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