Show BLI Ll 1 I Resource Conservation Area At Brush Creels Creck Combines Plans The Brush r Creek r Re- Re dramatic illustration of how programs and activities are put into practice on pUblic lands administered by the Bu reau of Land Management reports Vernal District Man Manager ager ger Odell A Frandsen This Resource Conservation tion Area RCA Is located y bout 10 miles north of 01 Ver- Ver Vernal n nal l and lies between Brush Creek and Little Brush Creek Its boundaries em- em embrace embrace brace nearly acres of lands SEVERAL RANGE im provement projects are alC now completed in this RCA and more are planned for the fut fut- future ure The first project finished in 1954 made a drastic im Im- Improvement provement In the rangeland em Donkey Flat This project actually chan chan- changed ged the type of vegetation on 45 acres of land by replacing ing sagebrush with various grasses grass s Its success is borne out by the fact that it now takes only one fourth as much rangeland to feed a cow as be- be before before fore the treatment TWO OTHER projects were completed this fall both involving different methods of treatment In the first case acres of land was plowed to remove the sagebrush Seeds of f several pro meat grasses and browse plants were spread over the entire area and then a heavy chain was dragged over the ground by two large tractors to stir up the soil and seeds The seeds will lie dormant over winter and will sprout into new plants next spring In a nearby area addi addi- additional acres was given another er kind of treatment Because this piece of land was cover cover- covered ed with thick juniper trees which chocked out better for for- forage age plants it was necessary to remove these trees To do this a large anchor chain was hooked between two caterpillar tractors and drag dragged ed up and down the area in strips The chain liter liter- literally ally ripped up the trees by their roots and knocked them to the ground Soon after an airplane loaded with seed was flown over the treated area to drop grass and browse seeds to the ground As a final measure the chain was again dragged over and through the downed trees to mix seed and soil together Growth of these new plants will also begin next spring IT WILL REQUIRE at least three years for the new plants to firmly establish themselves if they are grazed extensively ively before then they will willbe willbe be damaged During that per rod lod no livestock will be allow allow- allowed allowed ed in the treated area Fences have been built to control livestock use and protect the new plants The Vernal District invited other federal state and local organizations as well as livestock operators to par par- participate in the Brush Creek RCA program To date help has been received from the I Utah Fish and Game ame Depart I j C 1 L Ul w l J d S i Wll VB- VB District Vernal Rod and Gun Club and the live live- livestock stock operators using this public land OTHER PROJECTS will begin on this ered land next spring A con con- contract tract was let on November 29 for the construction of 19 ero- ero control sion-control dams These dams will be strategically located in several washes to prevent valuable top soil from wash wash- washing ing down streams and gullies into the Green River They will also slow down th the grow grow- growth th of gullies created by run run- runoff off water and will give new vegetation time to establish it- it itself It self and hold the soil in place These dams will be spread over the entire acre Re- Re Resource Resource source Conservation Area Several game closures will also be constructed in the Brush Creek RCA These are small enclosed tracts sur sur- sur surrounded rounded by high fences to keep wildlife and Ii livestock away from the forage plants inside Purpose of these enclosures is to make comparisons be be- be between tween plants which are us ed and those which are not This information will guide the in managing public lands under its administration tion said Mr Frandsen w u uW W v A i r q qa 7 a BEFORE TREATMENT Thick sagebrush chokes out valuable able forage plants In the Brush Creek Resource Conser- Conser Conservation Area photos T 1 w of W 4 4 DURING TREATMENT Sagebrush is plowed up Seed is planted tj t Ji I tJ f t 1 I t rJ i i tt Jt ft r f i f l to 9 W I i r i I 1 t tt 1 t t t 10 1 Y t x M S I hY w dr h A 1 jy f fd d t t it i JH 1 jf IJ th 11 JOtI O 4 l 9 iJ il t fI 1 1 I kJ AFTER TREATMENT Thick grass g grows r oW'S t to 0 provide more ore feed to range range animals Note dead sagebrush s in fn foreground |