Farm406

farm406 40 e reasons for the potential difference aren't known. Foster suggested it could be the result of behavioral avoidance of cows by predators. Regardless of the reasons, it wasn't long before that scientific observation, along with the findings about the value of leaving residual cover, evolved into a rallying cry for conservationists: What's good for the herd is good for the bird. Good rangeland management practices, like leaving residual cover and controlling grazing duration – benefit the rancher while maintaining the habitat sage-grouse need. e conservation plan for the Cross W Ranch evolved from Bret's needs, the resource inventory developed by Knapp and her team, and Melissa Foster's study, which mapped the various habitat types used by sage-grouse during the year. For Bret and his wife, Kim, the first priority was addressing the lack of reliable water. eir conservation objectives included improving plant density and overall forage production, decreasing soil erosion, and maintaining and enhancing habitat for sage-grouse, mule deer, and antelope. Knapp's team conducted rangeland and riparian health assessments and cover transects to compare the existing plant communities with their potential for a particular site. e quality and quantity of wildlife habitat was evaluated and rated. Foster's data was used to map winter, breeding, nesting, and brood- rearing habitat for sage-grouse on the property; it also showed how the birds tended to move around the area, which proved helpful for Knapp and her team in deciding where to locate new cross-fencing. ere were a few areas with significant erosion that occurred 100 years ago, when first sheep, and later cows, were concentrated in creek booms to access water. e plan called for removing 5.5 miles of woven mesh fencing, another relic of the sheep ranching era, a type of fencing considered a hazard for sage-grouse and other wildlife. e old fencing was replaced with four-strand barbed wire outfied with reflectors, each about the size of a playing card. Reflectors help reduce sage-grouse collisions with fences; four-strand fencing enables large wildlife like pronghorn antelope to slide underneath the boom strand on their bellies, avoiding injury. Bret's new property included several mesic areas, which are vital to the growth and development of sage-grouse chicks. ese are places where the ground remains wet or moist year-round. In late summer, when uplands habitats are baked dry, hens lead their chicks to mesic sites, which are shaded, significantly cooler, and harbor lots of insects. e young birds are growing rapidly at this point and they feed heavily on beetles, ants, caterpillars and other invertebrates. e placement of stock tanks and the grazing plan were aimed at eir conservation objectives included improving plant density and overall forage production, decreasing soil erosion, and maintaining and enhancing habitat for sage-grouse, mule deer, and antelope. Mesic area on the Cross-W Ranch, Ekalaka, MT. Photo, Eliza Wiley, Helena, MT.

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