Manti-La Sal Happenings

Chief's Innovation Award winners in Washington, DC. USDA Forest Service image by Dominic Cumberland.

"The universe is no narrow thing and the order within it is not constrained by any latitude in its conception to repeat what exists in one part in any other part. Even in this world more things exist without our knowledge than with it and the order in creation which you see is that which you have put there, like a string in a maze, so that you shall not lose your way. For existence has its own order and that no man's mind can compass, that mind itself being but a fact among others." ―Cormac McCarthy

In last month's newsletter, the Manti-La Sal National Forest announced that nine current and former employees had won the Chief's Innovation Award. In this month's newsletter, the cover photo and first film strip capture four of them receiving the award in Washington, DC. Further down, you'll find a great article about the ecological benefits provided by shrub species that occur on the National Forest; news about the beginning of a new fire season; and an update on the success of the south zone lichenology program. Beyond that, Forest employees have been very involved in numerous community and university outreach events.

A shrub is a small-to-medium size perennial plant with persistent woody stems above the ground. Several vegetation communities on the Manti-La Sal National Forest are dominated by tall-shrub species, growing in association with trees, or along streams and edges of wet meadows. Most tall-shrub communities are composed of species of currants, snowberry, elderberry, chokecherry, sagebrush, and those along streams or near wet meadows are dominated by willow.

On steep, south-facing slopes with warm exposures, snowberry, currants, and chokecherry shrubs grow dense with an understory of grasses and forbs (herbaceous species). Landslips are common in some areas of the Forest, keeping the soil in a perpetual state of immaturity. After soil shifts, forb and shrub species are capable of growing from roots or rhizomes remaining in the soil even if the parent plant was lost in the slide. Along the shoulders of knolls and ridges you will find currant species growing in a less dense fashion intermingled with openings of herbaceous vegetation. Here, accelerated erosion can occur between the shrubs reducing the herbaceous cover. But protected soil beneath the shrubs commonly contains more moisture supporting distinctly mesic forb and grass species. When associated with conifers on northernly knolls, currant and elderberry species are often seen in a more spreading growth habit supporting expansion of spruce-fir forests, more so than a grassland habitat does, by conserving moisture and lessening competition from herbaceous plants. Currant, snowberry, elderberry and chokecherry are a valuable food source for birds, small mammals, and bears.

From foothills to subalpine zones, mountain big sagebrush is often found as a key species, co-dominating with a mix of other shrubs, as an understory in pinyon-juniper woodlands, or as a component in some montane and subalpine grasslands/woodlands. Sagebrush forms a dense root network making it highly competitive for water and nutrients. Taproots can extend up to seven feet vertically, and lateral roots can extend up to five feet horizontally. Mountain sagebrush communities foster greater plant diversity than other sagebrush species, because of shelter provided to forbs and grasses. In more arid locations of the Forest like those on the south zone, these shrubs can also foster a higher percentage of cryptobiotic soil crust cover. Sagebrush evergreen leaves and seeds are an important food source for wildlife including mammals and birds.

Along streams and fringes of wet meadows, Booth’s willow and other willow species are common. These shrubs provide stability to the banks with their roots and provide cover and protection for many birds and mammals, as well as shade for fish. Booth’s willow can sprout vigorously from the root or basal stem after disturbance, and is highly tolerant of frost, flooding, and fire.

The Forest's shrub communities support many plant and animal species and reduce erosion with their deep spreading roots. They have an important place in the ecology of the Forest. Warmer weather will be here soon, and these communities will be free from the snow cover. Get ready to go explore and enjoy the diversity across the Forest!

Engine 611 from the Manti-La Sal National Forest served in Huntsville, Texas on the Sam Houston National Forest from February 7 to March 22. The engine was staffed with crew members from across the Forest, and assisted local firefighters with prescribed fire, hazard tree removal, and wildfire suppression: The team helped treat thousands of acres, kept roads clear for travel, and helped suppress the New Hope and Duck Fires.

In March, Wildlife Biologist Jeff Jewkes hosted a Wildlife Education Day for the Carbon County Homeschool Group which consisted of approximately 21 kids along with some of their parents.  Jeff spoke about wildlife habitats and ecosystems, showed the students some animal skulls and hides, and lead a nature hike, where the kids were taught to look for signs of wildlife.

The story of the special lichen communities on the La Sal Mountains continues to grow: Research on alpine lichens in the La Sals Mountains and the Mt Peale Research Natural Area on the Moab Ranger District was initiated by Dr. Steve Leavitt in 2018 and funded by Canyonlands Natural History Association and Brigham Young University. This work resulted in numerous scientific papers and several new species described. Material from the collections was subsequently used by lichenologists from Austria and Turkey to describe two more new species, including Lecidella ayazii that is now known from the Antarctic Peninsula, far northern Canada and the La Sal Mountains in Utah! The latest article was published this year in the journal The Lichenologist.

