent question, Lon. 

There is already a proposal afoot to resow some of these areas with a
diverse native mix, with which I agree. A problem arises in that some of
the species are not yet available in sufficient quantities for the
proposed acreage. I believe the species mix could be gradually increased
by sowing readily available ones first, and adding others later. Right
after the first management burns 4-5 years after the first plabnting
would be a good time to add additional species, which also allows time
for the stocks of seed to be built up. The proposed 30 species still
seems to me like a low number, and I'd like to see it go higher, over
time. I have no problem with demonstrated, non-invasive, annual species
being sowed with the first wave to help create biomass, structure, soil
organic matter, etc. This is often done in tallgrass plantings with no
apparent harm. I admit this is a more expensive approach than sowing
Dunne's low-diversity, easily produced mix, but to me the expense is
worth it in terms of the long term result, and let's not forget that
despite recent events this is still a very rich country. 

I think it's safe to to say that some future attempt to reestablish
diverse native vegetation will be desired, perhaps imposed, even if some
other short-term solution is enacted now. 

As I see it, sowing monoculture of an exotic or improved (i.e., inbred)
native strain may provide a stop-gap to degradation, weed invasion and
soil loss, but such a planting will still require management (burning,
appropriate grazing, perhaps some herbicide treaments), and it will
still be desirable to increase its diversity over time with species that
"grew up", evolutionarily speaking, in the region.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PRAIRIE
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index