Brenda Richards highlights native and invasive grasses in the Owyhee Front and explains their effect on wildfire risk and targeted cattle grazing on Wednesday.
Cattle graze on targeted land affected by the 2015 Soda Fire which burned thousands of acres in the Owyhee foothills, shown here on Wednesday.
Jake King/For The Idaho Press
Brenda Richards highlights native and invasive grasses in the Owyhee Front and explains their effect on wildfire risk and targeted cattle grazing on Wednesday.
The herd of black and brown cows and their calves idly grazing just off the road in the Owyhee Front are unfortunately completely unaware of the important purpose they’re serving.
This spring, the cheatgrass in the rangeland is tall and green and full of nutrition for the ranging cattle. When the invasive species is allowed to keep growing long and tall, it eventually dries out during the hot months and becomes extremely flammable.
Livestock grazing on public lands is one tool state and federal land managers are using to reduce wildfire fuels. This doesn’t prevent fires from happening, but will hopefully help slow them down or keep them from growing out of control.
“Livestock play an important role in helping us reduce fine fuel loading out there on our rangelands,” Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller said. “Proper grazing is a good thing on rangelands. It helps stimulate the production of natural bunch grass communities, helps reduce fuel loading and decrease the risk of catastrophic fire and it’s beneficial for wildlife that utilize the range as well.”
With the heavy precipitation at the beginning of spring in Idaho, the range could see a lot of what’s known as fine fuels; these are fast-drying foliage, such as grasses and twigs. They typically cover a lot of surface area, ignite readily and are rapidly consumed by fire, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
