Cheatgrass may raise wildfire danger again

ST. GEORGE — The delicious sweet smell of early-spring blooms on Dixie's apricot trees is a welcome reminder that winter is over, but there's also a hint of danger sprouting in southern Utah's rangelands and along its roadways.

Cheatgrass, an invasive weed well known for fueling fast-moving wildfires with catastrophic results, is beginning to appear in southern Utah. Cheatgrass, which "grows like crazy," starts to green-up and grow taller from late February through early April, said Sheldon Wimmer, state fire management officer with the Utah Bureau of Land Management.

"We've been living in a drought for the last 10 years and this is the first normal winter we've had in a while," Wimmer said. "If it doesn't heat up too fast, we could see a large crop of cheatgrass this year."

That could prove troublesome in more ways than one, he said. Fighting wildfires fueled by invasive weeds like cheatgrass is expensive and dangerous work. Cheatgrass dries quickly, ignites easily and helps wildfires move rapidly. During 2007, wildfires burned a staggering 600,000 acres of public, state and private lands throughout Utah, double the amount that burned in 2006, according to the BLM.

The state's largest wildfire, the 2007 Milford Flat fire, consumed 350,000 acres, killed four people, destroyed hundreds of cattle and sheep, put dozens of ranchers out of business, devastated families, and threatened public safety from dust and ash clouds created by winds after the fires were knocked down. No one wants a repeat of that, Wimmer said.

"We spent $43 million just in reseeding efforts alone and another $20 million in fire suppression. We are working closely with the state and putting our resources in the appropriate places to get the best possible result," he said. "But it's an enormous task."

Rehabilitating rangeland, improving watersheds and preventing the growth of invasive weeds is a major concern for land managers throughout the state, said Bill Hopkin, director of the Grazing Improvement Program for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

Improving the health of Utah's rangelands through the use of more effective grazing and management practices will also help the state gain the upper hand over invasive plants like cheatgrass, Hopkin said.

And while a $2 million budget doesn't go far enough when it comes to proposed restoration projects, it's a good start, he said.