Boardman_Cryptogamic_Soil_Crust_Salvage_Plan_OMD 2021.pdf

FINAL

CRYPTOGAMIC SOIL CRUST SALVAGE PLAN

FOR

OREGON MILITARY DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES AT

NAVAL WEAPONS SYSTEMS TRAINING FACILITY

BOARDMAN

MORROW COUNTY, OREGON

OREGON ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

MARCH 2021

Boardman Cryptogamic Soil Crust Salvage Plan ii

Executive Summary Cryptogamic soil crusts play a critical role in the stability and functioning of arid-land ecosystems. Their importance on the Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility, or NWSTF, Boardman is recognized in the management plan for the facility. The Conference Opinion Regarding the Effects of Military Readiness Activities at the Boardman Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility in Morrow County, Oregon on the Washington Ground Squirrel recommends that intact cryptogamic soil crusts be salvaged from areas planned for construction, with reapplication of soil crusts post-construction in areas to be revegetated.

Field surveys to document the presence and extent of cryptogamic soil crusts at NWSTF Boardman were completed in October 2020 at the Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems facility and Multi-Purpose Machine Gun Range, two areas where construction-related disturbance and post-construction revegetation will occur. Moss-dominated soil crusts were found to be ubiquitous in these areas, composing an estimated 1 to 5 percent of the ground cover.

The goal of the cryptogamic soil crust salvage plan is to provide a simple, reproducible methodology for achieving salvage and restoration of the cryptogamic soil crust at NWSTF Boardman for areas subject to future construction impacts and post-construction revegetation. This document provides 1) a general overview of cryptogamic crusts, including the habitat, soil, and disturbance conditions under which they occur at NWSTF Boardman; 2) a simple identification guide for common mosses known to occur at NWSTF Boardman; and 3) practical recommendations for salvage and transplanting of moss-dominated soil crusts based on a review of the latest research and practitioner literature.

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Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... ii 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1-1

1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................ 1-1

1.2 Plan Goals and Objectives .......................................................................................................... 1-1

1.3 Guidance Documents ................................................................................................................. 1-2

2 Overview of Cryptogamic Soil Crusts ................................................................................................. 2-1

2.1 General Description ................................................................................................................... 2-1

2.2 Planned Disturbance with the Potential to Impact Soil Crusts .................................................. 2-3

3 Cryptogamic Soil Crust Identification ................................................................................................ 3-1 4 Salvage Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 4-1

4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 4-1

4.2 Preparation ................................................................................................................................ 4-2

4.3 Salvage ....................................................................................................................................... 4-2

4.4 Storage ....................................................................................................................................... 4-3

4.5 Transplanting ............................................................................................................................. 4-3

4.6 Soil Stabilizers ............................................................................................................................ 4-5

4.7 Herbicides .................................................................................................................................. 4-5

4.8 Timing ......................................................................................................................................... 4-5

4.9 Tools ........................................................................................................................................... 4-6

5 Salvage Schedule ................................................................................................................................ 5-1 6 Estimated Costs ................................................................................................................................. 6-1 7 References ......................................................................................................................................... 7-1 iv

Appendices Appendix A Site Photographs

Figures Figure 1. Cryptogamic Soil Crust Salvage Plan Areas ................................................................................. 1-3 Figure 2. Cryptogamic Soil Crust Collection at the MPMGR ...................................................................... 4-1 Figure 3. Visual Representation of a Clustered Spatial Aggregation Pattern ............................................ 4-4

Photos Photo 1. Twisted moss, typical cryptogamic soil crust species at the TUAS facility and MPMGR sites. ... 2-2 Photo 2. Moss-dominated cryptogamic soil crust near the base of a shrub, typical of soil crust conditions at the TUAS facility and MPMGR sites. ....................................................................................... 2-2 Photo 3. Bunchgrass and cheatgrass vegetation community at the TUAS facility; moss-dominated soil crusts account for an average of between 1 and 5 percent of the soil cover in this and similar areas. ........................................................................................................................................... 2-3

Tables Table 3-1. Moss Species with Potential to Occur in Moss-Dominated Soil Crusts at NWSTF Boardman .. 3-2 Table 5-1. Conceptual Schedule for Cryptogamic Soil Crust Salvage and Transplanting .......................... 5-1 Table 6-1. Estimated Level of Effort and Costs for Cryptogamic Soil Salvage Actions .............................. 6-1 Table 6-2. Material Costs for Cryptogamic Soil Salvage Actions ................................................................ 6-2

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1 Introduction

1.1 Background

Cryptogamic soil crusts play a critical role in the stability and functioning of arid-land ecosystems.

Cryptogamic soil crusts have been documented on the Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility, or NWSTF, Boardman, and surrounding areas. The Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, or INRMP, for NWSTF Boardman (U.S. Navy et al. 2012) discusses the importance of these crusts for maintaining and restoring native bunchgrass and shrub habitats on the facility to support habitat for Washington Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus washingtoni. The Oregon Military Department, or OMD, has a responsibility for adhering to the INRMP for its actions at NWSTF Boardman. The Washington Ground Squirrel is state-listed as endangered and was previously a candidate species for listing under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, but in 2016 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that listing was not warranted (81 Federal Register 6484381).

