Sagebrush Thinning
by Eric Peterson
ONE OF THE MOST NOTEWORTHY CHARACTERISTICS OF
WYOMING, PARTICULARLY WESTERN WYOMING, ARE BIG EXPANSES OF SAGEBRUSH.
BEFORE WE SETTLED THE WEST,
WILDFIRES CREATED MOSAICS IN THE SAGEBRUSH LANDSCAPE.
NOW WE FIGHT FIRE AND MOST OF
THE WEST’S, SAGEBRUSH IS OLD AND DECADENT – LESS PRODUCTIVE, DIVERSE OR
ATTRACTIVE TO ANIMALS WHO RELY ON SAGEBRUSH
SURE, WE BURN, SPRAY, CHAIN
AND BEAT BRUSH, BUT WE ARE BEHIND NATURE’S SCHEDULE. PLUS, THE OBJECTIVE GENERALLY IS TO GET RID
OF ALL BRUSH. NOT TO DESIRABLE FOR
CRITTERS WHO RELY ON BRUSH.
A NEW SAGEBRUSH MANAGEMENT
TECHNOLOGY IS CHEMICAL THINNING. YOU CAN
SEE HERE THAT PREVIOUSLY DENSE SAGEBRUSH HAS BEEN THINNED. TWO OUT OF FIVE SAGE PLANTS HAVE BEEN KILLED.
THE WATER AND NUTRIENT
RESOURCES PREVIOUSLY CONSUMED BY A THICK STAND OF SAGE ARE RELEASED TO BE USED
BY OTHER DESIRABLE PLANTS.
CATTLEMEN LIKE TO SEE MORE
GRASS. WILDLIFE MANAGERS LIKE TO SEE
MORE FORBS AND GENERAL PRODUCTIVITY.
IT IS A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR
LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE MANAGERS AND CERTAINLY A BOON TO ECOLOGISTS WHO PRIZE
DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS. A USEFUL NEW
TOOL IN THE LAND MANAGERS BAG OF TRICKS!
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF
WYOMING COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, I’M ERIC PETERSON