There has been a lot going on in Vernal over the past month. I cannot believe it’s already August! We’ve had the chance to be involved in a lot of different projects, which has been refreshing after several months of seed collection. We found a killer Sclerocactus wetlandicus habitat near some drill pads and we were able to collect some seeds for grow out for a local restoration project. I personally really enjoy collecting for local projects because it feels more productive. Being physically close to the action is motivating. While we were collecting we found a crazy mutant cactus:

We’ve also been looking for SOS populations in some really beautiful places. To escape the midsummer heat we’ve been venturing into the Uintas. We collected some Eriogonum umbellatum up near Flaming Gorge and while we were up there we took a pit stop to eat lunch and skip some stones on the resevoir. It’s impossible not to stop for a moment and appreciate our breathtaking surroundings and how incredible this opportunity really is.

We also just finished my favorite collection to date: Asclepias labriformis. It was particularly fun for several reasons. We missed the last Asclepias we tried to collect so this time we took serious precautions. We rubber-banded as many pods as we could so if they matured without us, all the seeds would be prevented from dispersing, sneaky, I know. It’s also really fun because there are about 30-50 seeds per pod so it is efficient and the pods are super fun to pop off the plants. And of course milkweeds are an important pollinator species and this particular species does well in disturbed areas, so it is a great plant for restoration purposes. Overall, it was a great collection and I’m excited to ship those babies to Bend.

And this past week, we went back on the river, this time the Green River. I spent the three days in my favorite yellow duckie. Rafting is fun, but there’s nothing like paddling through a canyon in that little duckie, letting the water take you in whatever direction it wants. Our mission was once again, invasive species control. This time we focused on teasel, musk thistle, canada thistle and white top. We used clippers, loppers and herbicide sprayers. Personally, I’m not incredibly comfortable with herbicide, though looking at how many invasives there were along the riverbed, I can understand why it is considered necessary. We burned our weed clipping in the campfire in the evenings and watched the amazing Perdeid comets streak through the sky. Another successful river trip.

For the next few weeks Levi and I are turning our attention to finding fall species. We’re going to try to collect as many Artemisias as possible, as well as some Chrysothamnus and a few more Eriogonums and maybe even go out on the Green River again.

Hope everyone is having a great summer! Talk to you soon!

Hannah

I have been very fortunate in the last few weeks to step away from Seeds of Success collections and rare species population monitoring in the sage steppe to work with different people in the office and learn new techniques for monitoring and assessing both riparian and forest health. With the forestry crew I hiked incredibly steep terrain in a beautiful Douglas fir and pine forest stand. I learned how to perform forestry plots and how to core a tree to determine its age. As a group, we stumbled across a huge Douglas fir with a diameter at breast height of 67 inches. We estimated this tree had to be at least 800 years old based off of comparisons with the ones that we were able to core!

With the range crew in the office, I learned how to perform MIMs (multiple inventory monitoring of riparian areas). We assessed plant species present along the stream banks, allowing me to show off some of my botanical knowledge. We also assessed stream-bank stability, water temperature, rock size in the channel, and width of the channel. Like with the forestry crew, performing MIMs brought me to some spectacular areas with huge cottonwood, aspen, Douglas firs, and willows. During one MIM, the vegetation and debris over the creek was so dense, that we were practically climbing like monkeys in a mangrove forest just to assess the quality of the riparian area. I really enjoy field work, and that was a lot of fun. It was really fun in the last few weeks to explore new areas within the Salmon field office and see the diversity of habitats that are present near me. It is a great advantage being a CLM intern in that I am able to explore a myriad of subjects within the office and not be stuck strictly within one area of study.

Signing off,

Austen, BLM, Salmon Field Office, ID

I often find myself telling people how exciting it is to have a job where my days hold such variety and often entirely unexpected excitement. Perhaps I’ll find a new population of an endangered plant, shock a giant bull frog while electro fishing, or watch F-15 fighter jets dog fight over the vast expanse of sage brush and scab land. This week the variation in my days came with a day spent at Oregon Institute of Technology’s mammography lab.

