Where there are problems there are also opportunities. A forward-thinking scientist from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is thinking outside of the herd. His idea, enlisting cattle to create firebreaks through targeted grazing. The goal is for livestock to eat strips of flammable cheatgrass, which will reduce fuel load. According to ProvisionerOnline, his program requires the cooperation of area ranchers to strategically target the grazing patterns of cattle. The goal is for livestock to eat extensive strips of highly flammable cheatgrass down to 2- to 3-inch stubble. This reduces the fuel load that could otherwise turn small rangeland fires into mega-fires in just a few hours.
“Wildfires have become more frequent, threatening human lives, property, and critical natural and cultural resources,” said Pat Clark, a rangeland scientist based at the ARS Northwest Watershed Research Center, in Boise, ID. “Suppressing wildfires costs more than $2.4 billion annually across all wildlands.”
“The current experiment involves projects in Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon,” Clark said. “Timing of the grazing is critical and is complicated by the dynamics of weather, plant growth cycles, and livestock herd management.”
In just four years, targeted grazing has intercepted three wildfires around Elko, NV. Preventing these fires conserved wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and other ecosystem services.
To learn more about this topic visit USDA and to check the current status of wildfires visit the National Interagency Fire Center, and scroll down to Current Wildfires.Source Credit
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