Appendix D. Monitoring Plan & Adaptive Management

Transcription

1 Appendix D Monitoring Plan & Adaptive Management 1

2 Monitoring Plan Implementation Monitoring Table Monitoring Type Pasture Location Indicator Chemult/North Sheep/Jack Creek Units Jack Creek Jack Creek Jack 2 Ponds Use Standard Utilization 35% Woody Species Use 40% Streambank Alteration 20% Alteration 20% Objective Time Frame Adaptive Management Strategy Meet Use Standards Annually 1 a-c Meet Use Standards Annually 9 a-c Chemult/North Sheep/Jack Creek Units Jack Creek Water Level Effective water levels to support OSF Meet OSF Drought Plan Annually 7 a-b &/or 8a-b Implementation Chemult Fenced Areas (5) Chemult/Jack Creek Chemult North Willow High Priority Fens (10) Utilization 35% Alteration 20% Alteration 20% Meet Use Standards Annually 2 a-c &/or 3 a-c Meet Use Standards Annually 2 a-c Whilsire Meadow Utilization 45% Meet Use Standards Annually 3 a-c Johnson Meadow Utilization 45% Meet Use Standards Annually 3 a-c Crooked Meadow Utilization 45% Meet Use Standards Annually 3 a-c Lower North Willow Spring Utilization 45% Meet Use Standards Annually 3 a-c Halfway Ross Spring Utilization 45% Meet Use Standards Annually 3 a-c Antelope Flat NE Antelope Flat NE Utilization 45% Meet Use Standards Annually 3 a-c Tobin Cabin TC-1, TC-3, TC-6 Utilization 45% Meet Use Standards Annually 3 a-c 2

3 Effectiveness Monitoring Plan Monitoring Type Effectiveness Pasture/ Area Location Indicator Chemult/North Sheep/Jack Creek Units Chemult/ Jack Creek Chemult All Pastures Jack Cr. High Priority Fens (10) Round Meadow & Squirrel Camp Fenced Areas (9) Uplands/ Meadows Greenline Ecological Status (GES) Greenline Stability Rating (GSR) Desired Condition 61 7 Streambank Stability 80% Streambank Cover 90% Seedling/Young Woody Age Class 25% Mature Woody Age Class 25% Dead/Decadant Woody Age Class <10% Hydric Plant Composition 72% Stream Width:Depth Ratio <10 Time Frame Adaptive Management Strategy 5-10 years 4 a-d Percent Bare Soil <10% 1-5 years 5 a-d Carex capitata: Population Size Compaction; pedistalling/postholing heights; area extent in fens <20% reduction pop size <20% increase in bulk density Annually 3 years; 3-5 years 1, 5, 10 years 6 a-d 6 a-d Percent Cover >80% years 6 a-d Species Composition High to mod. similarity years 6 a-d 3

4 Adaptive Management Adaptive management is, a system of management practices based on clearly identified intended outcomes and monitoring to determine if management actions are meeting those outcomes; and if not, to facilitate management changes that would best ensure that those outcomes are met or re-evaluated (36 CFR 220.3). Adaptive management allows resource specialists to deal with uncertainty and changing conditions over time. It provides the Responsible Official with constrained flexibility to adapt (Quimby 1-28). Adaptive management strategies would be used to ensure: Sites at desired condition remain in desired condition; Sites not in desired condition have an upward trend or an acceptable static trend; and Use standards are being met. The overall strategy consists of an annual adaptive management strategy, and a long-term adaptive management strategy which would focus on two different types of range monitoring: implementation and effectiveness monitoring. Adaptive management would be used when monitoring indicates that current management actions are not reaching defined objectives or desired conditions (See above). The annual adaptive management strategy describes how adjustments would be made within the grazing season to ensure annual use standards are met. Implementation monitoring determines whether management practices are implemented as specified by the Responsible Official, and verifies whether management actions were implemented as designed. Implementation monitoring would include actual use (livestock numbers and days), condition of range improvements, woody species use, stubble height, streambank alteration, upland utilization and other management items. The long-term adaptive management strategy describes how adaptive management would be used to ensure the three objectives previously stated above are achieved. Effectiveness Monitoring (generally conducted every 3-10 years) determines if management practices are moving the allotment toward desired conditions and management objectives, and may include measurements of attributes such as plant composition, ground cover, frequency, streambank stability, woody species height/age class and other standards. This monitoring would occur once every 3 to 10 years. 1. All Jack Creek Adaptive Management Strategy (based on Annual Implementation Monitoring) a. If the implementation monitoring indicates use standards along the creek are being exceeded for two consecutive years or in any two out of five years, as recommended by Holechek et al. 1998, then the pasture it occurred in will be rested the next grazing season. b. After resting, if monitoring indicates use standards along the creek are being exceeded for two consecutive years or in any two out of five years, then the pasture it occurred in will be rested the next two grazing season. c. After resting for two years, if monitoring indicates use standards along the creek are being exceeded for two consecutive years or in any two out of five years, then the pasture it occurred in will be excluded from grazing until desire conditions are met. 4