Construction of a Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems, or TUAS, facility and Multi-Purpose Machine Gun Range, or MPMGR, at NWSTF Boardman to meet U.S. Navy and OMD training requirements is set to commence in 2021, with preparation for some construction actions already having occurred in 2020.

The locations of these features are shown in Figure 1. Approximately 14 acres at the MPMGR area and 1 acre at the TUAS facility will be temporarily impacted by construction activities and then revegetated after construction (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2013). The Conference Opinion Regarding the Effects of Military Readiness Activities at the Boardman Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility in Morrow County, Oregon on the Washington Ground Squirrel (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2013), hereafter referred to as the Conference Opinion, proposes that intact cryptogamic soil crusts be salvaged from areas planned for disturbance and reapplied in areas of the TUAS facility and MPMGR to be revegetated.

The purpose of cryptogamic soil crust salvage is to facilitate revegetation of temporarily disturbed areas to increase ecological integrity and potentially increase Washington Ground Squirrel habitat suitability.

Revegetation of disturbed areas is discussed in a separate comprehensive mitigation plan (OMD, in preparation). Because successful post-disturbance revegetation will depend on the reestablishment of both seeded species and cryptogamic soil crusts, revegetation and soil salvage should inform each other and be performed concurrently. Details on timing of cryptogamic soil crust transplanting as it relates to reseeding of these areas are presented in Section 4.8.

Field surveys to characterize cryptogamic soil crusts were completed in October 2020 at the TUAS facility and MPMGR. Surveys included collecting extent and percent cover data on the moss-dominated cryptogamic soil crusts at the TUAS facility, where surveyors verified that cryptogamic soil crusts were ubiquitous and composed approximately 1 to 5 percent of cover on undisturbed soils. Surveyors also visited the MPMGR site and verified that moss-dominated soil crusts were similar in extent, cover, and composition to those at the TUAS facility.

1.2 Plan Goals and Objectives

The goal of this Cryptogamic Soil Salvage Plan is to provide a simple, reproducible methodology for achieving salvage and restoration of cryptogamic soil crusts as part of revegetation of TUAS facility and MPMGR temporary construction impact areas.

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Specific objectives of this plan are as follows:

• Describe conditions at NWSTF Boardman where cryptogamic soil crusts occur.

• Provide a brief introduction to cryptogam identification so that areas in need of salvage can be determined in the field by construction personnel.

• For cryptogamic soil crusts identified at NWTSF Boardman, identify the following:

o Methods for salvage o Methods for storage o Methods for post-construction reapplication

This plan will also identify costs and level of effort associated with implementation.

This plan is intended to apply primarily to potential construction areas in and near the MPMGR where cryptogamic soil crusts have been documented and where planned construction activities could disturb soils and associated cryptogamic soil crusts. However, the methods provided here should be applicable to any future salvage and restoration activities required at NWSTF Boardman. Because cryptogamic soil crust salvage and restoration can be very labor-intensive, the methods included in this plan are intended to be applicable to a cumulative area of cryptogamic soil crusts of no more than 2 total acres. As described in more detail in Section 4, the minimum size of individual cryptogamic soil crust plugs to be collected for salvage is approximately 5 x 5 centimeters, cm, with 10 x 10 cm plugs being preferable.

Cryptogamic crust plugs should not be salvaged where the density of cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum, is greater than approximately 40 percent cover in a 1-square-meter, m2, area surrounding the plug to be salvaged.

1.3 Guidance Documents

The draft revegetation plan in Appendix A of the Conference Opinion recommends pre-construction salvage of cryptogamic soil crust in areas of the TUAS facility and MPMGR that would be disturbed by construction and operation activities and post-construction reapplication of crusts in areas to be revegetated after construction.

The INRMP (U.S. Navy et al. 2012) and the Conference Opinion both adopt a holistic approach to maintaining and restoring cryptogamic soil crust. The INRMP describes cryptogamic soil crust management on NWSTF Boardman as a “focus on preventing fire and mechanical impacts and then restoring degraded habitats” (U.S. Navy et al. 2012). The INRMP measures adopted by the Conference Opinion include native vegetation and habitat restoration, which will be applied to the Habitat Management Area of NWSTF Boardman. These measures are being developed and included in the comprehensive mitigation plan for the site.

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Figure 1. Cryptogamic Soil Crust Salvage Plan Areas

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2 Overview of Cryptogamic Soil Crusts

2.1 General Description

Cryptogams are non-flowering plants and plant-like organisms, including mosses, liverworts, lichens, algae, and fungi. Cryptogams growing on or directly under the soil surface in arid and semi-arid regions tend to form cryptogamic soil crusts, also known as biological soil crusts or biocrusts (Belnap et al. 2001;

Rosentreter et al. 2007). Cryptogamic soil crusts have been gaining increased attention over the last few decades as an understanding of their importance to desert and arid grassland and shrubland ecosystems has grown (Bowker 2007; Root et al. 2020). Intact cryptogamic soil crusts can perform critical functions by physically stabilizing soils prone to water and wind erosion, improving soil water relations, facilitating carbon and nitrogen fixation, and reducing likelihood of invasion by exotic plants (Belnap et al. 2001;

Root et al. 2020). Numerous studies have confirmed that they are susceptible to fire, grazing, vehicle and foot traffic, and other disturbances that crush, uproot, or bury them (Elseroad et al. 2010;

Rosentreter et al. 2007). Field surveys to characterize cryptogamic soil crusts at NWSTF Boardman were completed in October 2020 at the proposed TUAS facility and MPMGR locations. Surveyors visited the TUAS facility on October 22, 2020, to note the type and extent of cryptogamic soil crusts in undisturbed areas. The full extent of the 7-acre construction footprint for the TUAS facility had already been cleared at that time, but there will likely be additional temporary soil disturbance in staging areas once building construction is underway. Surveyors visited the MPMGR on October 23, 2020 and verified that the ecological considerations and type of cryptogamic soil crust were similar between the two sites.

