The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service describe cheatgrass as "the invader that won the West". This highly invasive annual grass is present or dominant on some 100 million acres in the Great Basin and Intermountain West and land managers estimate its spread is increasing by 12-14% annually. Cheatgrass (and its annual bromegrass relatives) are a principal driving force behind epidemic wildfires occurring with much greater frequency and magnitude across the region and is largely responsible for the rapid decline of the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem; one of the nation's largest. This vast area of the Western U.S encompasses much of the nation's forest and grazing land resources and is home to more than 350 species of birds and mammals, all of which are dependent on the habitat and health of this ecosystem, widely considered to be on the verge of collapse. Cheatgrass is also predicted to be the invasive grass species most likely to expand its range with climate change to the detriment of native rangeland and forests. Losses of grazing lands, forest products, recreational opportunities, and other ecosystem services due to cheatgrass invasion total in the billions of dollars annually. Cheatgrass impacted lands become more susceptible to erosion, causing increased sedimentation in the region's fragile water systems. The cost of controlling cheatgrass, resultant fires, and subsequent land reclamation efforts is enormous. Control of cheatgrass and reclamation efforts with native speciesare often ephemeral and ultimately ineffective. Traditional control methods rely heavily on the repeated use of synthetic herbicides. In this Phase II project Westscape proposes an integrative novel approach that would providel and managers with the ability to treat cheatgrass-infested lands prior to emergence and establishment of the invasive species with a naturally-occurring OMRI-listed product, while simultaneously enhancing the competiveness and sustainability of native species. In its Phase II work, Westscape (in conjunction with its two strategic partners) will refine the processes and technologies demonstrated in its Phase I project to produce two products for the target market; the first product will be used as a onetime, pre-emergent treatment of cheatgrass-infested lands that will suppress the germination and establishment of the invasive species and a companion product consisting of native seeds coated with a proprietary polymeric formulation that will provide a competitive advantage to the native species. Westscape will establish field trials at three locations to demonstrate the efficacy of the products including a USDA-NRCS supervised trial that will provide independent data and testing, and facilitate outreach and contact with target markets. If the primary goals of the proposed research are met, these products would represent a paradigm shift in how cheatgrass-infested lands are controlled and revegetated with native species. If successful, acceptance of this proposed technology and processes by public and private land managers could result in substantial cost-savings to the public in terms of improved ecological services and recreational opportunities, improved grazing and forest lands, reduction in wildfire damage and expense of control, reduction of impacts on affected communities, and a reduction in the use of synthetics herbicides.
