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Six demonstration burns were conducted between 1974 and 1976 as part of the Utah Rangeland Development Program. Big sagebrush (Artemisiu tridentutu), the target species, was essentially eliminated on the areas that were burned. Five of the six burns were seeded, with predominately crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum). Despite the severe drought only one seeding was considered a failure. Forage production increased several-fold above preburn production and is expected to continue to increase as the grass stands mature. An economic analysis of the 1974 burn showed an internal rate of return of 17%. Great risks were associated with the use of fire. Extensive precautions were taken to minimize hazards but variable weather conditions in late summer greatly increased the chance of the fire escaping. Prescribed burning is inexpensive and effective in controlling big sagebrush when adequate safety precautions are taken. 1973) if proper safety precautions are taken and environmental conditions are planned for. Multiple use benefits have been enhanced by fire (Wright 1971). Forage production has increased following burning in sagebrush (Nielsen and Hinkley 1975; Uresk et al. 1976) and juniper (McCulloch 1969). Increased vigor of fire resistant grasses has been observed following burning (Daubenmire 1968). In some situations, water yields have been increased by the removal of sagebrush and juniper (Burkhardt and Tisdale 1969: Warskow 1977). With few exceptions, upland wildlife have an affinity for subclimax plant associations which fire is important in maintaining (Miller 1963). Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentutu) and juniper (Juniperous osteosperma, and J. monosperma) have been the object of many shrub control efforts in the Western United States. These species were present in the climax condition, but overgrazing reduced many desirable species and fire suppression prevented the natural check of sagebrush and juniper (Wright 1977). Sagebrush increased to where it totally dominated much of its original range (Blaisdell 1953; Cottam 1947; Tueller 1973), and juniper increased in density and encroached upon sagebrushbunchgrass communities (Blackburn and Tueller 1970; Plummer 1958; West et al. 1975). Grazing management alone will not check invasion of juniper nor appreciably improve deteriorated sagebrush and juniper communities (Blackburn and Tueller 1970; Burkhardt and Tisdale 1969). Ri\ks ‘11-e incurred when using fire as a vegetation manipulation tool. Fire can readily escape and consume valuable forage, destroy fences and facilities, and leave the land owner liable for damages. (Pechanec et al. 1954). Accelerated erosion by both wind ant water can occur until vegetative cover is reestablished (Pechanec et al. 1954; Wri ,rt et al. 1976). If undesirable sprouting shrubs and annual grasses are abundant in the vegetative community, burning may enhance the competitive advantage of these unwanted species and further degrade the site (Pickford 1932). The key to effective burning is to select the climatic and environmental conditions in which fire will damage the target species without causing undue harm to the desirable species. Several articles have reviewed the effects of fire and burning conditions on a variety of the more important vegetative species (Blaisdell 1953; Britton and Ralphs 1978; Conrad and Poulton 1966; Wright 197 i , 1972, 1977). The cost of traditional control methods of both sagebrush and juniper have increased tremendously. The effectiveness of cabling and chaining juniper have been questioned due to high cost and rapid reinvasion of young juniper trees (Aro 197 1). Mechanical control of sagebrush is very expensive and is limited to level and relatively rock free sites. Pressure from environmental groups has limited the use of chemical control by the federal land management agencies. Fire is a natural part of the ecosystem and is very effective in controlling sagebrush and juniper. It is also relatively inexpensive (Nielsen and Hinkley Author\ are with the Saval Ranch. North Fork, Nevada. tormerly Exten\wn range tcchnam. Utah State University; and associate professor. Range Science Dept., Utah State Unibcr\ity. Logan. Ralphs was formerly Demonstration Ranch Coordinator and hsb) w;14 Executive Secretary of the Utah Rangeland Development Program. The Utah Rangcland Development Program was funded by the Four Corner\ Regional Dc\elopment Commls~ion and Utah State University Extension Servlce. Thl\ report ha\ publr\hed with the approval of the director. Utah Agricultural Eupcrmient Station a\ Journal Paper No. 2257. Manu\crlpt recclved March ‘7. 