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Adaptive Management in Sage-grouse Habitat Restoration Petroleum Association of Wyoming 12 th Annual Reclamation Conference Improving Practices and Decisions Through Adaptive Management Douglas Core Area Restoration Team

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Page 1: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Adaptive Management in Sage-grouse Habitat Restoration

Petroleum Association of Wyoming 12th Annual Reclamation Conference

Improving Practices and Decisions Through Adaptive ManagementDouglas Core Area Restoration Team

Page 2: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Who is the Douglas Core Area Restoration Team?

A multi-stakeholder team comprised of partners working

to advance collective knowledge of sage-grouse

habitat conservation.

Initial Site Tour, conducted in Spring 2014

The team’s focus has been:1. Developing projects to enhance sage-grouse seasonal habitat2. Restoring previously disturbed habitat3. Implementing projects that target local threats to sage-grouse

in northeastern WYInitial Site Tour, conducted in Spring 2014

Page 3: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

The Douglas Core Area Restoration TeamA Multi-Stakeholder Team

USDA-NRCSWilliams Wyoming Department of AgricultureWyoming Game and Fish DepartmentWyoming Stockgrowers Land Trust

DCA RT Technical Support: Trihydro Corporation and WEST Inc.

Audubon RockiesBureau of Land ManagementChesapeake EnergyConverse County Conservation DistrictCrestwood MidstreamThe Nature ConservancyThunder Basin Grasslands Prairie

Ecosystem AssociationUnited States Fish and Wildlife ServiceUniversity of Wyoming

Page 4: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Presentation Outline

1. Establishment of the Douglas Core Area Restoration Team

2. Using principles of adaptive management to enhance sage-grouse habitat

a. Research, learning, and change3. Approach – SGEO, Ecological, and Cost

elements4. Value of Collaboration and Outreach

Improving Practices and Decisions Through Adaptive Management

Page 5: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

How did the Douglas Core Area Restoration Team come together?

• 2013 – Chesapeake Energy Development Plan for the Douglas Core Area (DCA)

• Mitigation Hierarchy• Avoid• Minimize• Mitigate

• Restoration Team (RT) was established to enhance sage-grouse habitat within the DCA

Page 6: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Background on the Douglas Core Area• Eastern Wyoming• Core Area along the

eastern boundary of current distribution of Greater sage-grouse

• In 2013, disturbance > 5%

• Valid and existing rights for oil and gas development

• Small number of birds and leks

• Numerous wildfires within the last 25 years

Page 7: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Sagebrush ecosystem• Post-wildfire recovery

differs across the ecosystem

• In northeast WY, perennial herbaceous species rapidly return

• Recovery can take decades or centuries

Credit: USGS 2014

Page 8: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Reducing Disturbance within the Douglas Core Area

• Reclassifying successfully reclaimed oil and gas pipelines and well pads (182 acres)

• Focusing on several wildfire areas (> 5000 acres)

• Six project sites (2014-2018)

• Approximately 100,000 sagebrush seedlings planted

• 992 acres in discrete project areas including a recent (2016) burn

• 5,280 acres in North Burn; projects complementing WGFD planting efforts

Page 9: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Using Adaptive Management to Enhance Habitat

2013 2014 2020

DCA RT forms

2015 20172016 2018 2019

East Antelope

Flat Top Project

Walker Creek S-19

DCA RT Restoration Plan

Projects Monitoring

Walker Creek North Burn 1

South Fork Walker Creek

Bill Hall Burn 1

Walker Creek North Burn 2

Bill Hall Burn 2

East Antelope 2

Walker Creek North Burn 3

Flat Top Project 2

Page 10: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Seed source islands – Sagebrush OutplantingsBurn perimeter

Page 11: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Approach and Adaptive Management in Restoration

1. Survival2. Growth of individual seedlings3. Development into patches of cover with

functional value and future target of 5% sagebrush cover

4. Recruitmenta. Seedhead production and viable

seedb. Successful germination and

establishment from seed produced by planted seedlings

Page 12: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

1. Initial recruitment-outplanting/establishing seed source “islands”

2. Resource competition –fabric mulch

3. Herbivory – fencing4. Facilitating future

recruitment – current research

Sagebrush Restoration within the Douglas Core Area – Confronting the Challenges

Goals: Survival, growth, persistence, reproductive maturity

Page 13: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Sagebrush Outplanting Investigations• Fencing/Exclosures• Planting method – auger versus hoedad• Fabric mulch size• Seedling planting density• Timeframe to removing infrastructure, fabric

mulch• Costs (labor and material)

Page 14: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

East Antelope Burn Restoration Project• High Priority• UW graduate student research site• Learning experience• Area: 262 Acres; 16,000 seedlings

Page 15: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Balancing the trade-offs between cost and project success

• Reviewing results annually• Key Success Indicators – Some constant and some have

changed• Gathering/analyzing data on initial, short-, and long-

term growth and survival• Each project reflects lessons learned

Page 16: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

What have we learned?Short-term• Sagebrush outplantings accelerate

restoration process• Survival of outplanted seedlings is

high• Fabric mulch and fencing help to

maximize growth• Seed production starts after 1-2 years

post-planting • Area of impact can be limited, cost

can be high • Local seed is valuable• Choosing good contractors is essential

Page 17: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

What have we learned?

?

Long-term• Restoring wildfire (or intact) areas is difficult,

takes time, and has an uncertain trajectory• Recruitment is unpredictable• Area of impact can be limited • Herbivory is significant• Long-term growth and changes in cover are

slow• Sage-grouse have begun to use some

restoration areas• Returning large landscapes to suitable

habitat (5% sagebrush cover) is an uncertain process

Page 18: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Using Adaptive Management to Design Future Projects

1. Larger, lower density seed source islands across the landscapea. No protection, no mulch

2. Project design based on nearly 5 years of ecological and cost data

3. Continue to investigate recruitment4. Seed pods to enhance forb diversity

and sagebrush establishment5. Continue to build restoration data set

Page 19: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Outreach, Stakeholders, Partnerships

• Landowner liaisons• Graduate student research assistantships• Successful working relationships with

private landowners• Team engagement with on-the-ground

fieldwork• Knowledge sharing – site tours,

presentations, white papers• Data sharing with landowners• Collaboration• Funding from Chesapeake Energy,

Crestwood Midstream, NRCS RCPP, WGFD-SWAT, WGFD-NELWG

Cornerstone of Project Success

Page 20: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Conclusions – Sharing what we have learned• Evidence of use – If you build it, they

will use it• Data supported practices for

successfully re-establishing sagebrush• Making inroads into the longer term

understanding of sagebrush restoration within fire-impacted landscapes

• Private landowners and multi-stakeholder teams are partners in conservation/restoration

• Time and more research are needed to understand sagebrush recruitment and potential ways to facilitate it

Page 21: WHITE 201912 DCART PAW ReclamationConferencev-final...2019/12/12  · Title Microsoft PowerPoint - WHITE 201912_DCART_PAW_ReclamationConferencev-final Author Esther Created Date 12/13/2019

Questions?

Sagebrush seed collection for growing seedlings, Fall 2013

Jana White, [email protected]