Cooperative Agreement L25AC00535

THIS PROJECT OCCURS IN CENTRAL OREGON IN THE BLUE MOUNTAIN ECO-REGION EXCLUSIVELY ON LANDS MANAGED BY THE U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT. THE AWARD PURPOSE IS TO ENSURE RANGELANDS MEET MULTIPLE USE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES. RANGELANDS NEED TO MEET OR MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING THE STANDARDS FOR LAND HEALTH AND CONFORM TO THE GUIDELINES FOR LIVESTOCK GRAZING MANAGEMENT. CURRENTLY HOOFS HAVE FLATTENED AND COMPRESSED THE STREAM BOTTOM INTO A SHALLOW TROUGH AND THE RIPARIAN-WETLAND VEGETATION APPEARS STUNTED IN HEIGHT AND EXTENT. ALTHOUGH ASPEN WAS PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE PERENNIAL REACHES, MOST WERE BROWSED AND STUNTED IN HEIGHT AND EXTENT. COLUMBIA SPOTTED FROGS (CSF) WERE NOT OBSERVED IN THE OPEN, COMPACTED AREAS WITH SHALLOW (APPROXIMATELY 1-2 INCHES) WATER. SPECIFICALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL HELP THE ALLOTMENT MEET THE STANDARDS FOR RIPARIAN-WETLAND AREA CONDITION AND WILDLIFE HABITAT BY IMPROVING COLUMBIA SPOTTED FROG HABITAT, A BUREAU SENSITIVE SPECIES. FALLING TREES WILL CREATE POOLS AND PROTECT STREAMBANKS FROM LIVESTOCK USE DURING CRITICAL PERIODS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE ADDING FEATURES TO MIMIC THE HABITAT WHERE CSF WERE OBSERVED IN SMALL POOLS (3-10 INCHES DEEP) CREATED BY DOWN WOOD AND TREE ROOTS. JUNIPER TREES IN THE RIPARIAN AREA WOULD BE CUT AND PLACED AS OBSTRUCTIONS TO DISCOURAGE REPETITIVE TRAILING (LIVESTOCK OR HORSES) ALONG THIS VALLEY BOTTOM. THESE WOODY STRUCTURES WOULD FOLLOW THE DESIGN PRINCIPLES FROM THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES OR OUTCOMES INCLUDE DOWN TREES WOULD PREVENT SOIL COMPACTION (BOTH IN THE STREAM BOTTOM AND ALONG THE ADJACENT HILLSLOPES), ALLOW ASPEN TO PROGRESS ABOVE BROWSE HEIGHT, AND PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHEAR POINTS (HEAD CUTS). THE WOODY STRUCTURES WOULD CREATE POOLS THAT MIMIC THE HABITAT WHERE CSF HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED IN SMALL SCOUR POOLS ASSOCIATED WITH WOODY STRUCTURE.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES.DUE TO BUDGETARY AND LABOR CONSTRAINTS, THE LWD AUGMENTATIONS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN A PHASED APPROACH OVER MULTIPLE YEARS, WITH DIFFERENT STREAMS REACHES AUGMENTED IN DIFFERENT YEARS. CERTAIN REACHES MAY ALSO NEED TO BE AUGMENTED INCREMENTALLY OVER TIME TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VEGETATION FOR SHADE AND RIPARIAN HABITAT WHILE CONIFER STOCKING RATES RECOVER BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL LWD TREATMENTS.