Perennial bunchgrasses, predominantly needle-and-thread, Hesperostipa comata, are the dominant vegetative component at the TUAS facility and MPMGR, with cheatgrass common in the interspaces between bunchgrasses. Sparse gray rabbitbrush, Ericameria nauseosus, and green rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, occur in some areas. Based on the Conference Opinion, the ecological condition classification of these areas is medium and medium-low. Recent disturbances in this area include major wildfires in August 1998 and July 2007. Evidence of disturbance from vehicle and foot traffic was also observed at both the TUAS facility and MPMGR during the October 2020 survey.

Cryptogamic soil crusts at the TUAS facility and MPMGR are primarily composed of short mosses, and species include twisted moss, Syntrichia ruralis, and fire moss, Ceratodon purpureus (R. Rosentreter, Boise State University, personal communication) with no obvious lichen component. Soil crusts composed primarily of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, are also likely present in these areas but were not identified in the field as they are very difficult to identify with the naked eye in their early stages of development (Rosentreter et al. 2007). In areas of the TUAS facility not disturbed by construction activities, moss-dominated soil crusts generally covered between 1 and 5 percent of the soil, with favorable microsites having up to 10 percent coverage. Favorable microsites were areas near the base of some shrubs and on slight north exposures. At the MPMGR, cryptogamic crust cover was estimated to be 1 to 5 percent in less disturbed areas but was absent or minimal near the existing roads, parking areas, and firing positions subject to recent ground disturbance.

Photos 1 through 3 show typical moss-dominated cryptogamic soil crust conditions at the TUAS facility and MPMGR sites. Additional photos are presented in Appendix A.

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Photo 1. Twisted moss, typical cryptogamic soil crust species at the TUAS facility and MPMGR sites.

Photo 2. Moss-dominated cryptogamic soil crust near the base of a shrub, typical of soil crust conditions at the TUAS facility and MPMGR sites.

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Photo 3. Bunchgrass and cheatgrass vegetation community at the TUAS facility; moss-dominated soil crusts account for an average of between 1 and 5 percent of the soil cover in this and similar areas.

2.2 Planned Disturbance with the Potential to Impact Soil Crusts Planned disturbance with the potential to impact soil crusts will include temporary and permanent disturbance. Temporary disturbance includes actions such as overland vehicle travel, stockpiling or staging areas, and vegetation clearing or grubbing in areas where permanent construction will not occur. Permanent disturbance includes all areas in the footprint of permanent facilities. Salvage of cryptogamic soil crusts will occur in advance of permanent and temporary disturbance associated with TUAS facility and MPMGR construction, except in areas where construction has already occurred.

As shown in Figure 1, the TUAS facility encompasses approximately 90 acres in the northwest portion of NWSTF Boardman. Approximately 8 acres of land in the TUAS facility were identified for disturbance during construction (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2013). Approximately 7 acres have already been permanently impacted by construction of the TUAS facility, with approximately 1 acre to be temporarily disturbed by overland vehicle traffic and establishment of staging areas during site construction and revegetated following construction

As shown in Figure 1, the MPMGR site encompasses approximately 260 acres in the northwest portion of NWSTF Boardman. The site currently serves as a shooting range that is planned to be upgraded to include a heavy sniper lane and associated support facilities. The Known Distance, or KD, Range is the first portion of the MPMGR planned for construction; clearing of the site for this range will commence in early 2021. Approximately 30 acres of land at the MPMGR site will be disturbed during construction.

Disturbance will consist of construction of access roads, parking areas, maintenance trails, the Range Operations and Control Area, weapons firing positions, target emplacements, earthen berms, and associated underground power control and data cables. Approximately 16 acres will be permanently

2-4 altered, and 14 acres will be temporarily disturbed and revegetated following construction (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2013). No construction-related disturbance has occurred at the MPMGR at the time of preparation of this document.

Cryptogamic soil crust salvage from the TUAS facility and MPMGR areas will occur within the 30 acres of the MPMGR that will be disturbed during construction and any additional areas to be disturbed for construction of the TUAS facility. Salvaged soils will be reapplied to the approximately 14 acres at the MPMGR area and 1 acre at the TUAS facility that are planned for temporary disturbance and revegetation.

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3 Cryptogamic Soil Crust Identification Mosses included in Table 3-1 are those identified by the Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center Bryologist as being present at NWSTF Boardman (Mayfield and Kjelmyr 1984). Species information is reproduced from A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts of Western U.S. Drylands (Rosentreter et al.