At this point it is believed that the Lost River Sucker, an endangered species of fish native to the Klamath area, is not found in the Sprague River. Two other species of sucker, the Short Nose Sucker and Klamath Large Scale Sucker, are found in both the Sprague River  and in Upper Klamath Lake however despite the fact that the Sprague and Upper Klamath Lake are connected and open to fish passage the Lost River Sucker is only known to exist in the lake.

About 10 years ago close to 800 juvenile suckers were collected from the Sprague for a research project of some sort and eventually ended up preserved in alcohol in the flammables closet at the US Fish and Wildlife office in Klamath Falls, OR. Jump ahead 10 years and these samples presented the perfect opportunity to look further into the question of whether Lost River Suckers are reproducing in the Sprague River.

The crux of answering this question, and the reason I recently spent my day in a mammography lab, is that distinguishing between juvenile Lost River Suckers and other species of suckers is extremely difficult. With such small fish the only real way to identify species is by the number of vertebrae. Lost River Suckers have 45 or more vertebrae and the other species have 45 or fewer. So with the help of the interns from last year having sorted the fish by size and attached museum tags with distinct numbers to each fish, the other intern in the office and I set off to get the fish x-rayed.

With the help of a number of students and a professor at Oregon Institute of Technology we carefully laid out our samples, placed metal numbers and letters on each sheet, snapped a picture to be able to later align the x-rays with museum tags, pushed Bertha the prosthetic breast out of the way, and scanned 41 slides holding a total of 794 fish.

While we have the pictures and x-rays we have yet to spend the hours it will take to count the 45+ or 45- vertebrae on each fish (don’t worry, we do have a computer program that will make this process slightly easier) so unfortunately this blog post has a slightly anti-climactic conclusion. But stay tuned! The question of whether there are Lost River Suckers in the Sprague River will have an updated, data-supported answer shortly.

With the temperatures rising the past couple weeks in Shoshone, ID our crew was looking for a break from the summer sun. So, when the GeoCorps offered to take us through a couple of lava tubes, and teach us about the geology of the area we did not hesitate to go. The first cave they took us to is the second largest lava tube in the lower 48. It was a two mile walk from the mouth to the back of the cave. Sometimes it was like walking through a train tunnel, other times we had to scramble over rocks or skirt around ledges, and at other points you could see where two or three clearly defined lava tubes stacked on top of each other.

The next cave’s opening was a long spout like tube that curved down in to a large room that mimicked the body of a tea pot, and if you stood in the middle of the room and looked up there was a large, almost perfectly circular skylight. Under the skylight there is a large pile of rubble, and growing among the rocks is a mass of ferns. This caused us all to ponder, since this is only place I have seen ferns since moving to southern Idaho.  We also discovered that this cave was the perfect place to take ethereal photos. The trick to achieving the beam of light cascading down over the ferns was to wait for the afternoon sun to stream in though the skylight and then kick up a massive cloud of dust. The results are amazing.

The final cave we went to was my favorite due to the fact that there are little individual droplets of water hanging delicately off of the ceiling and walls of the cave. If you shined your flashlight down the length of the cave at just the right angle it caught the droplets in such a way that they looked like shimmering drops of molten silver clinging to the walls of the cave. We tried several times to capture this effect on camera, but to no avail. Exploring these caves made me feel as if I were entering a whole other world that I was not supposed to ever see.

Tea Kettle Cave

My plant duties have been slowly shifting over the past couple weeks. I am still doing scouting for sagebrush collection, generally while helping the range techs as they are working on range improvements, but I have also been working on plant clearances and rare plant documentation and verification. I have found that I really enjoy this work, especially making the plant lists for the clearances. The first clearance was in a riparian area, which presented us with several mystery plants that we were not familiar with since most of the summer thus far has been spent in the sagebrush steppe. I find the satisfaction of figuring out an unknown plant adds another level of enjoyment to the work. Next week will be spent verifying a couple rare plant occurrences, sagebrush mapping, and monitoring a willow planting sites. However, I did just learn that one day will be spent tagging monarch butterflies!

The past month has been wild with adventures and new experiences! We’ve learned some new protocols to include: Fire Re-entry, Utilization, Range Improvement, and even some spelunking!

