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reasons calendar dates for seeding and planting operations aze not specified. Planting operations <br />• should be conducted during the indicated seasons based on site-specific needs, moisture regimes <br />and vegetation purposes. <br />Generally, soil moisture conditions in the fall allow for better equipment access than those <br />present in the spring. Planting in the early fall usually promotes the establishment ofcool-season <br />grass species, since they experience two favorable germination and growth periods prior to <br />warm-season germination. The need to promote the establishment of warm-season grasses may <br />require that the rangeland seed mixture be planted later in the spring, which reduces cool-season <br />grass competition by allowing warm-season species to germinate and establish prior to the first <br />cool-season grass growth period in the fall. <br />Plantings undertaken outside of these generally accepted time periods may not be successfully <br />completed, particularly in the winter when inclement weather can physically preclude seeding <br />operations. Success of seeding undertaken during the summer months can be highly variable, <br />depending upon the length of time between precipitation events and the amounts of precipitation <br />received. Summer hailstorms may also influence survival of seedlings. None-the-less, under <br />certain circumstances some areas may require seeding immediately following disturbance or <br />construction activities. In these situations exceptions may be made to the standard planting <br />periods. <br />SEEDING METHODS <br />• Seed mixtures may be planted using either broadcast or drill seeding methods. Key to the <br />success of planting operations is proper preparation of the seedbed. The seedbed will be <br />evaluated for proper levels of fertility prior to commencement planting operations. Water <br />harvesting features will be in place and adequate soil protection measures will be used to ensure <br />stability of the seedbed during the anticipated seed mixture germination and establishment <br />period. If soil crusting is present that has the potential to seriously impact seedling germination <br />and establishment, it will be alleviated using appropriate methods. Sterile, benign extenders will <br />be used when necessary to ensure even distribution of seed across the planting site. Soil fertility, <br />water harvesting features and seedbed preparations will be sequenced and performed to optimize <br />seedling establishment and development. <br />SEEDING RATES <br />In the 1880's, overgrazing and fire suppression in the western U.S. resulted in huge losses of <br />grazing land to big sagebrush, pinyon pine and juniper. In the late 1940's, the BLM, USFS and <br />many large landowners and lessors initiated the restoration of these scrub lands back to grazing <br />land and big-game range. Mechanical methods including chaining and dozing large areas were <br />used to prepare a rough seedbed for establishment of several cool-season grasses. To get these <br />large seeded grasses to establish quickly and suppress the native seed bank, high broadcast <br />seeding rates were used. <br />. Appendix G 7 06/28/02 <br />