Multiple Use 

Management—

Dixie Harrow Style

By Larry Greenwood

Wildlife Biologist, BLM, Richfield 

Field Office

Many rangeland areas within the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Richfield (Utah) Field 

Office were severely overgrazed by 

uncontrolled livestock during the 

late 1800s. This resulted in a loss 

of cool-season grasses and perennial 

forbs and a conversion to highly palatable, young, productive big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.). 

The conversion to big sagebrush 

created beneficial habitat for species such as the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), greater sage-grouse 

(Centrocercus urophasianus), and 

pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis [Merriam, 1891]) and resulted 

in an increase in their populations 

during the early and mid-1900s. 

Many of these rangeland areas now 

consist of a monoculture of old, 

decadent, big sagebrush (80 to 100 

years old), which is less desirable for 

sagebrush–steppe species. Desirable 

perennial grasses and forbs are still 

absent from the rangeland, resulting 

in minimal vegetative diversity. The 

rangeland needs active management 

to become productive and diverse in 

its vegetation and wildlife. 

In 1997, Richfield Field Office 

personnel began using the Dixie 

Harrow method for treating sagebrush–steppe areas. After seeing the 

results that the USDA Forest Service had with this method on the 

Fishlake National Forest (Utah), 

the BLM decided that it would 

be an excellent tool for multiple use 

rangeland treatments. The Dixie 

Harrow method allows for sitespecific treatment, which creates 

a diversified landscape that meets 

the needs of multiple use management. The average cost per acre is 

$60.00. 

An advantage of the method 

is that the user can design what 

is to be treated and what is to 

be left untreated. With the Dixie 

Harrow, a resource specialist is able 

to create better habitat and improve 

the watershed by maintaining 

important cover, improving forage diversity and availability, and 

leaving litter on the ground.

The method can be used to restore 

sagebrush–steppe areas and also to 

re-treat existing seedings that are a 

monoculture of crested wheatgrass 

(Agropyron cristatum [L.] Gaertn.) 

or have encroaching pinyon–juniper trees as old as 50 years. For the 

latter, the area needs to be double 

harrowed or broadcast seeded to 

maximize the kill on the trees. This 

is especially true of juniper, which 

will resprout if it is single harrowed. 

The method can be used to redesign existing seedings by leaving 

islands and corridors of untreated 

vegetation for visual resource 

management (VRM) and wildlife 

thermal cover. 

The Dixie Harrow method uses 

a combination of harrowing and 

broadcast seeding. A 425-horsepower John Deere tractor is used 

to pull a Dixie Harrow. The tractor 

tires are filled with water, which 

maximizes traction and allows the 

method to work. Richfield Field 

Office personnel have used two 

different sizes of harrows, depending on terrain. A 43-foot wide, 

16,000-pound harrow is used in 

terrain that is flat to gently sloping. A 27-foot wide, 8,000-pound 

harrow is used in broken terrain that consists of foothills and 

steeper terrain. On-ground use and 

experience has revealed that the 

ideal all-purpose harrow would be 

33 to 35 feet wide. 

A broadcast seeder (Herd Model 

2440, 32 bushel capacity) is 

hooked into the tractor hydraulic 

system and used to apply the seed. 

Seed should be broadcasted at a 

rate of 15 pounds per acre. Single 

harrowing results in the need for 

re-treatment 5 to 7 years after the 

original treatment. Double harrowing extends the life of the treatment 

to 10 to 14 years. The major exception to double harrowing is when 

the project involves crucial deer or 

sage-grouse winter range in an area 

that has old, tall, and decadent big 

sagebrush. In these areas, it may be 

most desirable to single harrow and 

broadcast seed to ensure that plenty 

of sagebrush is left as forage and 

thermal cover for wintering deer 

and sage-grouse. Double harrowing 

can also be used on these crucial 

deer or sage-grouse winter ranges if 

they are extremely rocky (the rocks 

protect the sagebrush plants and 

cause the harrow to ride over them) 

or if a minimum of 50% of the area 

is not treated and left as winter 

forage–thermal cover areas (islands 

and corridors). Single harrowing 

generally results in a 40% to 60% 

reduction of decadent sagebrush; 

double harrowing results in a 70% 

to 90% reduction.

