05-21-19 Field Note

05-21-19 Field Note

May 22, 2019

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By: Jeff Clarke

Restoration Projects:

Jeff Clarke's field note describes the field crew's wildland fire training, milkweed and tree planting, and a visit from a bear.

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Fire training, vegetation berms, milkweed, cottontails, asparagus

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The field crew was certified in wildland firefighting in April

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We removed most of the debris from the Turn Around and capped part of the area with topsoil.

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Cottontails and their babies flourished in the manmade debris at the old Turn Around.

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The field and experimental maintenance crews helped Prairie and Morgan plant a few more vegetation berms on the slope of Partridge Alley Bowl.

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Early this spring we dug up 750 milkweed roots and transplanted them into seven areas

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The new milkweeds were transplanted into the areas outlined in green.

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Last year we sowed thousands of seeds in the wedge near the Turn Around.

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We continue to transplant basin wild rye into open niches along roadsides.

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We planted arrowleaf balsamroot along the entrance road three years ago.

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This spring’s aspen and willow transplants already boast little leaves.

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We decided to kill off the alfalfa fields and re-plant them with sainfoin

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Our sandbags continue to hold. We hope the Bitterroot River peaks soon.

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During some recent night, a bear roamed behind the Shop and left six-inch-wide tracks in the sand.

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Some wild asparagus stalks are already 2.5 feet tall!

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Arrowleaf balsamroots are just beginning to flower.

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Oregon grape blankets the forest floor.

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A goose decided to nest on the North Osprey platform. We eagerly await her chicks.