2015 RMBO HAR-CeRSER poster (final2)

2015 RMBO HAR-CeRSER poster (final2)

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  Wetland/Riparian Restoration withOffsite Livestock Water Development (Route County, CO) • Restored shallow water wetland, installed water control structure and repaired head cut. • Installed cross fence to exclude livestock from wetlands and to create a wetland/riparian pasture. This will allow for a 10 year wetland/riparian vegetation recovery before being grazed again on a 3-5 year flash grazing basis. • Developed a prescribed grazing plan and installed a solar pump livestock watering system. • Transplanted 1,400 coyote willow whips throughout the 7,200’ riparian system. • Landowner restored one pond on his own and removed several miles of unused fencing, wire and trash from the property. Site Conditions Before Restoration Migratory Shorebird Use of Mud flats About Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory “Connecting People, Birds, and Land” RMBO conserves birds and their habitats through an integrated approach of science, education and land stewardship. Our work radiates from the Rockies to the Great Plains, Mexico and beyond. Our mission is advanced through sound science, achieved through empowering people, realized through stewardship and sustained through partnerships. Together, we are improving native bird populations, the land and the lives of people. Conservation on Private Lands: Creating Partnerships and Adapting Agricultural Practices to Restore Functional Landscapes for Wildlife Lee, Colin K.*; Bee, Gillian; Quattrini, Laura; and VerCauteren, Tammy www.rmbo.org ● (970) 482-1707 ● [email protected] Wildlife-friendly stock tanks and fencing Simple adaptions of standard agricultural practices can reduce wildlife mortality. Private Lands Restoration Examples Managed grazing to create structural diversity Varying the timing, intensity, and duration of grazing can help provide habitat for a diversity of native grassland birds (Diagram from Knopf and Samson 1997) Structure for Water Control Borrow area for dam restoration 10:1 Slope w/new spillway Wetland/riparian exclosure cross fence Before Juniper Removal After Juniper Removal Climate Change and Wet Meadow Resilience (Gunnison County, CO) • Installing on-the-ground practices to improve climate adaptation resilience of riparian areas and wet meadows. • These habitats used as brood-rearing habitat by Gunnison Sage Grouse and are impacted by head cuts, erosion, and lowered water tables. • Focus on inexpensive, low-tech structures. • Project in collaboration with the Gunnison Climate Working Group. Targeted Conifer Removal to Restore Sagebrush (Moffatt County, CO) • Removal of juniper and other conifers that have invaded sagebrush rangelands due to fire suppression and historic overgrazing. • These habitats essential for sage grouse. • Focus on early encroachment stands where small trees are completely removed. • Improved forage production and continued grazing under a prescribed grazing plan. Stewardship Accomplishments 2008 – 2014 • 700 projects enhancing over 460,000 acres • 1,170 landowner visits, plus reaching over 10,000 individuals through workshops and other outreach efforts Geographic Scope and Stewardship Model Working with Landowners to Enhance Agricultural Practices Informed through Science, Supported through Education Accomplishments * RMBO Stewardship Biologists are jointly funded through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other partners shown here.