ESTABLISHING WYOMING BIG SAGEBRUSH ON MINED LANDS: ADVANCES IN SCIENCE, ECONOMICS, AND POLICY

Authors: Schuman, Gerald; VICKLUND, LAUREL - RAG COAL WEST, INC; BELDEN, SCOTT - POWDER RIVER COAL CO

Submitted to: Arid Land Research and Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/9/2005
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Establishing Wyoming big sagebrush on mined lands is necessary in many western U.S. coal mining states to achieve successful reclamation that includes wildlife habitat as a postmine land use. Early attempts at establishing this species on mined lands met with little to limited success. Research over the past two decades has greatly enhanced our understanding of the seedbed ecology of Wyoming big sagebrush. This research has led to the development of cultural and management practices that greatly enhance the probability of establishment of big sagebrush from direct seeding. Economic analysis of direct seeding compared to transplantation of nursery stock shows that cost per established seedling (8-11 yrs) for direct seeding is $0.01-0.05, while costs to establish sagebrush using nursery grown stock ranges from $1.30-2.40 and assumes 100% survival. Direct seeding of big sagebrush can be successfully used to achieve the required shrub density on mined lands and cost less than 3% of that of transplanted nursery stock.

Technical Abstract: In 1977, the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act mandated that reclaimed plant community must be as productive or more productive than the pre-mine plant community and must possess diversity representative of the pre-mine community and serve the same land uses. In much of the Northern Great Plains this meant that reclaimed mined lands must support post-mine land uses for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. In 1996, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality enacted regulations governing the re-establishment of woody shrubs on mined lands. The regulation required that a average density of 1 shrub m-2 be re-established on at least 20% of the disturbed land area and that the shrub composition must include dominant pre-mine species. In Wyoming, and much of the Northern Great Plains, that meant that Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) had to be re-established on mined lands. Wyoming big sagebrush had proven difficult to re-establish on mined lands because of poor quality seed, seed dormancy and a poor understanding of the seedbed ecology of this species. Re-establishment research in the last two decades has produced significant knowledge in the area of direct-seed establishment of Wyoming big sagebrush on mined lands. This paper summarizes these research findings and provides seeding and seedbed parameters that will help ensure the successful establishment of Wyoming big sagebrush from seed. Economic analyses demonstrates that big sagebrush can be established at costs of $0.01-0.05 per seedling using direct seeding methods compared to transplanting nursery grown seedlings, estimated to cost $0.72 to $1.65 per seedling (depending on size) to grow and from $1.30 to $2.40 to plant (flat land to 2:1 slopes). Direct-seeding technology has advanced considerably in the past two decades and can be used to successfully establish big sagebrush on mined lands under a reasonable soil moisture and precipitation scenario. An adequate level of precipitation will be necessary to ensure successful establishment of this species no matter what method of propagation is selected and direct seeding gives you greater opportunity for success because of the demonstrated longevity of the seed to germinate 3-5 years after seeding.