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Show - inSal Mnnntain Chaining Protect Aimed at Improving Range W W M V V W - - - - . " .Jin i hi i . i iii.ii. . : fj'l " ' "" ' : mJ .A" . t ?;.a v-- t- -ti - n 4ir, : The large and heavy chain used for haimgdown I Pmyon and juniper in the Amasas Ba g j Manti-Lasal National Forest is s feet one of the chaining stops. The cnain, r lone anH w.ihin. 91.000 pounds, is punea uy huge D-8 Caterpiller tractors. Reseeding of the areas will begin as soon as possible with complete regrowth expected in three or four years. The LaSal Mountains rise in the background. By Ernie Miln'er Selective chaining of juniper ju-niper and pinyon on the Manti - LaSal National Forest is in the nearly completed stage this week. During the past week, crews have been busy on three areas of the Forest to aid in critical crit-ical deer winter range and also increased forage for cattle during the year. The Slaughter Flats, Dorry Canyon & Amasas Back areas are being selectively sel-ectively chained to give good winter grazing and needed range improvements improve-ments for cattle. The areas ar-eas that have been worked work-ed are heavily covered with trees and little else will grow. Two D-8 Caterpiller tractors have been pulling pull-ing a 350-ft. long chain weighing 21 thousand lbs. The chain breaks down and sometimes uproots the trees and smaller shrubs. It also loosens the ground so planting can be started as soon as possible. The chained areas have been laid out carefully so as to blend into the rest of the terrain and background. back-ground. A study by archaeologists arch-aeologists will be conducted con-ducted to determine the effect of chaining on the sites where artifacts are known to exist. The three areas will be I closed to cattle grazing for the next three years and vehicles should be kept on the roads in these areas. The three year time period will give the area time to have the chained shrubs and trees broken down and the new foliage a chance to become be-come established. Firewood Fire-wood collectors will also be able to gather wood in these areas with permits per-mits from the Forest Service. The Forest Service and the Division of Wildlife Management are working together in this project with the Forest Service doing the labor and the Wildlife Division supplying sup-plying seed for the restoration re-storation of the areas involved. in-volved. The areas total over 1,000 acres and with the aid of the two caterpil-lers, caterpil-lers, an average of 100 acres a day can be cleared. clear-ed. The project should be completed this week. |