2007) and supplemented with reproduction rates and mechanisms from the scientific article Biocrust Lichen and Moss Species Most Suitable for Restoration Projects (Rosentreter 2020). Additional photographs of cryptogamic soil crusts at the TUAS facility and MPMGR are provided in Appendix A.

Mosses can be very difficult to identify to species by other than trained experts with special equipment, and as such, the purpose of Table 3-1 is to briefly introduce common moss species that occur in this region. Successful salvage and restoration does not necessarily depend on species identification;

however, if a particular type of moss is common on a site targeted for salvage, there is a high likelihood that it would be adapted for the site conditions and would be worth salvaging and reapplying to revegetation sites.

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Table 3-1. Moss Species with Potential to Occur in Moss-Dominated Soil Crusts at NWSTF Boardman

Species Name General Description Reproduction Representative Photos

Silver-tipped moss Bryum argenteum

• Silvery green to nearly white, especially upper leaves

• Stems bulb-shaped typically to 1 mm long

• Spore-bearing structures are rare

• Fast reproduction rate

• Reproduce by spores and asexually

• Most suitable for restoration projects

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Species Name General Description Reproduction Representative Photos

Dry calcareous bryum moss Bryum caespiticium

• Dull yellowish leaves, green when dry

• Bright golden yellow leaves when wet

• Forms dense tufts

• Stems conspicuously bright red or magenta when wet

• Fast reproduction rate

• Reproduce by spores and fragmentation

• Suitable to increase biodiversity in

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Species Name General Description Reproduction Representative Photos

Fire moss Ceratodon purpureus

• Olive green above and reddish below when dry

• Younger tissue green when wet

• Up to a few cm tall when mature

• Forms dense cushions

• Leaves sometimes twisted when dry

• Red stalk and capsule

• Capsule angled downward

• Fast reproduction rate

• Reproduces by spores and limited fragmentation

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Species Name General Description Reproduction Representative Photos

Screw moss, bearded moss Didymodon species

• Nearly black above and brownish below when dry

• Upper tissue emerald green when wet

• Forms dense cushion of slender plants up to 2 cm tall

• Spore-bearing structures are rare

• Medium reproduction rate

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Species Name General Description Reproduction Representative Photos

Cord moss Funaria hygrometrica

• Younger tissue is bright green, becoming duller with age

• Capsules are attached to long stalks, from 1 to 8 cm

• Stalks are curved when moist and twisted when dry

• Capsules are pear-shaped and from 1.5 to 2 mm long

• Fastest growing moss

• Reproduces by spores and is a true annual species

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Species Name General Description Reproduction Representative Photos

Twisted moss Syntrichia ruralis

• Dull green to almost black above, reddish below when dry

• Upper parts bright green when wet

• Forms loose cushions

• One of the tallest of soil crust mosses; stems typically to 20 mm tall

• Leaves twisted around stem when dry

• Leaf mid-rib is red

• Medium reproduction rate

• Reproduces by spores

• Suitable to increase biodiversity in

Information and Photo Sources: Mayfield and Kjelmyr 1984, Rosentreter et al. 2007, Rosentreter 2020, and Elseroad et al. 2010 Key: cm = centimeter; mm = millimeter

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4 Salvage Methodology

4.1 Introduction

Salvage refers to harvesting intact cryptogamic crusts from areas that are scheduled for disturbance (Tucker et al. 2020). The theory and practice of soil crust salvage and restoration is an emergent field.

Methods of crust salvage and restoration specific to the Columbia Basin are still being developed, and there is no field manual for the region. However, the Operational Manual for Biocrust Restoration in Drylands (Faist et al. 2020) provides more detailed information beyond what is provided in this plan, and has been used to develop the methods outlined in this section. The most recent crust salvage research, as summarized in Biological Soil Crusts in Ecological Restoration: Emerging Research and Perspectives (Antoninka et al. 2020) was also consulted for information. Methods presented in this section are specific to cryptogamic soil crust salvage from areas slated for construction or other disturbance, with reapplication of salvaged soil crust to areas to be revegetated. Hand-salvage of crusts is specified because it is very difficult to achieve the shallow depths required for soil crust excavation with mechanized equipment (Tucker et al. 2020).

Areas of the MPMGR planned for salvage are shown in Figure 2. Salvage areas are the 8.7 acres of land within footprints of permanent MPMGR features that overlap areas mapped as medium ecological condition class. Lower-quality ecological condition classes at the MPMGR site are not recommended for soil crust salvage as past site disturbance has likely removed most soil crust cover in these areas.

Plans for areas of temporary disturbance at the MPMGR and TUAS facility, such as utility trenching, off-road vehicle traffic and/or parking during construction, and any staging or stock-piling areas used during construction, have not been developed to date. However, methodology for salvage in the portions of temporary disturbance areas that occur on land mapped as medium ecological condition class would be the same as those described in the following subsections. Salvage personnel will coordinate with OMD to acquire GIS data for areas of temporary disturbance at the TUAS facility and MPMGR as they are developed.

