United States Department of Agriculture The Standley Allotment: Forest Service Pacific Northwest A History of Range Forest and Range Experiment Station Recovery Research Paper PNW-278 Gerald S. Strickler and Wade B. Hall November 1980 Authors Gerald S. Strickler is range scientist at the Range and Wildlife Habitat Laboratory, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, La Grande, Oregon. Wade B. Hall (retired) was formerly staff officer, WalIowa-Whitman National Forest, Baker, Oregon. Metric Equivalents 1 mile (mi) = 1.61 kilometers (km) 1 foot (ft) = 0.3048 meter (m) 1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm) 1 square foot (ft2) = 0.0929 square meter (m2) 1 acre = 0.4047 hectare (ha) Degrees Fahrenheit (°F) = 1.8 degrees Celsius (°C) +32° Cover photo: A sheep camp and bedground on the Standley allotment, 1907. The Standley Allotment: A History of Range Recovery Where sufficient green fescue plants Between 1955 and 1976, quadrat Reference Abstract remained, Sampson deemed it possi- studies were made and photographs ble to restore the productivity of the were retaken to record and illustrate Strickler, Gerald S., and Wade B. Hall. grasslands through natural reseeding. the recovery of vegetation. In 1976, 1980. The Standley allotment: A His 1st-year study of the seedling vegetation cover had greatly increas- history of range recovery. USDA For. ecology of major species suggested ed (to 60 percent), and green fescue Serv. Res. Pap. PNW-278. 35p., illus. that a deferred grazing system would had regained or shared dominance Pac. Northwest For. and Range Exp. allow the fescue to flower, set seed, where sufficient topsoil, uneroded or Stn., Portland, Oreg. and become established in the in remnant pedestals, had remained depleted communities. Three areas of in 1907. Sites that had been severely One of the first range research pro- the Standley allotment, those in the eroded or barren in 1907, showed grams on National Forest lands was poorest condition, were set aside and variable recovery. Some had a fair to conducted by Dr. Arthur W. Sampson grazed the last fifth of the grazing good cover (to 40 percent) of vegeta- in the Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, season for 4 years. Sampson studied tion dominated by secondary species; between 1907 and 1911. This paper and compared their recovery with that green fescue cover has only recently reviews the historical perspective of of other areas, both protected and begun to increase in these com- and the basic range management grazed season-long. munities. Other sites barren in 1907 principles and practices developed remained in that condition because of from Sampson's studies as well as The deferred grazing system worked their location, continued overgrazing, the land and grazing management of well. Green fescue seedlings became or because frost heave and summer the study area to 1980. Plant succes- established and matured, range con- drought prevented establishment of sion and range improvement from the dition had improved, and it was not seedlings. Where Sampson reseeded depleted conditions prevalent in 1907 disadvantageous to sheep. Similar introduced species, only native are discussed and documented by deferred systems were used on species were found. Cover was fair photographs between 1955 and 1976. several allotments in the Wallowa (30 to 40 percent), and both secondary Mountains, and Sampson recom- species and green fescue dominated, Keywords: Range management, mended their use on other badly the latter where it was present in history (range research), revegetation depleted ranges in the Western 1907. (range) succession, subalpine ranges, United States. Festuca viridula, grazing damage. Although recovery since 1907 was ap- On barren sites where natural parent, the early depletion of vegeta- revegetation was unlikely, Sampson tion and soil erosion essentially Research Summary conducted a 5-year study of reseeding modified the grassland habitats and with introduced grasses. As part of a regulated the rate and amount of Between 1907 and 1911, Dr. Arthur W. more extensive study in the Western recovery. The plant communities were Sampson conducted one of the United States, his objective in the in a variety of secondary succes- Forest Service's first range research Wallowa Mountains was not only to sional stages. No communities had programs on the subalpine restore productivity but also to deter- recovered to green fescue climax. grasslands of the Standley allotment mine either the factors necessary to in the Wallowa Mountains of eastern insure seeding success or the Oregon. Excessive grazing by sheep, reasons for failure on subalpine sites. beginning about 1880, had resulted in He experimented with planting severe deterioration of vegetation, methods and spring and fall seeding soil, and watershed resources. Only and observed the growth and adap- remnants remained of the once domi- tability of the