OutdoorNebraska

66 TABLE B12. PHEASANT & QUAIL HABITAT MANAGEMENT - DARR STRIP WMA Grassland Early Seral Stage Grassland Mid Seral Stage Grassland Late Seral Stage Food Plots/ Crops Early Succession Rota on Woodland Wetland Misc. Darr Strip WMA - 981 ac. Future Desired Condi on 76.5 ac. (50%) 76.5 ac. (50%) 0 ac. (0%) 81 ac. 552 ac. 270 ac. 0 ac. Current Condi on 36 ac. (24%) 117 ac. (76%) 0 ac. (0%) 36 ac. 552 ac. 270 ac. 0 ac. DEFINITIONS Early Seral Stage: The disturbance year and 1 -3 years following disturbance, i.e. burning, grazing, spraying, disking, lling. Cover is also provided by second year idle crop ground, forb/legume interseeding. Dominated by early successional forbs/legumes. Mid Seral Stage: 4 - 6 years following disturbance. Not dominated by one vegeta on type. Reduced early successional forbs/legumes in the stand. Late Seral Stage: > 6 years following disturbance. Dominated by grass or later successional plants. Few forbs/legumes in the stand. FUTURE DESIRED CONDITION Increase the amount of grassland func oning primarily as nes ng cover from 24% to 50% (increase of 40.5 acres). Nes ng cover defined as mid seral stage grass and forb/legumes, as well as legumes and idle small grains. Decrease the amount of grassland func oning primarily as brood rearing cover from 76% to 50% (decrease of 40.5 acres). Brood rearing is cover defined as early seral stage vegeta on, especially forbs/legumes, crop ground, idle crop ground. Maintain the amount of grassland primarily func oning as winter cover at 0%. Woodland vegeta on will be managed at 25% (138 ac.) early seral stage, 50% (276 acres) mid seral stage, and 25% (138 acres) at late seral stage. Woodland vegeta on will add another 138 acres of winter food sources across the en re area and will also add 276 acres of nes ng and winter cover. Winter cover for quail is provided by mid seral stage vegeta on and idle food plots. Food sources include Early Successional vegeta on, small grain food plots and to a lesser extent mid seral stage vegeta on. ANNUAL WORK PLAN Grasslands have been dominated by smooth brome grass in the past and 36 acres have been grazed and converted to Early Successional habitat 4 years ago and flooded last year, which set back the vegeta on succession. Grazing also took place on 117 acres 6 years ago and vegeta on is now classified as mid seral stage. Large cedar tree clearing projects are proposed to occur within 2 years, so majority of woodland vegeta on will be classified as Early Seral Stage. Sprayed and/ or disked grassland acres will be ini ated to treat 40 acres annually using a 4-6 year rota on depending on how quickly smooth brome infesta on occurs as well as how fast the forb component in the grassland decreases. Prescribed burning will be ini ated to 12 acres annually by using a 4-5 year rota on to treat 60 acres of grassland. Woodland acres are within the riparian area and too difficult to burn safely. Grassland burning is con ngent on firebreak construc on and addi onal cedar tree removal projects. As always, burning is weather dependent and especially important on this WMA because of its proximity to Interstate 80. Grazing will be increased annually by 70% (28 acres) by implemen ng a 4-5 year rota on throughout the area where grazing is feasible (i.e. fencing issue with the river and water sources). Fence infrastructure will be needed to be

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