On Saturday, March 30th, the Eagle Lake Field Office of the BLM, Field & Stream, the Mule Deer Foundation and a big crew of local volunteers will all come together for a one-day, hands-on outdoor conservation project geared towards restoring wildlife habitat burned by last summer’s Rush Fire.
Now in its third year, Field & Stream magazine’s Hero for a Day initiative connects volunteers with conservation workdays across the country and raises awareness of conservation groups’ local efforts.
The restoration project in the high desert of eastern Lassen County is part of the BLM’s ongoing efforts to repair damage done in the second largest wildfire in California history. The lightning-sparked Rush fire was contained on August 31st of last year after charring 315,577 acres in California and Nevada.
Led by the staff from the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office volunteers will plant 500 to 1,000 bitterbrush seedlings across 8.5 acres of eastern Lassen County public lands burned in the Rush Fire. Each seedling will need protection from grazing until the roots are established, so volunteers will also help to install Vexar tubes around the new plants.
The seedlings were provided by the Mule Deer Foundation, who stepped in almost immediately following the fire, donating 11,600 pounds of seed, valued at $253,000, to replant native grass and shrubs that provide cover and food for wildlife including sage-grouse, chukar, mule deer and pronghorn.
“We welcome the help of volunteers in rehabilitating these burned lands,” said Ken Collum, manager of the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office. “Working together is the best way to ensure recovery of these areas that provide critical habitat, and forage and contribute to the lifestyles and economy of this region.”
The Rush fire burned parts of nine livestock grazing allotments, important to area ranchers. It charred parts of six wilderness study areas, portions of nine livestock grazing allotments, and habitat in the Twin Peaks Wild Horse and Burro Herd Management Area.
Seeding will be used in areas where there is the best chance for the grasses and shrubs to compete against invasive cheatgrass, BLM officials said. Plants are expected to return naturally in higher elevations in the burned area. Grasses and leafy plants are expected to recover in the next few growing seasons; sagebrush and bitterbrush regrowth will take much longer.
Along with planting vegetation in the burned areas the BLM is also working on stream stabilization, livestock grazing closures, wildlife habitat restoration and reduction of wild horse populations. The projects are designed to protect burned areas from erosion and other impacts, allowing plants and newly seeded areas to recover from the burn.
The Bureau of Land Management’s Eagle Lake Field Office in Susanville has received a $207,164 grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy for projects to improve streamside habitat and springs in the Rush Creek Watershed of eastern Lassen County.
Funds will be used to build fences and spring improvements including water collection boxes and troughs in a 500-acre project area that provides habitat for sage-grouse and other wildlife, grazing areas for livestock, and forage areas for wild horses and burros.
Members of the Mule Deer Foundation and the Honey Lake Pointing Dog Club joined members of the BLM’s Eagle Lake Field Office staff last December to plant 1,500 bitterbrush seedlings across a 500-acre burned area off the Rye Patch Road northeast of Susanville. The group plans another seeding outing in an area that once supported a dense bitterbrush stand.
The Mule Deer Foundation’s California Regional Director Randy Morrison said, “The Rush Fire burned almost exclusively in hunting unit X5B, a limited-entry only area, and 80% of it was burned completely to the ground. It was critical deer habitat that is now gone. It looks like the dark side of the moon.”
He said the MDF’s seed donation will help restore approximately 75,000 acres of habitat for both mule deer and sage grouse, as well as a host of other wildlife species.
“We greatly appreciate the donation from the foundation and the work of the volunteers,” said Ken Collum, manager of the Eagle Lake Field Office. “Restoring the land after this fire is a huge undertaking, and we welcome all who would like to help out.”
Bitterbrush is an important food source for mule deer and many other wildlife species, and provides cover for sage-grouse. It is a slow-growing plant, so using seedlings will help speed up the rate of recovery.
“MDF and our volunteers are very excited to be a part of such an important habitat restoration,” said Randy Morrison, California Regional Director of the Mule Deer Foundation. “We are dedicated to help both financially and with sweat, to rehabilitate this critical deer range.”
Field & Stream’s Hero for a Day projects serve as unique opportunity for residents to take action in sustaining and protecting fish, wildlife, and habitat in their area. The Susanville Hero for a Day event is one of ten projects the publication will spotlight throughout the spring. Field & Stream will report on local Hero for a Day efforts in the magazine and online.
“The Hero for a Day program lets Field & Stream readers invest in their passion for hunting and fishing by helping to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat,” said Mike Toth, Executive Editor of Field & Stream. “It’s a great opportunity to meet some of the nation’s most passionate conservationists, reconnect with the outdoors, roll up your sleeves and make a big difference in your community ─ all with just a single day’s work.”
Hero for a Day is an extension of Field & Stream’s Heroes of Conservation initiative, now in its eighth year, which profiles three exceptional conservation volunteers each month and awards them a $500 grant from Toyota Motor Sales. Six Heroes finalists will be awarded $5,000 grants at the Heroes of Conservation Award Gala in October, and the 2013 Conservation Hero of the Year will win a new Toyota Tundra.
Volunteers participating in the Susanville Hero for a Day event should plan to meet at 8:00a.m. at the BLM’s Eagle Lake Field Office, 2950 Riverside Drive in Susanville. Volunteers should dress for a day in the field, with closed-toed shoes, gloves, raingear and clothes that can get muddy or dirty. Snacks, water and ear protection will be provided. Volunteers should bring lunch. They will need to provide their own transportation to the worksite in vehicles capable of handling dirt roads.
In the event of rain, the project will be shifted to Saturday, April 6th.
