Managing Post-Wildfire: Ranchers Urged to Track Hay and Watch for Weeds
Wildfires have raised ugly smoke plumes around many parts of the state this summer and early fall. In their wake, many ranchers and land managers with blackened ranges and destroyed fences are left to wonder how they will feed their livestock in the immediate term and through the coming winter.
Thankfully, hay donations have poured into the state from friends and strangers alike. This forage has come in every shape and composition imaginable.
Along with the generosity in which they were given, these bales carry with them a risk for unintentionally introducing new weed species to already sensitive and disturbed sites.
Keep detailed records
The message has been repeated over and over in public meetings for many ranchers affected by wildfire this season – keep detailed records. These detailed records should include the origins of any hay donations received and the location where it is fed to hungry livestock.
Limiting the number of sites where outside hay is fed to the extent possible, recording these sites and tracking the hay source is recommended.
Another overlooked opportunity for new weed species to enter a burned site is via the vehicles and equipment involved in the fire suppression efforts.
Large wildfires draw together teams from all around the country. Despite best efforts to decontaminate equipment between fire jobs, there is the possibility noxious weed seeds hitched a ride under a fender or in the sole of an unsuspecting work boot.
Making notes of fire suppression perimeters, areas with heavy outside vehicle traffic and any crew staging areas will improve awareness of sites that should be monitored as the range recovers.
The recordkeeping process can be as simple as keeping a clipboard or a notebook tucked near the seat of the feed tractor or ranch pick-up where notes can be made during feeding chores or as fence reconstruction work picks up.
It might also be helpful to print an aerial map of the affected property and make notes directly onto it.
Watch for unknown species
As the range recovers and the plant community responds to moisture this fall and next spring, ranchers and land managers should keep an eye out for any plants they don’t recognize.
Once present on the landscape, invasive and noxious weeds can quickly overtake native plants and rob them of essential light, water and nutrients.
It is recommended anyone working on rangelands in the state become familiar with the pest species in their area. Lists of Wyoming designated and county-declared noxious species can be viewed online at bit.ly/pestplantwy.
In the Northeast region of the state, extra vigilance should be taken to monitor for the invasive annual grasses ventenata and medusahead rye. More information about these species can be found at invasivegrasses.com/newigwg.
Contact a local Wyoming Weed and Pest District or University of Wyoming (UW) Extension office for assistance identifying suspect plant species.
Early detection is key
When caught early, new infestations of noxious weeds can be managed and resolved using less time and fewer resources.
Early detection and rapid response is a strategy in weed science, defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “a coordinated set of actions to find and eradicate new and emerging invasive species in a specific location before they can spread and cause harm.”
Accurate records will help ranchers and other land managers recognize if there is a pattern to pest plant populations, which will aid in identifying other areas which may need more vigilant monitoring.
Resources are available
The sheer amount of work many Wyoming ranchers and land managers are facing in the wake of wildfires is overwhelming.
UW Extension has assembled a resource library, which is available at bit.ly/wy-wildfire.
Anyone experiencing a crisis can call or text 833-897-2474 to receive free and confidential support tailored to the agricultural community.
Micah Most is the agriculture and natural resources educator with UW Extension serving Johnson County and north-central Wyoming. He can be reached at mmost@uwyo.edu or 307-684-7522.