Note that some amount of cheatgrass seed is likely to be present in soil crusts to be salvaged, as cheatgrass is a common species in the northern portion of NWSTF Boardman. As described in Section 4.5, transplanting of soil crusts to revegetation areas will include application of preemergent herbicide as a preventative measure to reduce cheatgrass spread into revegetation areas. However, it is also recommended that mosses in areas where cheatgrass density is particularly high not be targeted for salvage in order to further minimize cheatgrass spread. Therefore, this plan recommends that cryptogamic crust plugs not be salvaged where cheatgrass density is greater than approximately 40 percent cover in the surrounding 1 m2 area of a patch of moss. Details on how to estimate cheatgrass cover in the surrounding 1 m2 area are provided in Section 4.2.

Detailed salvage, storage, and transplant instructions are provided in the following sections. Note that accompaniment by an OMD chaperone during all phases of this work is recommended for assistance with site navigation and for safety purposes.

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Figure 2. Cryptogamic Soil Crust Collection at the MPMGR

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4.2 Preparation

Salvage fieldwork will occur between mid-October and mid-March when mosses are moist and therefore easily identifiable, but will not occur when the ground is covered by snow or when soils are frozen. Salvage actions will occur over a week-long period. Mobilization will occur on Day 1, salvage actions will occur on Days 2 through 5, storage actions will occur on Day 6, and demobilization will occur on Day 7. Two standard-size trucks will be required for this work.

Survey work will be scheduled through coordination with OMD personnel, who will coordinate site access and scheduling of on-site safety training with U.S. Navy personnel at NWSTF Boardman. In advance of fieldwork actions, the area identified for salvage actions must be approved by an OMD cultural resource specialist, as salvage actions will require shallow soil excavation with handheld cement trowels.

Salvage actions will be performed by a team of two surveyors. Minimum qualifications of surveyors are as follows:

• Experience identifying native and invasive plants common in the Columbia Basin;

• Ability to use cement trowels and carrying buckets with up to 50 pounds of salvaged soil crust material;

• Ability to navigate using handheld Global Positioning System, or GPS, devices; and

• Familiarity with assessing approximate vegetation cover, such as through past experience with quadrat sampling data collection techniques. Note that no data will be collected during salvage actions.

In advance of fieldwork actions, surveyors will familiarize themselves with the conditions at the MPMGR and undisturbed portions of the TUAS facility by reviewing the contents of Section 1 through Section 3 of this document as well as the photos in Appendix A. Additionally, salvage area boundaries identified in Figure 2 will be loaded onto the handheld GPS devices for use in the field.

At the beginning of the first fieldwork day prior to crust salvage, surveyors should familiarize themselves with the relative cover of cheatgrass in a few locations within the medium ecological condition class at the MPMGR shown in Figure 2. This will entail placing a 1 m2 quadrat frame divided into ten 10 x 10 cm areas to visually estimate percent cover of cheatgrass in several locations. Standard methods for estimating vegetation cover using quadrats, such as those presented in Measuring and Monitoring Plant Populations (Elzinga et al. 1998), should be used to derive estimates of cheatgrass cover.

This exercise will allow surveyors to gain familiarity with the following in advance of salvage work:

• Identification of cryptogamic soil crust plugs with cheatgrass cover of 40 percent or less, and

• Identification of a 10 x 10 cm area, which is the optimum patch size for salvaged materials.

The quadrat frame is not needed during the salvage work itself.

4.3 Salvage

Salvage work will be completed as follows:

1. Distribute a 5-gallon salvage bucket and cement trowel to each surveyor.

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2. Use handheld GPS devices to orient to salvage areas.

3. Excavate soil crust patches using a cement trowel. More than one patch can be collected in a single location if there is enough material to do so. Excavation should occur as follows:

a) Try to scrape or dig no more than 2 cm of soil when collecting soil crust patches.

b) Avoid collecting rocks, plant litter, and weedy plant species.

c) Keep moss crusts intact as much as possible and avoid crumbling.

4. Place moss crusts in 5-gallon buckets for transport to storage area. Moss crusts can be layered in the buckets for transport.

5. Five-gallon buckets are designed to carry approximately 40 to 50 pounds of material. When a bucket has reached this capacity, place the full bucket in the bed of the truck and resume the salvage with an empty bucket. Cover the truck bed with a tarp to protect the buckets from weather.

Data collection efforts will be considered complete once the 4-day salvage period is finished, with a goal of collecting 60 buckets of quality soil crust material during this time. The recommended pace of collection is a combined total of 12 buckets of material on Day 1 and 16 buckets on Days 2, 3, and 4. If 60 buckets of material are reached before all salvage areas have been visited, collection can be considered complete.

4.4 Storage

Mosses become dormant when dry and can be stored for at least short periods of time. Dried moss will lose its green color over time but will start growing again once rehydrated. Because the length of time that mosses can remain dormant before needing to be rehydrated is not fully known, restoration of moss-dominated soil crusts is likely to be most successful when the storage time of salvaged crusts is minimized (R. Rosentreter, Boise State University, personal communication). When properly stored, cryptogamic soil crust organisms are expected to maintain viability for as long as 2 years. It is not recommended that salvaged cryptogamic soil crusts from NWSTF Boardman be stored beyond 2 years.

Storage instructions are as follows:

• Transfer mosses from the 5-gallon buckets to larger containers, such as 20-x-15-inch Rubbermaid® Tote Boxes, without lids so that they can be spread out and allowed to air dry. Note that mosses should not be stacked in the tote boxes during the storage period.

