1993 Annual Report for AW93-010
Educational Video on Management of Pinon-Juniper Ecosystems - A New Approach
Summary
To educate ranchers, federal and state agencies, and the general public on a new approach in managing pinyon-juniper ecosystems for sustained use.
The educational method used will be a 25-30 minute video which will be designed to:
1. Reach the maximum number of viewers.
2. Change or reinforce public opinion regarding an appropriate management strategy in restoring watershed health.
3. Encourage land users of public and private lands to utilize native timber products to supplement incomes, thereby improving sustainability on family ranches and strengthening surrounding rural communities dependent on forest products.
4. Solicit public support for federal initiatives for increased investment in programs to improve watershed conditions.
5. Show the value of fire management in the maintenance of restored watersheds.
6. Show actual treatment methods and the dramatic results.
7. To train resource managers in the Forest Service to implement a new pinyon-juniper woodland management strategy.
An educational video entitled "Fire and Water: Restoring a Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem" and a brochure entitled "Restoring a Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem" have been produced for wide distribution. These educational materials address the issue of how to restore a deteriorated watershed in an environmentally and socially acceptable way.
The video and brochure document a successful approach used by ranchers and the U. S. Forest Service to deal with complex watershed restoration issues. The video demonstrates how various groups working together can blend environmental and economic needs in a fashion that allows for clean water, clean air, fish and wildlife, diverse recreational opportunities, profit from livestock ranching and community business and an aesthetically pleasing environment. The video will apply to many areas throughout the West where similar problems and opportunities exist in pinyon-juniper ecosystems.
The 30-minute video brings together diverse views from Hispanic, Native American and Anglo cultures as well as environmental and traditional agriculture concerns. Four hundred and fifty copies of the video and 5,000 copies of the brochure have been produced and distribution has begun. The video is designed to educate a wide variety of audiences, including federal and state agencies, ranchers and the general public.
A significant benefit of this project is already taking place in the classroom. A shorter version of the video is being distributed to high school students in New Mexico to be used to debate the pros and cons of "friendly" fire and brush control in manipulation of our natural environment.
Potential Contributions
The video will have a positive impact on conservation efforts in two areas: 1) the public will be better informed and therefore less likely to object to beneficial but sometimes controversial practices such as prescribed fire or brush control; and 2) the land users and governmental agencies who are directly involved in resource management will be encouraged to undertake watershed restoration projects.
The video and brochure detail specific benefits related to restoration efforts. For example, the brochure indicates that as much as 20 tons per acre of topsoil are lost on severely eroded sites. The video documents the restoration of springs that have been dry for years due to competition from juniper for available ground water.
The restoration approaches demonstrated in the video will be applicable to many areas throughout the West. In the Southwest region alone, there are three and a half million acres of deteriorated pinyon-juniper on Forest Service lands, not to mention the adjacent private lands. The success story of this project can be duplicated in similar areas.
Another positive benefit will be in educating our youth. This project has been selected as an environmental education activity of high school students in New Mexico.
New Hypotheses
State and federal agencies charged with meeting environmental regulations such as the Clean Water Act are beginning to look at ecosystem management or holistic management on watershed boundaries as the way to address water quality and other resource problems. For example, in New Mexico, the State Environment Department and the Environmental Protection Agency is beginning to work with local people to develop water quality plans on deteriorated watersheds. The video illustrates how this can be done successfully and can be used to show these agencies a successful strategy to reach environmental goals.
The video also documents the additional water yields based on elimination of a substantial amount of competing vegetation (Juniper). This is a controversial issue and many researchers will dispute the claim that removing competing trees will increase water yields. The video documents this phenomenon on the Carrizo Project and perhaps this will encourage additional research in this area.
Farmer Adoption
The full impact of the video on ranchers, researchers and government agencies has yet to be determined. Early response to the video by groups and individuals has been encouraging. Requests from Bureau of Land Management and State Environment Dept. to show their staffs the video is encouraging. The Forest Service plans to use this video extensively in their training programs. They will distribute at least 300 copies of the videos for their own use.
Ranchers who are in the immediate area of the Carrizo Project are working on similar programs on their private and leased lands. There is definitely an increase in prescribed fire, brush control and erosion control on both public and private lands as a result of this initiative.
Reported in 1995