With fire re-entry we use a pin-drop sampling method and determine the stability, species, and if seed heads are present in grasses present in pastures after fires and seedings. If the grasses prove stable and abundant, it is annotated and grazers will be released on the pasture in the next season.

With utilization, you walk a straight line and every five steps you annotate the key grass species of that pasture that has been grazed and ungrazed closest to your right big toe. This determines how much grazing is or is not taking place in the pasture. A bit of statistics is involved at the end, which is one of my favorite parts!

With the range improvement protocol (RIP), you go to structures on the range and determine if they are still structurally sound or need improving. So far, my group and I have only observed reservoirs but exclosures, troughs, etc. are all included in this protocol.

My favorite days of the past month have included spelunking, though! We are lucky enough to have some GeoCorps interns here at the field office who are thrilled to take us out to see a few of the many caves around Shoshone, Idaho. We have placed radon detectors in some of the caves, searched for bats, and received interesting information on the formation of these caves and geological features inside. They are very strict about wearing coveralls and sanitizing everything after it has come out of the cave in order to prevent the contamination of white nose fungus to other caves and potential bat populations.

From crawling through small tunnels to standing in chambers big enough to house entire towns, caving is absolutely spectacular! It has opened a door to my heart that has led me to want to pursue a future in studying bat populations. I would love to assist geological teams in caves! We will see what the future holds.

Tea Kettle cave has a huge skylight that shines rays of sunlight down onto a beautiful population of ferns.

Today we join up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to get training on how to tag Monarch butterflies. I am beyond ecstatic! I am so thankful for this internship and the opportunities it has afforded me. I am also thankful for having such wonderful supervisors in my field office that allow us to learn as much as we can and have such wonderful experiences!

Marissa Jager – Shoshone Field Office – Shoshone, Idaho

After a wonderful field season in Interior Alaska it is time for me to part ways. Throughout the season I have contributed the majority of my time to an acoustic bat survey. The purpose of this survey was to identify the presence/absence of little brown bats in Interior Alaska. The project area was focused in the Fortymile area near Chicken, Alaska. It was a great opportunity to get out and see the beautiful landscape, and of course pick some wild blueberries. I also spent some time mapping and pulling invasive vegetation. The bat project required a fair bit of field time and we were constantly switching sites, which made it easier to survey a larger area for invasive plants.

It will be tough to leave BLM Fairbanks, AK as I have grown attached to the job, the people, and some of the delicious places to eat around town. I have had an amazing experience here and encourage anyone who gets the chance to work or visit Alaska definitely not pass up the opportunity.

Farewell,

Ryan

Life as a New Englander is settling in nicely. Unlike many Seeds of Success interns and programs, we work out of the big city of Boston and collect in areas that I consider far removed from what most would call wilderness. That being said, I am awarded the unique opportunity of working closely with town, state, national, and nonprofit organizations, as well as many dedicated conservation groups in the area. It is a true feat of society to pull together to prioritize conservation and wildlife in an enduring way.

With most of my botanical experience based in the Southeast, it is a daily shock to pull up maps that are swathed with different shades of green that indicate protected lands and conservation reserves. Having 40+ colleges and universities in the area, and working within Garden in the Woods of the New England Wild Flower Society provides a strong support system for conservation, botany, and resilient ecosystems in general. Even with care and dedication, more work is needed. And in the wake of the natural disaster of Hurricane Sandy, native seed collections are more critical in the fight to restore devastated sites with local plantings before non-native invasive species crowd them out.

As the collection season picks up, I continue to be impressed by the natural properties available to us, the willingness of different organizations to provide information and resources to our project, the efficiency of the collection process, and the rigorous but attainable goals set for our team. I am encouraged to see a system that might be implicated in other regions of eastern North America, where the fewest SOS programs are in operation. Following are some of my favorite experiences from the first two months on the job.

Spending time in vast marsh systems, such as the Massachusetts Audubon’s Great Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary on Cape Cod

Checking phenology for all my favorite coastal species, such as Limonium carolinianum, or Carolina

Using multiple floras to key out cryptic species with my wonderful teammates and mentor Michael Piantedosi

And of course, seeing the fruits of labor off to a new home!

