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

RE: [iowa-native-plants] RE: a worrisome news itemJames,

I replied because there was a universal knee-jerk condemnation of the concept
proposed without even going back to the original documentation. The status quo
doesn't seem to be working and adding more native plantings makes the problems
worse. They proposed a (non-politically correct) solution for a real problem
that deserved an objective and thoughtful evaluation.

Personally, I think that the burn manuals have to be rewritten and we have to
find ways to teach safe burning for a single individual. Last year, I burned
my CRP which is many plots of warm season natives at 10 PM alone. Actually not
alone because my Dad did traffic control and my daughter did a photo essay for
a class at ISU.

My sense is that if we are willing to use technology and think outside of the
box, we can make a lot of progress. From one
small tractor, you can hang a large sidemounted flapper to smother a front, a
couple of hundred gallons of water surfactant with a sprayer system and a
propane fueled burner. Add good lights and a cab (with a HEPA air filter) and
you are even further ahead. One person could do a lot of prairie in a day -
safely and efficiently.

Add chemical control and mowing  as they are two more potentially effective
tools. The result is a package which may solve problems with a price tag that
the public will accept.

Lon
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: James Trager
  To: 'Lon Crosby ' ; James Trager ; 'iowa-native-plants@list.uiowa.edu '
  Cc: 'prairie@hort.net '
  Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 7:39 PM
  Subject: 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.

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