Aldos Silver City • Entered by Mary Lynne Newell on November 13, 2020
Grazing Monitoring
October 3, 2020 – October 25, 2020
Participants and Hours
| Pre Planning hours | |
| Post Admin hours | |
| Activity Hours | 24 |
| Participants | 5 |
| Total Hours | 120 |
Key Issue: Livestock Grazing Management
Activity Type: Stewardship (monitoring, sampling, planting, etc.)
Key Partners: Gila National Forest Service
Landscape/area: Gila National Forest (2658321 acres)
Short Description of Activity
The Grazing Committee conducted four field trips in October to monitor grazing in riparian areas in the Gila National Forest that have been identified as of the highest concern. All four areas are under litigation for mismanagement. Committee members used a computer program developed by the Forest Service and used by paid interns last summer. Our group is now continuing that work as volunteers, working collaboratively with the Forest Service to get cattle removed from enclosures. Computer reports on each monitoring trip are delivered to the Forest Service.
On October 3, committee members monitored in the Gila Bird Area. Cattle were found in the enclosure and reported, and were subsequently removed. On October 14, a committee member checked the area of the San Francisco River where we had reported cattle sign in September; there was no new cattle sign. On October 17, committee members monitored a section of the Tularosa River, and found only very old cattle sign. This was also the case when members monitored the East Fork on October 25.
Total event hours: 24
Total number of volunteers: 5.
ATTENTION GOB: Form does not allow accurate description of Preplanning and post-planning hours. Pre-planning hours: 6.5, 2 people (total 13); Post-Planning hours, 2.5, 1 person–should be added to the total hours.
Reflection/Evaluation
Reporting on cattle and cattle sign in both the Gila Bird Area and the San Francisco River seems to have resulted in cattle removal. We believe that our partnership approach is helping to achieve results. The other two areas monitored do not at this time appear to be problematic, but this information, too, is useful, and will help us measure against later monitoring in the same areas.
Photos/Uploads
Upload 1 |