Livestock Grazing Impacts on Natural Systems in National Parks, and Development of Monitoring and Grazing Protocols

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National Park Service Research Needs

TITLE: Livestock Grazing Impacts on Natural Systems in National Parks, and Development of Monitoring and Grazing Protocols

SUBMITTING BUREAU: National Park Service

Originating Offices: Intermountain and Midwest Field Areas

DATE SUBMITTED: April 03, 1995

BIN NUMBER: NPS02CR98

BRD REGION: Central

DESCRIPTION OF NEED: In order to guide the National Park Service grazing management programs in the parks located within the western United States, an information baseline on grazing impacts is needed in order to develop resource recovery and rehabilitation programs, or preservation-effective grazing programs where grazing will continue. Where grazing continues, preservation-oriented grazing and monitoring protocols are needed to guide National Park Service grazing management. Priority parks identifying needs (not in priority order) include: Badlands, Capitol Reef, Carlsbad Caverns, Glacier, Grand Teton, Great Basin, Guadalupe Mountains, Rocky Mountain, and Theodore Roosevelt National Parks; Bighorn Canyon, Curecanti, Glen Canyon and Lake Mead National Recreation Areas; and Bandelier, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Coronado, Dinosaur, El Malpais, and Florrisant Fossil Beds National Monuments; and Fort Bowie National Historic Site.

Develop baseline assessment and monitoring protocols of the natural and cultural resources affected by livestock use. This assessment serves as a baseline against which all grazing-induced changes should be measured and the overall effectiveness of a grazing management plan assessed. Existing files should be reviewed and compiled into a central location.

Determine the health of rangelands currently under NPS management which have been affected by grazing management practices. This should be an interdisciplinary approach which should include range science and related disciplines such as soil and watershed science.

Develop restoration/revegetation techniques that will return lands removed from grazing or no longer subject to trespass grazing to a desired plant community of native vegetation where natural processes will dominate. Restoration techniques should also be developed for those lands damaged by grazing activities but are still subject to grazing practices. Techniques that may be effective include prescribed fire, use of chemicals, or mechanical treatments.

Develop or determine methodology to be used to monitor grazing activities for the preservation of cultural and natural resources. Provide recommendations for the protection of resources to be incorporated into allotment management plans. This methodology should consider soils, hydrology, water quality, as well as the desired plant community.

Develop grazing management practices which would promote and be a party to ecosystem management. Transition from current grazing management to an ecosystem management approach requires a broadening of perspective and consideration of the total environment, not just one aspect of it.

MANAGEMENT PROBLEM WITH NEED: Livestock grazing is authorized or mandated, or was formerly authorized or mandated, in over 20 parks, monuments and recreation areas. As a result, various park resources such as soils, vegetation, water, birds, and animals have been affected and systems altered. Even cultural resources such as aboriginal sites and structures have been damaged. For the most part the resulting condition of resources and the scope and particulars of grazing impacts are not adequately known. In addition, the monitoring and management of grazing on National Park Service lands utilize protocols developed by multiple-use agencies or others which are not in the best interest of the National Park Service's mission of preservation of resources and restoration of natural processes.

BUREAU CONTACT: Nancy Skinner, 505-988-6862

Cluster Contacts:

Great Plains - Steve Cinnamon, 402-221-3437
Southwest - Nancy Skinner, 505-988-6862
Colorado Plateau - Janet Wise, 303-987-6678
Rocky Mountain - Tom Wylie, 303-969-2970

BRD PRIMARY CENTER: MESC (NWRC)

BRD CENTER CONTACT: Bruce Baker (Jim Grace)

RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY99): On 6 November 1998, Kathy Davis and I discussed the Bureau Information Need (BIN) concerning livestock grazing on National Parks and Monuments. Kathy is planning to establish a field course for NPS resources staff that will cover inventory and monitoring methods for domestic and feral livestock (cattle, sheep, horses, burros, reindeer). The primary purpose of this BIN was to request advice on best training approaches and to locate personnel to assist with training. She has also discussed this BIN with Dave Pike, BRD, Oregon relative to a training course for Lake Mead issues.

I suggested Kathy contact BLM's Training Center in Phoenix with the intent of adapting an existing BLM rangeland inventory and monitoring course to meet Park Service needs. The course should cover basic monitoring techniques and target Resource Managers that typically have a good natural resource background, but little experience with livestock grazing practices. We also discussed the possibility of needing a course that not only covered basic methods, but also was targeted to very Park-specific issues (i.e., cattle-bison grazing effects on vegetation at Grand Teton NP). This section of the course should vary depending on the needs of the participants.

Because this BIN is for training-related issues, and not for new information or research, I suggest that it be dropped from the BIN list. Future contacts will likely be to provide advice about course content or to assist with site-specific training. As Web sites are developed for BRD Centers, they should provide the best way to connect Park staff with BRD researchers that have expertise related to site-specific needs. For example, Jayne Belnap at the Moab field station would be a good contact for course information regarding grazing impacts to soil crusts for Parks within the Colorado Plateau region.

DATE SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: November 13, 1998

PREPARED BY: Bruce W. Baker, USGS-BRD-MESC; 4512 McMurray Avenue, Ft. Collins, Colorado 80525; MESC; bruce_baker@usgs.gov; (970) 226-9414.

RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION (FY98): Contacted Nancy Skinner to clarify current research needs related to livestock grazing on National Parks and Monuments. Our discussions led to the following conclusions:

1) A workshop is needed to discuss park-related grazing issues. Specifically, to determine how existing knowledge of livestock grazing on BLM, USFS, and private lands in the West can be applied to the park system. In 1997, discussions between Park personnel and Jayne Belnap (BIN coordinator) also centered around the need for a workshop; however, no such workshop took place. In November 1997 the Western Region is planning to conduct a workshop on livestock grazing issues at Lake Mead, Nevada. The NPS contact is Jennifer Haley. This workshop may satisfy at least some of the Central Region needs; however, a follow-up workshop may be needed.

2) Nancy suggested that many Parks have very site-specific needs. To better understand these needs, she suggested that NPS may be able to query their own database for each Park to identify the top 10 priorities. An example is at the Coronado National Monument in Arizona. They currently need help in preparing a monitoring plan to build a database on the effects of livestock grazing on other resources in the Monument. BRD needs to provide services (e.g., review monitoring plans) at the individual Park level. Further contacts should emphasize these opportunities.

DATE SUBMITTED TO REGIONAL OFFICE: October 31, 1997

PREPARED BY: Bruce Baker, Vertebrate Ecology Section, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO (970)226-9414; bruce_baker@usgs.gov

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