Wyoming sage growing alongside rabbitbrush (Artemesia tridentata-wyomingensis and Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus)

As spring dwindled to an end and days began to heat up, it was apparent that summer was upon us. With summer comes the field season for the Bureau of Land Management employees. As an intern with the Kemmerer, WY field office I was ready to begin spending days outside, surrounded by nature with the sun as a constant companion. As each new season begins it is common to have new protocols which must be learned and implemented. For the summer of 2016 AIM, or Assessment Inventory Monitoring, was the new methodology to be learned. AIM was designed to capture a snapshot of overall rangeland health, while maintaining statistical validity. AIM training took place in Rock Springs, WY for the High Desert District employees. After one week of a combination of classroom and field sessions it was time to hit the field. Such was the plan. However, with the implantation of a new rangeland assessment program comes issues. For most monitoring or assessment techniques points to monitor are chosen by the field staff. With AIM points are generated randomly and are assigned to the field office. For the Kemmerer field office points were not assigned until late June. This meant that field work could not begin until then.

Points were assigned and the field staff was champing at the bit to get out and begin checking points off of the lengthy list. As a range technician I was prepared to go out on AIM points every day I worked, but was taken somewhat aback when my life was scheduled up through the first week of August and marked on a calendar.

Early season tailcup lupine (Lupinus caudatus)

As our AIM team approached our first point the training I had earlier was coming back and the cobwebs were shaken loose. AIM encompasses several techniques to capture rangeland health at a given point. Without going into too much detail, AIM protocol includes a soil pit with measurements taken for effervescence, soil color, soil texture and clay percentage.

Three 25 meter lines are laid out in a spoke design. Along each line a line-point-intercept transect is done. This gives an idea of canopy cover and composition as well as litter content. Canopy gap is then measured. This is important for understanding the percent cover of the transect.

25 m transect

Soil stability is the last measurement taken. This is a fairly straightforward test, giving an idea of the level of erodibility of the soil surface. A plant list is also taken for the plot area by simply walking the perimeter and marking each plant identified.

This was essentially my summer. The soil pit was the duty I was most heavily accountable for. Digging the pit to a depth of 80 centimeters, marking the horizons, collecting and sieving samples for each horizon and finally taking measurements for each horizon. I found the soil pit the most fascinating aspect. Identifying key characteristics of the soil can help one understand why the vegetation that is present is there and any underlying issues. One site was especially interesting. Several horizons were present, the A horizon, or topsoil, was low quality without much of an organic matter presence. The B horizon was absent as the next horizon was a Ct, or clayey C. This horizon was compacted so tightly it was apparent that water could only infiltrate at very slow rate. With slow infiltration comes a higher risk of erosion during average precipitation events. This is one reason I hypothesized that the A horizon was of such low quality. It had no chance to become established due to erosion. To test my hypothesis I poured a generous amount of water onto the topsoil. Infiltration was rapid for about 5 cm. Once the water reached the compacted Ct horizon infiltration slowed and water pooled at the surface, creating runoff and erosion. Of course this was a simple test, but it was a great way to induce deeper thought as to the processes responsible for a sites characteristics.

A soil pit with the soil horizons laid out on a sharpshooter shovel. You can clearly see the distinct colors between them

Days began to blend together. Sites that were once quite distinguishable were now one blurry soil pit. Latin names of plants flew through my mind when off of work reading a book. When out fishing I could not help but take a mental note of every plant I came across. My AIM days are behind me for now. How lucky I was to see so much wonderful country. From low desert sites to conifer and aspen sites high in the hills, soil pits were dug.

During the winter months visions of wild trout flashing through the water and striking a dry fly danced through my mind. I was consumed by a challenge I had found out about last year as a BLM range technician with the Kemmerer, WY field office. This fishing adventure is called the Wyoming Cutt Slam. A challenge bringing anglers from all over the country, the Cutt Slam was implemented by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to increase awareness of Wyoming’s native cutthroat species and their management. So what is the challenge? The angler must catch all four sub-species of native Wyoming cutthroat trout in their native waters. This sure seemed to me like a heck of an excuse to get out and see some beautiful country while catching new fish!

