Dr. Erik Berg

JFSP Manager

National Interagency Fire Center

3833 S. Development Ave.

Boise, ID 83705-5354

Dear Erik:

Enclosed you will find one final report hard copy, one CD with the final report, and a

"crosswalk" of proposed vs. actually delivered research products for JFSP project 01B-3-2-07 “Management of Fuel Loading in the Shrub-steppe.” The information is also available at http://www.tricity.wsu.edu/shrub_steppe/fire_publications.htm. The findings of this investigation are summarized in the Management Guide Summary in the Final Report.

The main findings include a definition of the relationship between Bromus tectorum cover and the risk of fire. This has not been done before. I also related B. tectorum cover to aerial photography reflectance to produce a fine resolution B. tectorum cover map and, thus was able to produce fire risk map. This can be repeated anywhere where B. tectorum is a problem and should help management quantify the location and size of fire risk associated with B. tectorum. With this knowledge, they can write budgets for fire risk reduction.

I defined the fire risk of a few restored ecosystems so that managers can determine the value of their fire risk reduction work. My methods should be useful in their efforts to justify further fire risk reduction actions. This has not been done before.

I determined that the effect of prescribed fire in the fall caused B. tectorum cover to be reduced in the next year, but returned to control levels in the second year after the fire. Sisymbrium altissimum cover increased in the year after the fire and returned to control levels in the second year. There was no effect on native species. Prescribed fire in the fall can be used to minimize plant and litter cover for efficient application of the herbicide, imazapic (Plateau).

The results of the herbicide trials are that imazapic is the better than glyphosate because it promoted native species while glyphosate had negative effects on the native flora. Double application of glyphosate reduced B. tectorum cover in the second year at low concentrations, but did not promote establishment of the seeded bunchgrass.

Imazapic applied at 4 oz/acre resulted in high establishment of the drill-seeded bunchgrass and is the recommended treatment.

How my research met the objectives stated in my research proposal is described in the “crosswalk” document.

I hope my colleagues and I have produced results that will be of value to the Joint Fire Science Program. I believe we have. I look forward to submitting new proposals in the next round. Please let me what I did right and how I could improve.

Yours truly,

Steven Link,