• Store tote boxes in a cool to cold, dark, and dry place at temperatures between 39 and 63 °F (Tucker et al. 2020). Leave containers open.

• Store tote boxes in a single layer on the ground or place them on shelves, but do not stack them on top of each other.

• Store mosses dry and do not rehydrate them during storage.

4.5 Transplanting

Transplanting actions will be performed by a team of two staff. Minimum qualifications of staff are as follows:

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• Ability to carry bins with up to 50 pounds of salvaged soil crust material; and

• Possession of a current pesticide applicator license from the State of Oregon with the Agriculture – Herbicide endorsement for applying herbicides:

o For contractor staff, a Commercial Pesticide Applicator License.

o For OMD staff, a Public Pesticide Applicator License.

Transplanting of salvaged mosses to revegetation areas will occur following construction completion.

Transplanting will occur after drill seeding with native bunchgrass, which is specified in the Comprehensive Mitigation Plan. The optimal timing for transplanting of moss-dominated soil crusts is between mid-October and mid-December when soils are moist. More information on transplant timing is presented in Section 4.8.

Plugs will be transplanted in a clustered spatial aggregation pattern, as shown in Figure 3. Individual plugs may be placed haphazardly, but will be spaced at least 1 meter apart from other plugs.

Figure 3. Visual Representation of a Clustered Spatial Aggregation Pattern

Salvaged moss plugs will be transplanted as follows:

1. Prepare a general map in advance of transplant work identifying areas where clusters of soil crust plugs will be placed. Spatial data of the areas to be revegetated and an estimate of the number of plugs available for transplanting will be needed to complete this step.

2. When at the revegetation site, carry tote boxes to the general area of a planned cluster, being careful to disturb as little soil as possible in order to minimize damage to seeded bunchgrasses.

3. At each individual transplant location, perform the following:

a. Apply psyllium powder or other tackifier to an area approximately 15 x 15 cm, rake it lightly into soil using a hand rake, and spray with water. See Section 4.6 for more information on psyllium powder and tackifier application.

b. Using a cardboard shield to reduce drift, apply the pre-emergent herbicide Imazapic in an approximately 20 x 20 cm area that encompasses the tackifier application area. See Section

4.7 for more information on herbicide application.

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c. In the area treated with tackifier and herbicide, manually press chunks or plugs of moss into the soil and push one or more biodegradable stakes through each piece into the soil to hold it in place.

4.6 Soil Stabilizers

To improve survival and growth of transplanted moss-dominated soil crusts, a soil stabilizer or binder will be applied directly to the soil under the precise location of a soil plug prior to transplanting (Faist et

al. 2020; Blankenship et al. 2020). Psyllium is a plant-based stabilizer that has been used in hydroseeding applications and for dust control. It provides temporary soil stabilization with no negative effects on mosses (Faist et al. 2020). Psyllium powder should be applied by hand and lightly raked into the soil, and then the soil should be sprayed with water to activate the soil binding.

4.7 Herbicides

In most cases, cryptogamic soil crusts at the MPMGR and TUAS facility are growing with or in proximity to cheatgrass. In order to minimize further spread of cheatgrass at the restoration sites, the pre-emergent herbicide Imazapic, designed to inhibit the germination of emergent grasses, will be applied using backpack sprayers immediately before placement of soil crusts, as indicated in the previous section. Imazapic can be applied any time during the same time frame recommended for soil crust transplant, namely mid-October to mid-December. Herbicide applicators should wear the following personal protective equipment:

• Long-sleeved shirt and long pants

• Chemical-resistant gloves made of any waterproof material

• Shoes and socks

Imazapic herbicide will be applied to as small an area as is practicable around locations where soil crusts will be placed in order to minimize the inhibition of desirable bunchgrass seed germination in these areas. Imazapic mixing and application should be performed according to all manufacturer labels. Moss plugs should then be placed directly over the psyllium powder and herbicide-treated soil and staked into the ground using biodegradable stakes. Personnel placing plugs should wear the same personal protective equipment listed for herbicide applicators.

4.8 Timing

Salvage: Moss-dominated soil crusts will be salvaged during the rainy season, mid-October to mid- March, when plants are most robust and removal from the moist substrate is easiest. However, given the sandy nature of the soils at the salvage site, removal of moss-dominated soil crusts at other times of the year would not pose a problem.

Transplanting: Moss-dominated soil crusts will be transplanted to the restoration site after onset of the cool rainy season, generally after mid-October and before mid-December. Transplanting of soil crusts will occur after sites are drill seeded, as drill seeding would be destructive to transplanted plugs. If the mosses remain moist after transplanting, they should begin to establish and spread within several weeks to a few months.

Fall transplanting will allow mosses time to establish themselves and become attached to the soil prior to onset of drought and hot weather the following summer. If mosses must be transplanted outside of the preferred time, the moss plugs should be physically attached to the soil using netting or extra deep

4-6 stakes driven through the plugs into the soil. This step will reduce the risk of mosses being blown off-site by the strong winds common in the area if they have not become attached to the substrate when they begin to dry out.

4.9 Tools

The following tools will be needed for salvage and transplanting activities. Additionally, a dark and dry storage area that can be maintained between 39 and 63 °F is critical for maintaining viability of salvaged cryptogamic soil crusts during storage. The minimum storage area needed to accommodate the salvaged material is 11.8 m2.