The certificate awarded to those who have completed the Cutt Slam

My fly fishing buddy and I both ended up in Kemmerer, WY with the BLM for the summer. So naturally we decided it was Cutt Slam or bust. Well, this is a CLM blog. So what is the connection? In the Kemmerer field office two native species of cutthroat are found, the Colorado and the Bonneville cutthroat. Range managers cannot overlook these fish. Whether it is grazing or water development, decisions cannot be made without considering what the impact may be on the native species of trout. Riparian monitoring such as MIM or PFC help to monitor crucial trout habitat and protect them. (Also these were great for helping us find good fishing holes for later.) I learned about this challenge by learning about the fish we are paid to protect first.

PFC on Willow Creek

Now that I have validated this blog, let us move forward! The first fish on our list was the Colorado Cutt. Found in the Colorado River watershed, this trout can be hard to find and even harder to catch. Luckily we monitored on a beautiful stream that held these fish. Upon arrival to the stream, spirits were high. My friend, Grant, cast his fly out on the water and it was immediately struck by a Colorado Cutt. Sadly, he missed the fish. But this was a good sign. I was giddy with excitement as I cast. Thirty minutes later, no fish. No bites whatsoever. What happened? We will never know. Eventually Grant caught his fish out of a nice big pool.

Grant’s first Colorado Cutt

We fished up about 2 miles of stream, and even spooked out a cow moose with her young calf. I, however had no luck. We fished our way back towards the pickup. I wasn’t pouting, but I was close. Think of a kid in a grocery store who wants the sugary cereal but mom picks out the healthy choice. We came around a small bend when Grant exclaimed that he had seen a fish. I excitedly cast my fly into the hole. Nothing. Several more casts and still nothing. Out of frustration I cast far upstream to a riffle. Bam! A Colorado Cutt exploded from the water and hit my fly and I did not miss this fish. Shakily, I reeled the fish in and Grant netted him. We did no want to lose this fish without a picture. After hours of frustration here was my prize. A small trout many would not even remember. But I was ecstatic. “Twenty five percent done!” we exclaimed.

My Colorado Cutt!

The easiest fish, in my eyes was going to be the Bonneville Cutt. I had caught many last summer and knew where and how to fish for them. We packed up the pickup and headed off to the Bear River watershed. We set up camp then went down to the creek to try our luck. Right off the bat I caught a fish.

My Bonneville Cutthroat

Grant was taken aback after our misfortunes on Willow Creek. Well I had told him this would be easier! He caught his fish just upstream on a hand-tied elk hair caddis fly. Despite almost losing a flip flop and getting stuck in the mud, I think he had a great time. We caught a good number of fish before calling it a day and cooking several celebratory steaks.

Grant’s trusty lab, Sage, and his Bonneville Cutt

Now fifty percent finished it was time to tackle the two wild cards. Those being the Snake River Cutt and the Yellowstone Cutt. Saving the toughest for last and with a hot tip from a coworker, we took off after the Snake River Cutt. Just south of LaBarge, WY there is a road that follows LaBarge Creek into the Bridger National Forest. This road eventually leads to the headwaters of the Greys River. The Greys flows into the Snake River, meaning that Snake River cutts should be swimming throughout the reach. We took off after work, so we did not have much time to fish before setting up camp. We only had time to fish for half an hour before dark. Plus, the river was shallow and wide. Not exactly optimal trout habitat.

The next morning we woke, wolfed down a muffin and still groggy, pulled on our waders and set off. We fished all morning with no bites. We saw a nice fish feeding in a pool but he would not even look at our flies. He had an aloof nature about him one would expect from an English aristocrat. We were simply peasants in his eyes. Aside from this fancy-pants fish we did not see hide nor hair of a trout (just a saying of course, fish have scales). Around two we decided to hike back to camp to regroup and have a lunch. Over cheddar bratwurst we decided to take the road farther downstream in the hopes of finding better fishing. We drove down for about 45 minutes. Alongside the road were several reaches which looked quite promising. Too bad for us, a fisherman was found at each one. Frustrated and on edge, we zoomed down the road farther.