5 2. Fen Adaptive Management Strategy (based on Annual Implementation Monitoring) a. If the implementation monitoring indicates use standards in an individual fen have been exceeded one year, then the fen it occurred in more herding will be required the next grazing season. b. After herding, if monitoring indicates use standards in an individual fen have been exceeded one year, then the fen it occurred in an offsite water source will be installed, temporary fencing will be installed until water source can be developed. c. After installing water source, if monitoring indicates use standards in an individual fen have been exceeded one year, then the fen it occurred in will be fenced off. 3. Meadow Adaptive Management Strategy (based on Annual Implementation Monitoring) a. If the implementation monitoring indicates allowable use levels in a meadows are being exceeded for two consecutive years or in any two out of five years, as recommended by Holechek et al. 1998, then increased riding/herding would be required. b. After increasing riding/herding, if monitoring indicates allowable use levels in a meadow are being exceeded for two consecutive years or in any two out of five years, then that meadow would be temporarily fenced out. c. After temporarily fencing the meadow, if monitoring indicates allowable use levels in a pasture are being exceeded for two consecutive years or in any two out of five years, then a permanent fence would be constructed around the area(s) of concern. 4. Jack Creek Adaptive Management Strategy (based on Long-Term Effectiveness Monitoring) a. If the effectiveness monitoring indicates a downward trend in an attribute in riparian desired condition, then that pasture s use standards would be more restrictive. b. After restricting use standards in a pasture, if monitoring indicates a downward trend in any attribute described in riparian desired condition then the pasture it occurred in will be excluded from grazing until upward trend is recorded. c. After desired conditions move upward in a pasture, if monitoring indicates a downward trend in any attribute described in riparian desired condition, then pasture will be excluded from grazing until desired conditions are completely met. d. Finally, if the last strategy fails riparian desired conditions need to be re-evaluated to determine if they are attainable through natural recovery. 5. Fen Adaptive Management Strategy (based on Long-Term Effectiveness Monitoring) a. If the effectiveness monitoring indicates >10% bare soil, then that fen s use standards would be more restrictive or changed. b. After restricting or changing use standards in the fen, if monitoring indicates >10% bare soil, then the fen it occurred in an offsite water source will be installed, temporary fencing will be installed until water source can be developed. c. After installing water source, if monitoring indicates >10% bare soil, then the fen it occurred in will be fenced off. d. Finally, if the last strategy fails fen desired conditions need to be re-evaluated to determine if they are attainable through natural recovery. 5

6 6. Meadows Adaptive Management Strategy (based on Long-Term Effectiveness Monitoring) a. If the effectiveness monitoring indicates a downward trend in any attribute described in meadows desired condition, then that pasture s use standards would be more restrictive. b. After restricting use standards in a meadow, if monitoring indicates a downward trend in any attribute described in meadow desired condition then the pasture it occurred in will be excluded from grazing until upward trend is recorded. c. After desired conditions move upward, if monitoring indicates a downward trend in any attribute described in meadow desired condition, then pasture will be excluded from grazing until desired conditions are completely met. d. Finally, if the last strategy fails meadow desired conditions need to be re-evaluated to determine if they are attainable through natural recovery. 7. Jack Creek Perennial Low Water Levels Adaptive Management Strategy (based on Field Visits) a. If the field visits indicates that water levels in perennial waters in Jack become intermittent then gates to pastures will be closed or temporary fencing will be installed to prevent livestock access to the creek. b. After closing gates or fencing the creek, if livestock continue to access the creek then livestock will be completely removed from the pasture of concern. 8. Jack Creek Intermittent Low Water Levels Adaptive Management Strategy (based on Field Visits) a. If the field visits indicates that water levels at Pool D goes below 1.5 feet* then gates to pastures will be closed or temporary fencing will be installed to prevent livestock access to the creek. b. After closing gates or fencing the creek, if livestock continue to access the creek then livestock will be completely removed from the pasture of concern. 9. Jack 2 Ponds Adaptive Management Strategy (based on Annual Implementation Monitoring) a. If the implementation monitoring indicates allowable use levels at the ponds are being exceeded then temporary fencing will be installed to prevent livestock access to the ponds. b. After fencing the ponds, if livestock continue to access the ponds then livestock will be completely removed from the pasture. *This number was based on 3 years of data. The number can be changed up or down if a larger data set provides better information. 6