Salvage

• A 1 m2 quadrat frame, divided into 10 x 10 cm areas

• Two handheld GPS units for navigating salvage areas

• Handheld cement trowel for scraping of soil crust

• Sixty 5-gallon buckets for holding soil crusts while in the field and transport to storage area

• Waterproof tarps for covering truck beds during salvage

• Two standard-size pickup trucks. Based on a standard truck bed size of 3 m2 and an average 5-gallon bucket footprint of 0.09 m2, each truck will be able to transport approximately 30 buckets of material

Storage

• Eighty Rubbermaid® Tote Boxes in 20-x-15-x-5-inch size, no lids

Transplanting

• Biodegradable stakes to stake moss clumps/plugs to the soil; two or more boxes of 500-count GreenStake Biodegradable Stakes recommended

• Psyllium powder

• Small hand rakes for spreading psyllium powder in soil

• Pump sprayer for moistening soil after psyllium application

• Backpack sprayer for Imazapic pre-emergent herbicide

5-1

5 Salvage Schedule Table 5-1. Conceptual Schedule for Cryptogamic Soil Crust Salvage and Transplanting

Activity Schedule Notes

Pre-Salvage Planning 1 to 2 weeks before salvage in the fall --

Salvage and Transport 1 to 2 weeks prior to construction in fall to early winter; salvage and transport will be a 7-day process

If construction is to begin in spring or summer, salvage of mosses should still occur in the preceding fall so mosses are hydrated and therefore more visible

Storage Immediately after salvage; duration up to 2 years but preferably less than 1 year

Requires cool temperatures between 39 and 63 °F; dry, and dark storage facility

Seeding with Native Bunchgrasses In fall or early winter

Refer to the Comprehensive Mitigation Plan for seeding protocols

Moss Transplanting After seeding with native bunchgrasses and after onset of cool weather and rain in fall

Transplanting at other times will likely result in less success

Herbicide Application At time of transplanting --

Soil Stabilizer Application At time of transplanting --

Monitoring

Monitoring not required for transplanted mosses; monitoring of seeded areas will occur in fall to early winter of years 1, 2, and 3 after transplanting

Refer to the Comprehensive Mitigation Plan for seeding success monitoring protocols

6-1

6 Estimated Costs Table 6-1. Estimated Level of Effort and Costs for Cryptogamic Soil Salvage Actions

Action Level of Effort Labor Cost per Unit1

Travel Costs per Unit2 Notes

Preparation and logistical planning

4 hours project manager 16 hours technical lead 16 hours field staff 4 hours GIS specialist 2 hours project accountant 1 hour safety professional

$4,700 n/a As salvage sites and protocols are already identified, this effort is likely to mainly include sourcing salvage tools, coordinating travel logistics, creating a quadrat frame, and familiarization with the salvage plan.

Cryptogamic soil salvage and transporting to storage

8 hours project manager 60 hours technical lead 60 hours field staff 8 hours GIS specialist

$14,600 $3,600 Task would require a single 7-day field mobilization (2 travel days and 5 full fieldwork days) for two persons. Salvaged material transport and storage would occur on the last day of the salvage visit before demobilization.

Salvaged material storage 2 hours project manager 20 hours technical lead

$2,700 $300 Assumes two single-day visits from Portland to check on conditions of salvaged material during storage period. OMD may perform this work in-house.

Transplanting/Inoculation 8 hours project manager 60 hours technical lead 60 hours field staff 8 hours GIS specialist 2 hours project accountant 1 hour safety professional

$14,900 $3,600 Task would require a single 7-day field mobilization (2 travel days and 5 full fieldwork days) for two persons.

Total Costs $36,900 $7,500 Costs may be lower if lower rate staff are used or if OMD completes some of the work in-house.

6-2

1 Labor cost assumptions: Project manager- $149.35/hour; technical lead- $118.45/hour; field staff- $87.55/hour; GIS specialist- $128.75/hour; project accountant- $98.88/hour;

safety professional- $97.85/hour.

2 Travel cost assumptions: Vehicle rental- $55/day; hotel- $111/night; meals- $55 for full day, $41.25 for travel days; fuel- $40/round trip; GPS rental- $50/day. Meal costs are based on Fiscal Year 2021 Per Diem Rates for Oregon. Hotel costs are based on rates at the River Lodge and Grill in Boardman, Oregon. Cost of fuel based on the one-way estimated gas cost of $17 from Portland and additional cost of driving from the hotel to the field site each day.

Table 6-2. Material Costs for Cryptogamic Soil Salvage Actions

Material Number of Units Estimated Cost per Unit1 Total Cost

1 m2 quadrat frame 1 $30.00 $30.00

Handheld cement trowels 3 6.25 18.75

5-gallon buckets 60 4.10 246.00

Waterproof tarps 2 13.00 26.00

Rubbermaid® Tote Boxes in 20-x-15-x-5-inch size, or similar

80 8.00 640.00

Biodegradable stakes 3 500-count boxes 49.00 147.00

Psyllium powder 1 25-kilogram bag 603.00 603.00

Hand rakes 3 9.00 27.00

2-gallon pump sprayer for water 2 35.00 70.00

Pump sprayer for pre-emergent 2 100.00 200.00

Imazapic herbicide 1 case of 2 gallons 166.00 166.00

Rubber gloves 8 pairs 21.00 168.00

Total Materials Costs $2,341.75 1 Prices sourced through Uline, The Home Depot, and various other online resources.