seeded species. The nant green fescue, an important seedlings were successful; however, forage grass. Much of the grassland their long-term survival in the was eroding and barren. Sampson subalpine environment seemed recorded these conditions and his ex- unlikely. Sampson published some perimental studies with photographs. reseeding guidelines based on this work; the guidelines are still used. As a result of Sampson's work, livestock numbers were reduced on the range and various land and livestock management practices, in- cluding deferred grazing and non-use, were initiated to promote recovery of the range. Preface The Wallowa Mountains in northeast Oregon are an area of rugged scenic beauty well known by hikers, back packers, trail riders, and hunters. The mountains are also important as a watershed to surrounding municipalities and for irrigation and hydroelectric facilities in the lower valleys. Furthermore, they supply abundant habitat and summer grazing for game animals, particularly deer and elk, and for domestic livestock. Watershed and range conditions in the Wallowa Mountains, however, were poor in 1900. The scene was one of deterioration caused by 20 years of excessive grazing by domestic cattle and sheep. Dr. Arthur W. Sampson, a young ecologist in the Bureau of Plant Industry in Washington, D.C., was sent by the Forest Service in 1907 to determine how to stop the deterioration and improve conditions. The results of his 5-year study of subalpine ranges on the Standley allotment led to early development of many range management principles and practices in use today. The pioneering work of Arthur Samp- son and the subsequent recovery of the ranges provided stimulus for the study reported here. This paper is respectfully dedicated to his memory. Dr. Sampson, who died on February 7, 1967, was honored on July 29, 1976, by the dedication of a plaque on a stone monument overlooking one of his research areas near Standley Spring. Contents List of Figures Introduction 1 Cover: A sheep camp and bed Figure 12. View north from CP-9, Standley Spring. 20 Need for Research 1 ground on the Standley allotment, A. July 12, 1907. 1907. 74297 Study Areas 2 B. July 15, 1909. Preface: The A. W. Sampson C. 1911. The Studies: 1907-1911 4 memorial plaque. ii D. August 12, 1955. Natural Revegetation 4 E. July 29, 1976. Artificial Revegetation 5 Figure 1. The Standley allotment in northeast Oregon. 1 Figure 13. Arthur W. Sampson Grazing Management: with copper tag, spring 1955. 22 1911-1980 6 Figure 2. View north from CP-17, Wallowa Mountains 6 Sturgill Basin. 9 Figure 14. Charts of permanent Standley Allotment 7 A. September 1909. quadrat at Standley Spring, Standley Spring and B. August 1966. 1955,1964, and 1972. 23 Sturgill Basin 7 Figure 3. View north-northeast Figure 15. View northeast from Recovery: 1955-1976 8 from CP-1, Standley Spring. 10 CP-7, Standley Spring. 24 A. August 1907. A. August 16, 1907. Discussion 28 B. August 12, 1955. B. July 29, 1976. Conclusions 29 C. August 9, 1973. Figure 16. View north-northeast Acknowledgments 29 Figure 4. View east-southeast from from CP-8, Standley Spring. 25 CP-2, Standley Spring. 12 Literature Cited 30 A. July 23, 1909. A. June 2, 1908. B. July 29, 1976. Appendix 31 B. August 9, 1973. Common and Scientific Figure 17. View northwest from Figure 5. View southeast from CP-11, Standley Spring. 26 Names of Plant Species CP-6, Standley Spring. 13 in the Study Areas 31 A. August 16, 1907. A. June 29, 1908. B. August 9, 1973. Location Maps of Standley B. August 9, 1973. Spring and Sturgill Basin 33 Figure 6. View southwest from Figure 18. View southeast from CP-4, Standley Spring. 14 CP-12, Standley Spring. 27 A. October 1910. A. July 25, 1908. B. August 9, 1973. B. July 28, 1976. Figure 7. View north from CP-5, Figure 19. Map showing location Standley Spring. 15 of Standley Spring and Sturgill A. September 15, 1909. Basin study areas, Wallowa- B. August 9, 1973. Whitman National Forest, Figure 8. View northeast from Oregon (appendix). 33 CP-3, Standley Spring. 16 Figure 20. Schematic map of A. September 15, 1909. camera points at Standley B. August 9, 1973. Spring, Wallowa-Whitman Figure 9. View east from CP-13, National Forest, Oregon Sturgill Basin. 16 (appendix). 34 A. September 24, 1908. Figure 21. Schematic map of B. August 13, 1955. camera points at Sturgill Basin, C. August 8, 1973. Wallowa-Whitman National Figure 10. View west from CP-14, Forest, Oregon (appendix). 35 Sturgill Basin. 18 A. July 1909. B. August 8, 1973. CP = camera points. Figure 11. View north from CP-15, Sturgill Basin. 19 A. August 13, 1955. B. August 8, 1973. Introduction Need for Research The Standley allotment in Oregon's The grazing capacity of Western Wallowa Mountains (fig. 1) looms mountain rangelands was seriously large in the history of rangeland depleted by 1907 as a result of research and management in the overstocking during the "free-for-all" Western United States.