Cascade Center for Ecosystem Management. 2000. Chucksney Mountain Meadow Restoration. Corvallis, OR: Department of Forest Science, Oregon State University; Corvallis, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station; Blue River, OR: Blue River Ranger District, Willamette National Forest. 2 p. Project summary. On file with: Cascade Center for Ecosystem Management, Oregon State University, Department of Forest Science, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331.
The areal extent of dry montane meadows is diminishing throughout the Cascades, and in other areas of the west, due to changes in climate and disturbance regimes. Natural successional processes are resulting in conifer establishment in many meadow communities. Objectives of this project were to: determine if conifer establishment can be retarded by the use of prescribed fire; evaluate the effects of prescribed fire on meadow plant communities and soil productivity; and evaluate the cost effectiveness of restoring a dry montane meadow using prescribed fire.
Chucksney Mountain provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate these questions. Several large, dry meadows with different degrees of conifer encroachment hang from the ridgelines, and the mountain is mostly encircled by deep valleys limiting the risk of escaped fires. These meadows are also important wildlife habitat providing summer forage for elk and deer. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation contributed funds to help implement and monitor this project.
Earlier meadow restoration projects have been implemented on Chucksney Moun-tain (1980 and 1994). Results were largely unquantified and undocumented.