For further reading, see:

Leavitt, S.D., Hollinger, J., Summerhays, S., Munger, I., Allen, J. and Smith, B., 2021. Alpine lichen diversity in an isolated sky island in the Colorado Plateau, USA—Insight from an integrative biodiversity inventory. Ecology and Evolution, 11(16), pp.11090-11101.

Hale, E., Fisher, M.L., Keuler, R., Smith, B. and Leavitt, S.D., 2019. A biogeographic connection between Antarctica and montane regions of western North America highlights the need for further study of lecideoid lichens. The Bryologist, 122(2), pp.315-324.

Staff from the Moab and Monticello Ranger Districts participated in the Utah State University (USU) Blanding Career & Job Expo on March 22. The team had time to meet students exploring career options as well as faculty members gathering information to give to their students. Next month south zone specialists will be attending the Diné College Career Fair as well as the USU Blanding STEAM Expo.

During March, the Manti-La Sal National Forest road crew worked for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the San Rafael Swell. The team reconstructed the impoundment at Box Flat Reservoir, which is south of Cedar Mountain and north of the San Rafael River. Next, the crew will assist the BLM with cattle guard repair and replacement.

The Colorado Archaeological Society is one of the Manti-La Sal National Forest’s partners in heritage research, preservation, and education.  The organization has nine chapters, and members from the Hisatsinom (Cortez), Chipeta (Montrose), and Grand Junction Chapters regularly volunteer on South Zone archaeological projects and help monitor site conditions.  They also have an important role in spreading the word to others about how to visit sites with respect.  Charmaine Thompson, Manti-La Sal National Forest Tribal Relations Specialist, visited the Grand Junction Chapter in March and gave a presentation on identifying Ancestral Puebloan and Fremont ceramics, and on how to respectfully treat those artifacts when visiting sites.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In celebration of Women’s History Month this year, the agency is pleased to launch a new webpage,  Women and the Forest Service , to provide the public with more information about the agency’s history. The new page is dedicated to telling the story of women in the agency since its inception.

Women have been at the forefront of the Forest Service from the beginning, serving in roles as advocates, foresters, rangers’ wives, clerks, information and education specialists, scientific researchers, and lookouts. In these roles, they pioneered and supported the development of the agency’s forest management infrastructure, information base, conservation education and more.

Although women were not allowed to attend forestry schools or hired in professional or field positions during the first half of the 20th century, they found rewarding careers in the agency through alternative paths, studying environmental sciences or providing insight from the lens of daily administration.  After passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, women applied for professional and field positions and moved into jobs as foresters, firefighters and even district rangers and forest supervisors. Eventually, the agency had its first woman Chief, Gail Kimbell, in 2007.

This webpage will continue to be updated, and links will be added to direct the public to additional information on regional websites and elsewhere. While  Women and Forest Service  is the first area where we’re expanding national focus, it will not be the last.

The webpage was developed by Jason Lawor and Travis Weger of Region 2, historian Rachel Kline, the Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Communication.

We are always excited to welcome new members to our Manti-La Sal staff. And to wish the best to those who are moving on to new opportunities.

Welcome to these new employees!

Archaeologist Allison Aakre has worked for the Manti-La Sal National Forest for several years. Recently, the Forest was able promote Allison to the role of heritage program manager for the Moab and Monticello Ranger Districts, a position formerly held by Don Irwin until his retirement in 2022. Allison will start her new role on April 8, 2024. Allison holds a Masters in Anthropology from North Dakota State University and has ten years of federal service. She has significant experience in working with tribal partners, conducting ethnographic field studies, consulting with the State Historic Preservation Office, serving as a partnership coordinator, assisting the planning team, and much, much more. Congratulations Allison.

The Manti-La Sal National Forest welcomes Public Affairs Officer Holly Shyrer. Holly is a multimedia design and communications professional holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and Photography from Boise State University (2013). Holly’s initial journey with the USDA Forest Service took place from 2008-2013 through the Pathways Program as a Wildlife Technician. As each season progressed, she gained experience in Fisheries, Rec, and Wildland Fire fighting in service to the Malheur National Forest, Boise National Forest, and Dixie National Forest. At the end of her 2013 season, Holly had a vision of using her degree to serve the agency through communications with the goal to educate and inspire the public concerning our National Forests. With that vision in mind, Holly honed her skills, spending over a decade in corporate America as a Digital Marketing Manager providing graphic design, web design, photography, podcasting, storytelling, videography, media production, writing, communications strategy, and digital campaign initiatives. Today, Holly is thrilled to finally return ‘home’ to the Forest Service as a Public Affairs Officer on the Manti-La Sal National Forest. In her free time, she can be found hiking, fishing, practicing yoga, and prepping for her first season of hunting upland game and waterfowl in Utah.

Discover Manti-La Sal National Forest's diverse terrain- from mountains to scale, trails to explore, waters to fish, and abundant camping areas perfect for creating family traditions. Scenic byways and backways offer motorists stunning vista views.

Whether you have a suggestion to make this newsletter better, or you'd like to see something featured in a later edition, we welcome your input.