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> October 11, 2007

**Testimony to U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources\--
Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests**

The following discussion embodies the ranching industry's views
regarding the relatively recent increase of catastrophic rangeland fire
in the Great Basin and throughout the West. First and foremost, we agree
that the causes of wildfire are extremely complex, but there are rather
predictable consequences. The recent fire events, beginning in 1999
followed previous seasons of normal or above-normal precipitation. The
results were substantial heavy growth and production. When fuels are
allowed to build up and carry over through multiple years, and the
inevitable dry summer follows, the stage is set for extreme fire
potential. These accumulated grass-based fine fuels serve as a ladder to
carry the flame between larger brush and shrubs. The fuel situation is
multiplied by a reduced manipulation of heavier woody plants.
Un-impacted, late seral stage decadent brush and expanding stands of
Pinion Juniper have been allowed to increase in acreage, because of
concern for dependent wildlife. In reality, sage grouse and mule deer
require a mosaic of brush, with a full spectrum of seral stages.
Juvenile sage is even more

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important than extremely mature sage. This variety of habitat is
necessary from a landscape perspective.

Climate change has the potential to move the cheat grass-prone
environment to higher elevations. Currently, these elevations have a
higher precipitation potential and a greater

probability of natural release and recovery to a pre-fire state. The
tons of particulate matter, carbon dioxide and other gases released into
the air during a fire are incalculable , and dust/ash storms during the
following months degrade our fabled Nevada blue skies to a hazy brown.
These environmental insults only worsen the potential for future climate
changes.

We have watched our lower elevation valley floors burn, only to see
invasive cheat grass replace what were once perennial bunch grasses,
sage and other shrubs. The scenario was then set for repetitive
short-cycle fires that easily burn through the early maturing, highly
flammable monoculture stands of cheat grass. Once established, cheat
grass stands are very difficult to rehabilitate back to perennial grass
and brush that are home to the wildlife native to the Great Basin.
Additionally, the renewable grazing resource is altered, perhaps
irrevocably, for a family-based industry that depends upon both public
and private rangelands throughout the West.

Our concern has shifted somewhat. In the last few years, we have seen
catastrophic, high-intensity, enormous acreage firestorms in our higher
elevation prime rangelands. These are the finest examples of Great Basin
landscape and habitat for all manner of animals, both wild and

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domestic. These types of fires exhibit behavior so extreme that if winds
are added, safe fire suppression is impossible. It is difficult to find
a location to make a stand .

Over the last thirty years, the trend has been to reduce impacts to the
land. Regulatory actions have decreased the number of AUM's permitted on
public lands, and actions to manipulate heavy fuels or break up
landscapes with green strips have been hampered, often due to
litigation. Of concern is the tendency for single issues to drive the
entire management of a given watershed. These issues vary from post-fire
regeneration and rehabilitation, to endangered species recovery, to
bitterbrush and aspen growth or concerns over riparian health. We in the
livestock industry agree that these are all very worthy, but forage and
fuel management have been ignored to the extent that catastrophic fire
totally wipes out all of the above listed values.

Below is a short list of negatives resulting from wildfire:

> Soil erosion (wind and water)
>
> Reduction of moisture absorption (huge fires can affect entire
> watershed functionality)
>
> Reduce feed and cover for all wildlife
>
> Degradation of air and water quality, both short and long term
>
> Degradation of viewscape
>
> Introduction of invasive weeds (cheat grass, thistle)
>
> Reduction of livestock grazing
>
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>
> Displacement and economic strain on rangeland-dependent families
>
> Extreme cost of rehabilitation
>
> Prolonged time interval to get back to growth of woody shrubs
>
> Changes in watershed that increase the frequency of fire
>
> Reduction of other multiple uses on public land (hunting, fishing,
> recreation)
>
> Reduced ability to sustain appropriate number of wild horses

Possible solutions:

> Forage build-up and fuel management must be placed at an equal
> priority with other management issues. If it is ignored further, we
> will set back hard-earned landscape improvements by decades.
>
> Another principle we advocate is continuing prescriptive management of
> heavy fuels, such as Pinion Juniper or decadent stands of sagebrush.
> When fire reaches such stands, the flame length, heat and intensity
> increase dramatically. Firefighters can only work the flanks of such
> fire, because safety becomes a major concern. Some fear that sagebrush
> might be eliminated, and that is simply untrue. Breaking up these
> stands with plants of various seral stages and with fire-resistant
> grasses and forbs would not only provide locations to stop the fire,
> but would also be of major benefit to a variety of wildlife.
>
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>
> Perhaps the most critical tool is the stabilization of the soil
> following a burn. Many native species have been unsuccessful at
> out-competing cheat grass infestation. Resource management
> professionals contend that some cultivars of native grasses are being
> developed to do a much better job. That being said, the simple truth
> is that non-native bunch grasses have a much better opportunity of
> success. The bottom line is that stabilization and out-competing of
> cheat grass is absolutely the most important approach we can take in
> this endeavor. If the goal is to eventually have some shrubs and
> brush, then aggressive perennial grass re-establishment is the
> critical first step. Many complain that such seeding only provides
> livestock feed, and that is most certainly a true assertion on the
> part of our critics. It just happens that such perennial, non-native
> grasses also give us the best opportunity to salvage our treasured
> landscape.
>
> Well-managed livestock grazing plays a major role in fuels management
> and healthy ranges. Grazing will not eliminate fire, but it will,
> absolutely, alter the fire activity and behavior. Fires where
> livestock have removed 400 to 800 lbs. of grass per acre will burn
> with much lower intensity and speed. One will observe large islands
> and fingers of unburned surface. Also, skeletons of burned brush and
> crowns of bunch grasses remain intact, and they have a much higher
> potential for rapid recovery, even without expensive rehab efforts.

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> Grazing also aids in control of cheat grass-prone areas. Very early
> season grazing can reduce cheat grass production, thus allowing an
> opportunity for the reestablishment of perennials. New grazing
> innovations are being tested to promote very late-season cheat grass
> grazing to assist in reduction of carryover of fuels into the next
> season. Flexibility must be given to land managers to allow grazing
> for this specific prescriptive function.

In short, grazing plays an important role in both fire pre-suppression
and post-fire rehabilitation.

Respectfully Submitted,

Boyd M. Spratling, D.V.M.

Boyd M. Spratling, D.V.M.

President, Nevada Cattleman's Association

Box 310

Elko, Nevada 89801

(775)752-3824

boyddvm@outbacknv.us

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