Project to Reform Public Land Grazing in Northern California
Felice Pace, Coordinator
28 Maple Road Klamath, Ca 95548 707-954-6588 unofelice@gmail.com
August 7, 2018
Ruth D'Amico, Acting Ranger, Scott-Salmon RD, Klamath National Forest
Stephanie McMorris , Range Specialist, Scott-Salmon RD, Klamath National Forest
Via Email
CC: Jonathan Warderman, Dean Pratt, Forest Fortesque, Bill Wall, Don Flickinger, Bobbie Dimonte, Karuna Greeberg, Petey Brucker, Emily Ferrel
Subject: Conditions on the Carter Meadows Grazing Allotment on August 3, 2018
Dear Ranger D'Amico and Specialist McMorris,
On August 3, 2018 Petey Brucker and I monitored portions of the Carter Meadows Grazing Allotment for which you are the responsible federal official and assigned grazing specialist respectively. Objectives for this monitoring included:
- Documenting conditions and grazing impacts at Thee Cedars Meadow (below Long Gulch Trailhead) and at the first wet meadow complex along Long Gulch Creek located upstream of the wilderness border. I refer to the latter meadow area as Restoration Meadow because Long Gulch at that location is deeply incised, extensively trampled and badly in need of restoration. The Grazing Reform Project is monitoring these two meadows/pastures and adjacent riparian areas once a month near the beginning of the month between June and November this year.
- Determine and document grazing impacts after the first month of grazing, including forage utilization, bank condition and waste deposition into and near streams.
- Determine, if possible, whether the permit holder is adequately implementing the 2018 Annual Operating Instructions (AOIs) provided by Forest Service Managers
Cattle were turned out on the Allotment in early July this year. Typical turn-out is July 15 to protect high elevation plants which flower and seed late. Early turn out was authorized because of the erarly spring.
We began at Trail Creek Campground and took FS Road 39N08 upstream. We observed 18 head of black cattle grazing along Road 39N08 a quarter mile or so upstream of the turn off for the Fish Lake Creek Trailhead. We then stopped at Cabin Meadows to examine conditions there. There was another group of 15 head or so resting in the shade at Cabin Meadows.
This was the first time we've walked this pasture. Cabin Meadows had been grazed but plenty of forage remained in most of the meadow. However, parts of the meadow that have preferred plants appear to have already been utilized to standard. We also observed several piles in the meadow of what appear to be willow stems with a remnant live willow growing out of one of them (see photo on the next page). It appears that sometime in the not to distant past, willows were pulled from the meadow soil and the stems were piled in the meadow in a mostly successful attempt to convert a large area of the the meadow from willow habitat to grass/sedge habitat. This could have been a FS “meadow enhancement” or “forage enhancement” project or it could have been done by the permit holder.
Whatever the cause, removal of willow habitat is ill conceived and likely negatively impacted Willow flycatcher (WIFL), a Region 5 sensitive species and a management indicator species pursuant to the KNF Land and Resource Management Plan. Please check the files for this allotment and let us know what actions created those willow stem piles in cabin meadows and when that occurred. Was it a FS action or done by the permit holder without authorization? If you need a FOIA request in order to gather and share that information, let me know immediately and I will provide one.
Over the course of the past 8 years, the Project has documented how poorly managed KNF grazing has degraded and fragmented large willow stands on several Klamath National Forest grazing allotments. Consistent with what is found in the literature, we've found that cattle grazing has destroyed WIFL breeding habitat which is within five feet of the ground in the dense interior of large (½ acre or more) willow wetlands. All WIFL breeding habitat we've observed on grazing allotments has been fragmented and destroyed by cattle. We've monitored for breeding WIFL on allotments and found none. However, both Project and the Klamath Bird Observatory each found and documented one breeding WIFL within the Marble Mountain Wilderness in dense willow stands outside KNF grazing allotments.
After eight years of monitoring KNF grazing management, we believe grazing as managed in recent decades on the Klamath National Forest has reduced the incidence, extent and functionality of large willow wetland habitat significantly. Based on the relevant literature and our monitoring, reducing Willow flycatcher breeding habitat likely has had a significant negative impact on the species which is a Management Indicator Species pursuant to the KNF Land and Resource Management Plan. I believe FS managers should have habitat and wildlife specialists examine the issue and take initiative to protect and restore this special habitat and the species which depend on it.
Because grazing has destroyed so much of the KNF's Willow flycatcher breeding habitat and has encouraged replacement of willow by alder (as is the case at Cabin Meadow and other grazed locations), KNF managers should engage in willow wetland restoration. Cabin Meadows is a good candidate for willow restoration and the Project would like to partner with KNF managers and the Salmon River Restoration Council to restore willow wetland habitat there.
