In May and early June 2008, fire management staff joined with resource management staff in an effort to eradicate the invasive species, cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum. A propane torch was used to wilt the plants before they went to seed.
On May 21, members of the fire crew and a natural resources ranger traveled to Manzanita Lake to wilt cheatgrass plants by passing the propane torch over them until they either caught fire or turned a brighter green, similar to steamed broccoli. This was an experimental technique and it was unknown if one pass with the torch would be effective, or if several passes were necessary.
On June 22, 2008, personnel from both divisions met at Butte Lake. The target treatment area consisted of a ¼ mile section along a trail towards the east side of Butte Lake. The team determined that working from the top of the unit to the bottom would be the safest and most effective. They decided to make only one pass with the torch. While one firefighter treated the cheatgrass with a propane torch, the other followed with a water backpack to extinguish hotspots. The resource management ranger kept track of what had been wilted and what needed to be treated. Additional personnel were continuously taking weather and assisting with scraping tools as necessary. This treatment took about an hour and forty minutes. The team treated additional populations at the park’s heliport.
After 24 hours, observations indicated that all of the plants appeared to be drying out and dying. Natural resource management staff, along with the fire management crew, employed firing techniques which should reduce the regeneration of cheat grass with several prescribed fire projects scheduled for this fall. While the results of this experimental treatment are not conclusive, the operation was a success from an interdisciplinary perspective. The fire management staff felt it was a good training session early in their season for their crew, and natural resources staff was happy to have the cheatgrass treated in a safe and hopefully effective manner.
Contact: Michelle Cox, Plant Biologist
Phone: (530) 595-4444 ext. 5201
*This story supports the National Fire Plan |