197X. A series of demonstration burns was conducted throughout Utah in 1971 and i 976 in conjunction with the Demonstration Ranch Project and the Utah Rangeland Develop ‘::nt Program. One objective of this program was to involve federal and state land management agencies in a coordinated planning effort and follow through with cooperative implementation of range improvements on private . state. and public lands. The Utah Division of Forestry and Fire Control, Bureau of Land Managemcnt (BLM). Forest Service, Soil Conservation Service (SCS). A~riculturai Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS). Soil Conservation Districts, Utah Division of Wildlife ReSOUIIXS. and Utah State University Extension Service were involved in various aspects of planning. implementation. and tallow-up management of the prescribed burns. Park \‘alley Description Park Valley Hereford Corporation, located north of Park Valley in JOURNAL OF RANGE MANAGEMENT32(4), July 1979 267 the northwest corner of Utah, was selected as the first Demonstration Ranch. The improvements were conducted on a broad, gently sloping alluvial flat at the base of the Raft River Mountains. The area had a long history of heavy grazing and was in poor condition. The range site was a semidesert shallow hardpan (40%) semidesert stony loam (60%) complex. Soils were a greyish-brown clay loam with a large percentage of fractured rock of granitic origin throughout the horizons. A hardpan existed about 30.5 cm (12 inches) in depth on the semidesert shallow hardpan site. Black sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula) dominated this site with small amounts of bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron spicutum) and sandberg bluegrass (Pea secundu). Soil on the stony loam site was moderately deep (25~-hl cm), and big sagebrush dominated with very little understory vegetation. Precipitation averaged 305 mm ( I 2 inches) with 60% falling in the winter months. Elevation of the site was 1,646 m (5,400 feet). Toward the base of the mountain, juniper dominated the site but decreased as it spread into the sagebrush community on the alluvial flat. A lightning-caused fire burned 73 ha (I 80 acres) of sagebrush and juniper in the west pasture in 197 I. Crested wheatgrass was drilled into the ashes and a good stand was established. These results demonstrated the site potential and were instrumental in gaining agency and rancher approval to burn other suitable areas. The first prescribed bum was conducted in September of 1974 within the west pasture. Three hundred and sixty-five hectares (880 acres) were actually burned and drilled to crested wheatgrass at the rate of2.72 kg (6 lb) per acre. The second burn was conducted in August of I976 within the middle pasture. Five hundred and sixteen hectares ( I.275 acres) were burned and drilled to crested wheatgrass (Agropyrotz tleserrorum), alfalfa (Medicago sutivu), and yellow sweet clover (Melilotus o$fichdis) at a rate of 2.72, 1.12, 1.12 kg per hectare (0, I, I lb/acre), respectively. Four 30.5-m permanent line transects were installed in key areas on the semidesert stony loam site in each pasture prior to treatment to measure the percentage change in vegetative cover. Two 30.5-m permanent line transects were installed on the wildfire seeding to determine vegetative cover and measure the improvement that resulted from 2 years rest from grazing. Annual forage production was determined by the SCS ocular estimate in the west pasture prior to the burn in 1974 and by clipping a series of 2.93-m” (9.6 ft”) plots in subsequent years (1975-1977). Clippings were taken on the middle pasture in I975 and 1976 prior to burning and in 1977, the first year after treatment. The fire did not bum thick, mature stands of juniper. Sufficient understory vegetation to carry the fire was not present and the winds were light and would not sustain a crown fire. To finish treating the area, 356 ha (800 acres) ofjuniper were double chained in the winter of I97h. Crested wheatgrass, alfalfa, and yellow sweet clover were aerially broadcast on the site between chainings. Scipio Scipio West Bench Grazing Association is located on a gently sloping alluvial tlat at the base of the Canyon Mountains about 6.1 km (-I miles) west of Scipio in central Utah. The range site was an upland stony loam in poor condition with a uniform stand of dense big sagebrush and very little understory vegetation. The elevation ranged between I ,890-2,073 m (6,2000-6,800 feet). Precipitation averaged -I IO cm (Ih inches) with 20-15% falling during the growing 4eason. The soils were deep and well drained. The surface layers were dark grayish-brown loam between 15-X cm (610 inches) thick I\ irll a high percent of cobbles. The surface soils were moderately te\ltIrcd with cobbfy and coarse fragments increasing with depth. ; III> a~rea was split into four 321-ha (800 acre) pastures, and a i-1 , permanent line transect was installed in a key area within each pasture to determine percent change in vegetative cover. Three pastures were burned in July and August of 1976. Cool, humid \ceLith<r terminated burning before ail pastures were treated. The remaining pasture was do1 le-chained with a modified Ely chain. The treated areas were aerially seeded to crested wheatgrass, intermediate bheatgrass (Agropyrorl intermedium), and yellow sweet clover and then covered with a chain

Prescribed Burning: Vegetative Change, Forage Production, Cost, and Returns on Six Demonstration Burns in Utah