Transcript The Pasture Calendar – A Management Guide for Productive

Enhancing Priority Prairie Habitat on a Western Washington Grassland Reserve Program Easement with a Grazing System
Marty Chaney, Area Agronomist, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Olympia, Washington
Most pastures in western Washington are converted
forestland seeded to introduced cool season forages
which flourish under a grazing system with short, highintensity grazing periods alternated with rest intervals
ranging from 1- 4 weeks.
Some pastures were native grass/forb prairie and often
still harbor native prairie species, such as Idaho fescue
and camas. With the cessation of planned fires, trees,
shrubs and non-native grasses & forbs are encroaching
on & threatening these prairies. While native prairie
pastures need deferment during critical periods (during
flowering of native forbs) and less intensive use than
seeded pastures, reduction of invasive species is also
essential to a healthy prairie ecosystem. With these
goals in mind, the following guidelines were developed.
Livestock Grazing Guidelines for Native Prairies on
a working livestock operation
Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)
Western Washington prairies are considered a Priority Habitat by
the State of Washington because only about 2% of the original
prairies remain. Most of the native prairies have disappeared
through conversion to cropland or urban uses or invasion by trees.
The Grassland Reserve Program is a voluntary federal program
assisting landowners to protect grasslands while maintaining the
areas as grazing lands. GRP emphasizes support for grazing
operations and their operators, biodiversity, and protection of
grasslands under the greatest threat of conversion.
• Defer grazing use during the critical period (typically
mid-March until June 1 in western WA) by moving
livestock to fields seeded to introduced forages. If all
the fields contain native vegetation, avoid using a field
during the during the critical period 1 in every 3 years.
• If fields containing native species must be used in the
spring critical period, maintain a 4” stubble height for
camas & Idaho fescue on more than 75% of the plants.
• During the remainder of the year, maintain a
minimum 2” stubble height on at least 50% of the
plants. This lower height will stress the non-native
species and reduce litter buildup while not adversely
affecting native species. Native plants are semidormant to dormant during this period, but invasive
grasses and weeds are actively growing.
• Avoid addition of fertilizers & compost in order to
reduce introduced grass & forb competition.
• Avoid mowing and harrowing between March 15 and
July 15.
• Avoid tillage in fields containing native prairie
species.