Workshop on New Grass Germplasms
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CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS ON FACILITIES
On the first day of the workshop, Bob Stack and Jeff Linn discussed the
training activities at Fort Carson and the environmental and rangeland manage-
ment problems on the base. Representatives of each federal agency also spoke
briefly on the land use and specific problems at their facilities. At the beginning
of the second day, Brian Milhbachler discussed the problems faced by the United
States Air Force Academy. These presentations are summarized below.
Fort Carson
Welcome. Bob Stack, Range Control
Fort Carson has about 340 thousand acres of maneuver ranges at two
different locations; Fort Carson itself is 138 thousand acres and Pion Canyon,
located 150 miles to the south, consists of 235 thousand acres. A wide range of
training involving various types of equipment is conducted on these installations.
Many of the ranges are being reconfigured to streamline the training mission.
The training lands are monitored through the Land Condition Trend Analy-
sis (LCTA) program. Monitoring plots are identified with geographic positioning
system (GPS) technology and digital photography. The monitoring plots are
allocated according to the various vegetation types in the training areas. At Fort
Carson, one monitoring plot is allocated for every 150 maneuverable acres for a
total of 356 plots; at Pion Canyon, one monitoring plot is allocated for every
450 acres for a total of 332 plots. Data collection includes ground cover, bio-
diversity, and measurements of erosion and maneuver disturbances. The majority
of the training areas monitored last year were in average or improved condition;
only two areas were found in conditions below average, one each with moderate
and severe disturbance.
Challenges addressed by the Land Rehabilitation and Maintenance (LRAM)
program at Fort Carson include reducing wind and water erosion on firebreaks,
trails, and other heavily used areas, and decreasing training downtime as a result
of fires that are exacerbated by the prevalence of invasive weeds in the small
impact areas.
A long-term goal for the LRAM program is to develop maneuver-impact-
resistant grass stands on the ranges and training areas at Fort Carson and Pion
Canyon. This should reduce erosion potential while building a more realistic
training environment.
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