Restoring the trampled land of Utah’s national parks

“What is it about the desert?”

“For me, it’s always been the wide open spaces. You know, you’re very small, and so therefore any problems that you might have also feel really small. And so it’s really a place to put things in perspective,” park ranger Liz Ballenger said. “It’s restorative.”

But there are times when even the desert needs to be restored. The arches and cliffs haven’t gone anywhere, but after more than a century of cattle-trampling, beginning in the mid-1800s, vast stretches of land in the West still haven’t come back. Native grass doesn’t grow and wildlife can’t survive.

That’s why Canyonlands and Arches National Parks are involved in an innovative program using something called “con-mods.” “It’s short for connectivity modifier,” Ballenger explained.

It’s a big idea with lots of little parts: the X-shaped con-mods catch seeds and moisture, creating tiny “islands of recovery” that multiply over and over.

“We’re in Salt Valley [in Arches] now … one of the areas that’s really in need of restoration,” Ballenger said. “By having these islands of recovery out here on the landscape, we’re able to get perennial grass established into these systems again.”

So far, scientists say con-mods have a 90 percent success rate.

Read full story…

 

The following are paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.