FY15 Wildlife Diversity Project Proposal Title: Rock Hill Prairie and Goodnight-Henry Prairie

FY15 Wildlife Diversity Project Proposal
Title: Rock Hill Prairie and Goodnight-Henry Prairie

Location (County): Benton & Pettis Project Centroid (UTM Coordinate): Rock Hill: X-470286 Y-4241064 Goodnight-Henry: X-481149 Y-4269382 Project Leader: Larry Rizzo

Partner Match: $4,375.00 Total Amount Requested: $20,430
Explain the need and objective of the project:

Habitat restoration at two priority tallgrass prairies in the northeastern Osage Plains. This project will remove invasive brush and woody species to enhance the health, long-term viability, and facilitate better management of these grasslands. Rock Hill Prairie, a 68-acre prairie with a large population of the federally endangered Mead’s Milkweed (Asclepias meadii), will be enhanced through removal of trees and brush in a portion of the remnant prairie and an adjacent area of restorable former prairie. The remnant is termed Rock Hill West (RHW) and the restoration is termed Rock Hill East (RHE). The trees in RHW are in a draw and fragment the remnant into three separate prairies. RHW is currently under fire management and removing these trees will result in more comprehensive fire coverage and less fragmented grassland, while simultaneously removing a source of woody propagules. RHE was formerly thick cedar woodland, but TNC restoration activities in 2008 cleared much of the cedar and left large windrow piles. The remaining trees in RHE are mostly along the creek and consist of large cedars. Ideally, we would like to see the entire preserve incorporated into one fire unit, with the remnant seed from RHW improving the composition in RHE. To sustain the benefits of previous clearing activities, the formerly cleared portions of RHE will be brush hogged. There are approximately 12 acres of thinning in RHW, 12 acres of thinning in RHE, and 15 acres of brush hogging in RHE. The Objective for Goodnight-Henry Prairie (GNH) is to remove brush and tree encroachment from the main draw and along the west fenceline. The old fence needs to be removed and replaced with a new fence with metal posts. These two actions will improve the overall prairie habitat, as well as connecting the prairie with grazed grassland to the west, increasing overall habitat viability and removing a source of woody invasion. These actions will also facilitate more efficient and safer fire management by establishing a clean, straight fire line along the western boundary of the prairie.

List priority geographies (COA(s)) and targeted species and/or natural communities this project will affect:

Goodnight-Henry Prairie is located in the Cole Camp/Hi Lonesome COA; Rock Hill Prairie is located immediately south of this COA. Targeted Natural Communities: Dry-Mesic Limestone-Dolomite Prairie, Dry-Mesic Chert Prairie; both with small inclusions of mesic prairie. Targeted species: Meads Milkweed (Asclepias meadii).

Describe the expected product, result, or outcome:

Completion of these actions will remove encroaching woody vegetation, increase the area of open grassland habitat, reduce shading impacts from peripheral trees bordering prairies, and facilitate more efficient fire management, with a corresponding increase in herbaceous species cover, diversity, and floristic quality. At Rock Hill Prairie, the entire property will be cleared of all trees under 12” DBH as well as all cedar trees. At Goodnight-Henry Prairie, fragmenting effects of the woody draw through the prairie will be eliminated, available mesic grassland habitat will be increased, and safer, more effective and efficient fire management will be possible.

Explain the approach/methodology that will be utilized to complete the project:

RHW/E: Seasonal employees of The Nature Conservancy, supervised by TNC staff, will cut trees with chainsaws, and burn cedars as they are cut. Some hardwoods can be fed onto hot cedar piles. However, there will be some piles left to cure that will be burned off at a later date. Brush hog work will be completed by a private contractor.

GNH: Woody vegetation removal will be completed by a TNC seasonal crew with chainsaws and brush cutters to remove brush. Brush that has accumulated near the fenceline will be piled and burned. Replacement fencing will be completed by contract..
Budget Table:

Category	Amount Requested	Contract or Agreement	Non-MDC/Partner Match
TNC Seasonal Labor	$13,307
Contracted Brush Hog (RHE)		$675
Contracted Fencing (GNH)		$1,980
Expenses for TNC Seasonal Crew (travel, food)	$3,768
Equipment (fuel, parts)	$700
Project Supervisor(4 weeks)			$3,938	TNC
Project Supervision Expenses (travel, food)			$437	TNC
Total	$20,430		$4,375

** In no circumstance can MDC staff or other MDC sources of funds be used for match to the WDF**
Provide justification for any labor and/or equipment in this proposal:

Costs based on 30 person-hours per acre in the heavy thinning and pile burning plus travel time, for a total of 960 person-hours. Additional expenses are required for food, travel from crew base in Van Buren, and equipment maintenance and supplies. A TNC staff supervisor will spend four weeks managing this project.

Indicate your willingness to accept less funding and describe the effect on the overall project if certain portions were reduced.

If we receive less funding, we will focus on the west side of Rock Hill Prairie, which would provide the highest level of benefits for prairie system enhancement. The brush hogging work in RHE remains a priority because the brush will soon be out of control if not managed.