July 2022 - 14

WORKING TOGETHER
Saw crews cut conifers and pile the branches in an aspen community in South Pass. (Photo courtesy of Shoshone National Forest)
Two for one
A collaborative aspen project in South Pass betters aspen habitat
for mule deer, elk, moose, grouse and migratory birds
By Tracie Binkerd
T
he Wyoming Game and Fish
Department and U.S. Forest Service
are working together on a project to
restore aspen stands in South Pass
in southwest Fremont County. Ultimately,
the project will better habitat and forage
for wildlife and reduce the risk of wildfire
in the area.
Aspen restoration is no easy task, but it's
one with multiple benefits. Aspen communities
in South Pass have increasingly been
encroached upon by conifers. When it comes
to water, not all vegetation is created equal.
Conifers use more water than aspen, which
results in a drier environment when conifers
take over. This can result in less forage for
animals and an increased fire risk.
That's why in 2015 the U.S. Forest Service
and Game and Fish began a 10-year project
to restore aspen stands in this area. Amy
14 | July 2022
Anderson, a Game and Fish habitat biologist,
has worked with the Shoshone National
Forest's team in Lander to identify how to
best restore aspen in the area.
" This can be done through prescribed
burns, which isn't always the best option
in major recreation areas like South Pass
with heavy fuel loads, " Anderson said. " We
largely use mechanical treatments by using
contracted saw crews to cut the conifers out,
and then gauge the possibility of burning
the piles and produced slash. Aspen are a
disturbance-dependent species - without
some type of disturbance, they can be lost
to conifer encroachment. "
By removing encroaching conifers, additional
sunlight and precipitation can reach
the forest floor and trigger aspen sprouts to
grow. Although aspen can grow by reseeding,
they often reproduce through root sprouting.
With increased sprouts and moisture in the
ground aspen stands have a more diverse
When it comes to water, not all
vegetation is created equal.
Conifers use more water than
aspen, which results in a drier
environment when conifers
take over.
understory of herbaceous plants, which serve
as food for wildlife.
Although aspen are good for a variety
of wildlife, the work in South Pass aims to
increase forage for mule deer, especially lactating
does. The habitat is in a migration
pathway for mule deer. While mule deer are
the targeted beneficiary, the project reaches
other species as well.
" Aspen communities are a biodiversity

July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2022

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