WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12 · Title Microsoft PowerPoint -...
Transcript of WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12 · Title Microsoft PowerPoint -...
Adaptive Management in Sage-grouse Habitat Restoration
Petroleum Association of Wyoming 12th Annual Reclamation Conference
Improving Practices and Decisions Through Adaptive ManagementDouglas Core Area Restoration Team
Who is the Douglas Core Area Restoration Team?
A multi-stakeholder team comprised of partners working
to advance collective knowledge of sage-grouse
habitat conservation.
Initial Site Tour, conducted in Spring 2014
The team’s focus has been:1. Developing projects to enhance sage-grouse seasonal habitat2. Restoring previously disturbed habitat3. Implementing projects that target local threats to sage-grouse
in northeastern WYInitial Site Tour, conducted in Spring 2014
The Douglas Core Area Restoration TeamA Multi-Stakeholder Team
USDA-NRCSWilliams Wyoming Department of AgricultureWyoming Game and Fish DepartmentWyoming Stockgrowers Land Trust
DCA RT Technical Support: Trihydro Corporation and WEST Inc.
Audubon RockiesBureau of Land ManagementChesapeake EnergyConverse County Conservation DistrictCrestwood MidstreamThe Nature ConservancyThunder Basin Grasslands Prairie
Ecosystem AssociationUnited States Fish and Wildlife ServiceUniversity of Wyoming
Presentation Outline
1. Establishment of the Douglas Core Area Restoration Team
2. Using principles of adaptive management to enhance sage-grouse habitat
a. Research, learning, and change3. Approach – SGEO, Ecological, and Cost
elements4. Value of Collaboration and Outreach
Improving Practices and Decisions Through Adaptive Management
How did the Douglas Core Area Restoration Team come together?
• 2013 – Chesapeake Energy Development Plan for the Douglas Core Area (DCA)
• Mitigation Hierarchy• Avoid• Minimize• Mitigate
• Restoration Team (RT) was established to enhance sage-grouse habitat within the DCA
Background on the Douglas Core Area• Eastern Wyoming• Core Area along the
eastern boundary of current distribution of Greater sage-grouse
• In 2013, disturbance > 5%
• Valid and existing rights for oil and gas development
• Small number of birds and leks
• Numerous wildfires within the last 25 years
Sagebrush ecosystem• Post-wildfire recovery
differs across the ecosystem
• In northeast WY, perennial herbaceous species rapidly return
• Recovery can take decades or centuries
Credit: USGS 2014
Reducing Disturbance within the Douglas Core Area
• Reclassifying successfully reclaimed oil and gas pipelines and well pads (182 acres)
• Focusing on several wildfire areas (> 5000 acres)
• Six project sites (2014-2018)
• Approximately 100,000 sagebrush seedlings planted
• 992 acres in discrete project areas including a recent (2016) burn
• 5,280 acres in North Burn; projects complementing WGFD planting efforts
Using Adaptive Management to Enhance Habitat
2013 2014 2020
DCA RT forms
2015 20172016 2018 2019
East Antelope
Flat Top Project
Walker Creek S-19
DCA RT Restoration Plan
Projects Monitoring
Walker Creek North Burn 1
South Fork Walker Creek
Bill Hall Burn 1
Walker Creek North Burn 2
Bill Hall Burn 2
East Antelope 2
Walker Creek North Burn 3
Flat Top Project 2
Seed source islands – Sagebrush OutplantingsBurn perimeter
Approach and Adaptive Management in Restoration
1. Survival2. Growth of individual seedlings3. Development into patches of cover with
functional value and future target of 5% sagebrush cover
4. Recruitmenta. Seedhead production and viable
seedb. Successful germination and
establishment from seed produced by planted seedlings
1. Initial recruitment-outplanting/establishing seed source “islands”
2. Resource competition –fabric mulch
3. Herbivory – fencing4. Facilitating future
recruitment – current research
Sagebrush Restoration within the Douglas Core Area – Confronting the Challenges
Goals: Survival, growth, persistence, reproductive maturity
Sagebrush Outplanting Investigations• Fencing/Exclosures• Planting method – auger versus hoedad• Fabric mulch size• Seedling planting density• Timeframe to removing infrastructure, fabric
mulch• Costs (labor and material)
East Antelope Burn Restoration Project• High Priority• UW graduate student research site• Learning experience• Area: 262 Acres; 16,000 seedlings
Balancing the trade-offs between cost and project success
• Reviewing results annually• Key Success Indicators – Some constant and some have
changed• Gathering/analyzing data on initial, short-, and long-
term growth and survival• Each project reflects lessons learned
What have we learned?Short-term• Sagebrush outplantings accelerate
restoration process• Survival of outplanted seedlings is
high• Fabric mulch and fencing help to
maximize growth• Seed production starts after 1-2 years
post-planting • Area of impact can be limited, cost
can be high • Local seed is valuable• Choosing good contractors is essential
What have we learned?
?
Long-term• Restoring wildfire (or intact) areas is difficult,
takes time, and has an uncertain trajectory• Recruitment is unpredictable• Area of impact can be limited • Herbivory is significant• Long-term growth and changes in cover are
slow• Sage-grouse have begun to use some
restoration areas• Returning large landscapes to suitable
habitat (5% sagebrush cover) is an uncertain process
Using Adaptive Management to Design Future Projects
1. Larger, lower density seed source islands across the landscapea. No protection, no mulch
2. Project design based on nearly 5 years of ecological and cost data
3. Continue to investigate recruitment4. Seed pods to enhance forb diversity
and sagebrush establishment5. Continue to build restoration data set
Outreach, Stakeholders, Partnerships
• Landowner liaisons• Graduate student research assistantships• Successful working relationships with
private landowners• Team engagement with on-the-ground
fieldwork• Knowledge sharing – site tours,
presentations, white papers• Data sharing with landowners• Collaboration• Funding from Chesapeake Energy,
Crestwood Midstream, NRCS RCPP, WGFD-SWAT, WGFD-NELWG
Cornerstone of Project Success
Conclusions – Sharing what we have learned• Evidence of use – If you build it, they
will use it• Data supported practices for
successfully re-establishing sagebrush• Making inroads into the longer term
understanding of sagebrush restoration within fire-impacted landscapes
• Private landowners and multi-stakeholder teams are partners in conservation/restoration
• Time and more research are needed to understand sagebrush recruitment and potential ways to facilitate it