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7 References

Antoninka, A., A. Faist, E. Rodriguez-Caballero, K. E. Young, V. Bala Chaudhary, L.A. Condon, and D.A.

Pyke. 2020. Biological soil crusts in ecological restoration: emerging research and perspectives.

Restoration Ecology 28 (S2): S3-S8.

Belnap J., R. Rosentreter, S. Leonard, J.H. Kaltenecker, J. Williams, and D.J. Eldridge. 2001. Biological soil crusts: ecology and management. Technical Reference 1730-2. U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Denver, Colorado.

Blankenship, W. Dillon, Lea A. Condon, and David A. Pyke. 2020. Hydroseeding tackifiers and dryland moss restoration potential. Restoration Ecology 28 (S2): S127-Sl38.

Bowker, M. A. 2007. Biological soil crust rehabilitation in theory and practice: an underexploited opportunity. Restoration Ecology 15: 13–23.

Elseroad, A., J. St. Peter, and M. Uchida. 2010. Biological Soil Crust Distribution on the Boardman Conservation Area: Results from 2009 Monitoring. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy.

Elzinga, Caryl L., Daniel W. Salzer, and John W. Willoughby. 1998. Measuring & Monitoring Plant Populations. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.

Faist, A., C. Tucker, S.C. Reed, A. Antoninka, M. Bowker, N. Barger, K. Dohrenwend, N. Day, S.

Bellagamba, J. Belnap, M. Duniway, S. Fick, A. Giraldo-Silva, C. Nelson, J. Bethany, S. Velasco- Ayuso, and F. Garcia-Pichel. 2020. Operational Manual for Biocrust Restoration in Drylands.

Published online at: https://anitaantoninka.wixsite.com/biocrustrestoration.

Mayfield, M.M., and J. Kjelmyr. 1984. Boardman Research Natural Area. Supplement No. 17 to Federal Research Natural Areas in Oregon and Washington: A Guidebook for Scientists and Educators by Jerry Franklin, Frederick Hall, C.T. Dryness, and Chris Maser. Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station.

Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2020a. Web Soil Survey for an Area in Morrow County, Oregon.

Web Soil Survey database available online at:

https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx. Accessed November 24, 2020.

Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2020b. Map of Ecological Sites for an Area in Morrow County, Oregon. Web Soil Survey database available online at:

https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx. Accessed October 20, 2020.

OMD (Oregon Military Department). In preparation. Washington Ground Squirrel Habitat Management Comprehensive Mitigation Plan for Oregon Military Department Activities at Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility Boardman. Morrow County, Oregon.

Root, H.T., J.E.D. Miller, and R. Rosentreter. 2020. Grazing disturbance promotes exotic annual grasses by degrading soil biocrust communities. Ecological Applications 30 (1).

Rosentreter, R., M. Bowker, and J. Belnap. 2007. A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts of Western U.S.

Drylands. U.S. Government Printing Office, Denver, Colorado. Available online at: https://prd-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/atoms/files/Biocrust%20of%20Western%20US%20Field%20Guide.pdf https://anitaantoninka.wixsite.com/biocrustrestoration https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx https://prd-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/atoms/files/Biocrust%20of%20Western%20US%20Field%20Guide.pdf https://prd-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/atoms/files/Biocrust%20of%20Western%20US%20Field%20Guide.pdf https://prd-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/atoms/files/Biocrust%20of%20Western%20US%20Field%20Guide.pdf

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Rosentreter, R. 2020. Biocrust lichen and moss species most suitable for restoration projects.

Restoration Ecology 28 (S2).

Tucker, C., A. Antoninka, N. Day, B. Poff, and S. Reed. 2020. Biological soil crust salvage for dryland restoration: an opportunity for natural resource restoration. Restoration Ecology 28 (S2).

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013. Conference Opinion for Military Readiness Activities at the Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility Boardman, Morrow County, Oregon. File No. 0lEOFW00- 2013-FC-0017. Conducted by La Grande Field Office, La Grande, Oregon.

U.S. Navy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2012. Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan–Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility Boardman.

January 2012.

A-1

Appendix A Site Photographs

A-2

Site Photographs

Photo No.

Date:

October 22, 2020

Location:

TUAS Facility

Description:

Needle-and-thread bunchgrass habitat with cheatgrass growing between clumps.

Description:

Moss soil crust at base of rubber rabbitbrush shrub.

A-3

Description:

Moss soil crust – twisted moss, Syntrichia ruralis

Description:

Close up of twisted moss, the dominant moss at TUAS and MPMGR facilities.

A-4

Description:

Twisted moss

October 23, 2020

Direction Photo Taken:

MPMGR

Description:

Poor condition needle-and-thread grass habitat with abundant cheatgrass and no cryptogamic soil crust.

A-5

Description:

Needle-and-thread grass, cheatgrass and occasional rubber rabbitbrush. Moss soil crusts had a high association with base of shrubs and northern aspects.

Description:

Twisted moss soil crust