A few months after the Grandview Fire hit Central Oregon and Rimrock Ranch, the Land Trust is already hard at work restoring portions of Rimrock Ranch that were impacted by the fire!
One of the first steps in restoration is removing fire breaks that were created during the fire. Fire breaks are areas where machinery is brought in to push, scrape, and remove everything down to the bare soil. This removes plants and other flammable materials to help stop the spread of wildfires. It also compacts soil and creates ruts and berms, both of which impact a plant's ability to grow in the soil.
At Rimrock Ranch, we have begun to restore these fire breaks by using machinery to de-compact the soil, flatten berms, and smooth the soil. This makes it easy for native plants to reseed and to grow and thrive in the area. In addition, rocks and other debris have been moved back into the area so the fire breaks begin to blend in with the surroundings.
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Next, we will be working with volunteers and crews to transplant grasses from the sides of the fire breaks. This will help stabilize the soil as we head into our wet winter season. Finally, in the late fall, native seeds will be spread throughout the area. Since some of these fire breaks were already impacted by invasive weeds, we will continue to monitor for weeds to give our native plants a chance to thrive.
Since the Grandview Fire was an unexpected event, we are looking for help with this restoration project. If you would like to contribute to our efforts to restore the portion of Rimrock Ranch impacted by the Grandview Fire, please make a gift today. We greatly appreciate it!
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