The Dixie Harrow method is 

designed to diversify the age class of 

desirable shrub species and improve 

their productivity. The harrow 

takes out unwanted, decadent 

browse and encroaching, young 

pinyon–juniper trees and leaves the 

desirable grasses, forbs, and young, 

productive browse. Harrowing does 

not negatively affect the native 

grasses and forbs that are present 

on the site. Instead, it releases the 

grasses and forbs by removing the 

NO. 75 DATE 09/10/04

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Resource Note 75

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decadent sagebrush that competes 

for water and light, allowing their 

overall composition to increase.

Treatments using the Dixie Harrow method should occur in fall. 

This prevents unnecessary negative 

effects on various wildlife species by 

keeping the treatment activity out 

of nesting seasons, fawning–calving 

seasons, and the like. Fall treatment 

also helps ensure project success 

for several reasons. First, the onsite 

existing seed from grasses, forbs, 

and browse is fully mature and viable and ready to be planted by the 

action of the harrow. Second, the 

onsite vegetation has gone through 

a full growing season and is ready to 

enter into winter dormancy; therefore, damage to desirable plants is 

minimized. Third, the amount of 

onsite vegetative litter is maximized 

and helps create a better seedbed. 

The action of the harrow in fall 

actually plants desirable perennial 

seeds that are onsite and are not in 

the seed mixture. This is especially 

true of sagebrush and is one reason 

that sagebrush seed is not needed in 

the mixture if there is a good crop 

of seed on the existing sagebrush 

within the treatment area.

The Dixie Harrow can be used in 

areas that have as much as 50% 

rock as ground cover. Although it is 

designed to handle rock, rocky areas 

result in more repairs to the harrow. 

The main problem is high centering 

and damage to the underside of the 

tractor. Areas with large boulders 

(2 feet or more aboveground) have 

to be avoided and are incorporated 

into islands or corridors. 

Many islands and travel corridors are 

left untreated for wildlife and VRM 

values. The untreated areas provide 

crucial thermal cover, forage diversity, and habitat requirements for 

such species as greater sage-grouse 

and pygmy rabbits. The edge effect 

is maximized by feathering all harrowing boundaries. The islands and 

feathered edges give the treatment 

a natural look and satisfy VRM 

concerns. Also, because the seed is 

broadcasted instead of drilled, the 

result is a natural, well-distributed 

look rather than a drilled, unnatural 

look, which often occurs with drill 

seeding. Treated versus untreated 

ratios should be 50:50 or 60:40 to 

meet all multiple use values.

From 1997 through 2003, the 

Richfield Field Office has successfully restored 14,000 acres of sagebrush–steppe habitat by using the 

Dixie Harrow method. The restoration has met the needs of multiple 

use management. The treatments 

were not performed with single use 

management in mind. The Dixie 

Harrow may be a feasible means 

for modifying sagebrush to create 

the type of landscape suitable for 

the sage-grouse, pygmy rabbit, 

and other wildlife. However, other 

factors must be considered in determining the feasibility of the Dixie 

Harrow treatment, such as management objectives, previous land 

use of the site, soil type and depth, 

slope, and existing habitat conditions. Presently, there is only anecdotal evidence to link an increase in 

either sage-grouse or pygmy rabbit 

populations to the Dixie Harrow 

mechanical treatment. Further 

studies could quantify the effects 

on obligate species from Dixie 

Harrow treatments.

Contact

Larry Greenwood

Wildlife Biologist

Bureau of Land Management

Richfield Field Office

150 East 900 North 

Richfield, Utah 84701

Phone: 435-896-1517

Email: 

Larry_Greenwood@ut.blm.gov 

Resource Note 75

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