We next inspected conditions at Three Cedar Meadows which is just a short distance down the East Fork Salmon River from the Long Gulch Trailhead. Three Cedars Meadow had been utilized by cattle but is probably not yet over-utilized. However, as we have observed in the past, there is too much bare soil in the dryer portions of the meadow. That is likely the result of repeated grazing during a single season which wipes out dry meadow bunchgrasses. As we have seen on allotments which are “vacant” for a decade or more, dryland bunchgrasses will recover if grazing is ended.
In both Cabin and Three Cedars Meadow we observed multiple locations where cattle had gone to the East Fork to drink, graze and cross. With less than 1/3 of the grazing season over, there is already too much bank trampling and waste deposition into near stream areas. Typical impacts are illustrated by the photos which follow.
PHOTOS REMOVED....SEE ATTACHMENT
We next examined the lower portion of Long Gulch up to and including Restoration Meadows, the first wet meadow inside wilderness. At the camp site near the trailhead and at each place where Long Gulch trail is next to or crosses Long Gulch Creek we observed large amounts of cattle manure in and on the margins of the creek as illustrated by the two photos below.
PHOTOS REMOVED....SEE ATTACHMENT
Forage utilization at Three Cedars Meadows and at the first dry meadow above the Long Gulch Trailhead (located just before the first stream crossing) appears to be at or approaching standard. We measured utilization along a transect across the entire moist meadow just downstream of where the trail crosses Long Gulch Creek, taking measurements every 10 meters. Average residual stubble height was 3 inches.
Overall, the amount of forage already utilized in the meadows we examined suggests that early removal will be necessary to avoid over-utilization of forage and extra degradation of riparian areas. To comply with utilization standards and to limit damage to riparian areas and wetlands, we strongly recommend that you, Ranger D'Amico, make sure the cattle are removed from the East Fork Salmon drainage for the month of September, as specified in the 2018 AOIs, and that you also instruct the permit holder to remove all his cattle from the allotment by October 1st.
In light of excessive heat and drying, low precipitation last wet season and early turn out this grazing season, it is likely that cattle will need to be removed early from many, if not all, Scott-Salmon RD grazing allotments in order to avoid over-utilization of forage and extra damage to riparian areas and wetlands.
Project monitoring on August 3rd as described above leads us to the following conclusions:
- So far, the permit holder appears to be implementing the AOIs. In fact, we met Carl and Carl III at the Long Gulch Trailhead. They were out there for a hike and to check on cattle distribution. We told them where we had seen cattle and how many we saw.
- After only a month of grazing, utilization in several pastures is approaching standard. To avoid over-utilization it is imperative that the permit holder move all the cattle out of the East Fork drainage for the month of September as specified in the AOI and that the cattle are removed from the allotment entirely no later than October 1st. In fact, Stephanie should check utilization and, if needed, Ranger D'Amico should order the cattle removed to Steveale and Rush Creek by mid-August and removed entirely from the allotment by mid-September.
- Even though we are only one month into the grazing season, a significantly amount of bank trampling and waste deposition has already occurred as a result of riparian grazing and watering. That's why we have previously suggested fencing the riparian areas at Three Cedars Meadow and piping water for cattle out of the riparian area. After 8 years monitoring KNF allotments, we have come to the conclusion that excessive riparian, water quality and wetland degradation is inevitable because most of the dry meadow bunchgrasses have been wiped out as a result of many years of passive, season-long grazing. Based on observations on “vacant” allotments, it would take a decade or more of no grazing for these dryland bunchgrasses to recover. Until that happens significant degradation of riparian areas , wetlands and water quality will continue because those locations are where most of the forage is now located. That is one major reason it is now necessary to install cattle exclusion fencing to protect riparian areas and wetlands.
I hope you will utilize the information we have provided above to better manage the Carter Meadows Allotment. We appreciate the effort you have made to require utilization of all the allotment's pastures and to end the practice of allowing cattle to congregate in preferred locations for long periods. However, follow through is needed to assure that the instructions are adequately implemented. Most importantly, low precipitation has resulted in reduced amounts of available forage. Coupled with early turn-out that means over-utilization and additional water quality, riparian and wetland impacts are likely unless you order and effect early removal of all cattle from the allotment. Based on what we saw on the ground on August 3rd, I believe cattle should be removed no later than September 1.
Please call me at 707-954-6588 if you would like to discuss anything what we have reported above.
Sincerely,
signed via email
Felice Pace
PS: Ranger D'Amico, can you tell me the name of the new ranger and when they will be on the job in Fort Jones?