As we descended the Greys was still wide but there was an increase in depth. One section looked quite promising. A braided channel upstream created several riffles and pools. Great trout holding water. I gasped and pulled off the road. We had our fly rods prepared from earlier. We each cast out. I had a bite but missed. Grant had a bite, and he deflty set the hook. It was a nice fish. As it jumped we could tell it was a Cutt. I netted the fish and sure enough, it was a Snake River Cutt.

First Snake River Cutt I have ever seen caught.

Grant set his rod aside. It was my turn. With the pressure mounting, I cast out into a large riffle and had a soft bite. Next cast and a fish nailed my elk hair caddis. It was a beautiful Snake River Cutt with some good size. This was not a small fish! Luckily Grant was on top of netting duties and raced down to the rivers edge, net in hand. He scooped up the fish and there we had it, the Snake River Cutt! All of the anxiety and frustration vanished. I felt as if I was soaring.

One of the most beautiful fish I have ever caught

Seventy five percent done!

It was steak time back at camp.

Summer work picked up and there was less time for gallivanting through the hills chasing trout. We had a tenuous grasp on where to go for the Yellowstone Cutt. They were found throughout Yellowstone National Park, but this area is crowded with tourists and can be expensive. One of the many allures of fishing for cutthroats is the solitude their native habitats provide. So we needed an alternative. Finally we found a creek that provided us with everything we needed. High numbers of Yellowstones, camping, and a somewhat close proximity to Kemmerer.

The weekend of August sixth we took off. Full of optimism and with good music on the radio spirits were high. After several hours of driving and a stop at a local fly shop for last minute fly purchases and some tips, we got to the creek. Well, it was packed with campers and their RVs. Not what I had expected! We raced for a camping spot. Finally we found an empty one with a little isolation from the other campers. But when we went down to the creek the water did not look great. The creek was shallow and wide (sound familiar?). Grant was quite upset, visions of fishless hours on the Greys River haunted him as we pulled on our gear and strung up our rods. We tied on flies recommended by the helpful man at the fly shop and took off. Since Grant was in a foul mood I let him fish the first hole. “You can hardly call this a hole” he growled back at me. After several casts with his shoulders slumped, his rod suddenly jumped to life. I stared in amazement as a good sized Yellowstone Cutt leapt out of the water, trying to lose the hook. Grant’s eyes were the size of saucers. I fumbled with my net as I prepared to land the fish. It rushed downstream at us and ended up between my legs. Grant was shouting at me to land the fish while I stumbled about. Finally I netted the fish. “I didn’t think fish like this were in here” grant stuttered. Neither did I.

Look at that smile!

Once again Grant stepped aside. It was up to me to catch one now. Upstream and around a bend we happened upon a nice pool. As Grant held Sage back, I noticed a fish rise. I knew I had a great chance if a fish was feeding on the surface. I cast just above where I saw the fish, letting my purple hopper float directly into the fish’s path. It was a tense moment, waiting for the fly to meander into the strike zone. When the fish rose and took the fly I was ready to set the hook. My rod bent and my reel whirred as the fish took off. After a minute or two I was able to navigate the fish in close enough for Grant to net him. He did a much better job for me than I had done for him.

Yellowstone Cutthroat, finished with the Cutt Slam!

With great jubilation we continued upstream. We caught more fish than we could count that evening and the next day.

Eventually we made it back to camp for, you guessed it, steaks. This time we also brought along some cigars, for celebratory purposes. We had completed the Cutt Slam.

Conservation of our native species is crucial to maintaining what makes America and Wyoming special. All of these fish were caught on public land. Our land. Every citizen of the United States can fish these beautiful waters for native cutthroat.

The Snake River winding beneath the Teton Mountains

Maintaining these rivers and lands is what makes the work I do something I love. Without proper stewardship it would be almost impossible to complete the Cutt Slam. So go forth into the wilderness, chase these beautiful trout throughout the hills and mountains of Wyoming. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.