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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2021)
20 Wednesday, April 21, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon B a a ling ng g CHEATGRASS n never ends Story and photo by Katy Yoder Our son-in-love, Toby Maxwell, is a research scientist working on a project in Idaho. He9s studying invasive species like cheatgrass, and how climate change correlates with its proliferation. Since I spent many back-aching hours last year hand- weeding cheatgrass in our pasture, I9m well aware of its detrimental effect on the High Desert. Cheatgrass begins as a benign- looking treat for grazers. Although it fills stomachs, it9s poorly nutritious for the animals consuming it. When it turns from green to a luscious pur- ple and begins to dry out, it loses its allure as a food source and becomes a menace. The foxtails waving in the wind and attaching themselves to the coats of animals are an effective way to scatter seeds and expand territory. Horses and other grazers that snatch a bite of grass and get some fox- tails along with it, can get infections and even die from sharp foxtails burrowing deep into tender tissue. At its climax, cheatgrass can decimate an ecosystem, growing in near monoculture 4 the domi- nance by a single plant in a given area. This can result in pathogens and disease which undermines the potential of a plot of land, depletes soil resources, and diminishes the Beau roams a pasture that’s got some cheatgrass in it. The invasive pest can’t be eliminated entirely — but it can be fought. quality of the food produced there. I9ve asked Toby how to get rid of cheatgrass. It9s not native to Central Oregon and was accidently intro- duced to the U.S. in packing mate- rial in the late 1800s. It9s a winter annual grass native to Europe, south- western Asia, and northern Africa. It is now invasive worldwide. It9s common for seeds, designed to bur- row into the ground, to get into a dog9s skin, ears and nose which can cause infections and even death. According to the USDA9s Natural Resource Conservation Service, Bromus tectorum, or cheat- grass, spreads explosively in the ready-made seedbeds prepared Donate. Shop. Volunteer. Thrift Store ReStore 541-549-1740 541-549-1621 211 E. Cascade Ave. 254 W. Adams Ave. Open Mon.-Fri. 11-5, Sat. 10-5, Closed Sun. Open Mon.-Fri. 11-5, Sat. 10-5, Closed Sun. Decór • Housewares Building Materials Toys • Books • Jewelry Furniture • Hardware Collectibles • Clothing g Tools • Gardening SistersHabitat.org Turning Donations Into Homes ALL YOU NEED We are all l l you need! W d ! Let us handle the work while you sit back and relax. No job is too big or too small, if you need it done we will do it! F F E R W E O We handle yard work of tic l o H i s ca re all types: tree removal, - d y a r ic es! high-risk timber work, s e r v vacation home maintenance, roof & gutter cleaning, and more. 541-419-5122 541 5 4 1 41 4 1 - 4 419 4 19 1 9-5 9 - 5 1 122 12 22 2 2 www.allyouneed.work CCB# 218169 by the trampling hooves of live- stock on over-grazed rangelands. Disturbance associated with home- steading and cultivation of winter wheat also accelerated its spread and establishment. By the 1930s, cheatgrass was becoming the dominant grass over vast areas of the Pacific Northwest and the Intermountain West regions. It9s now estimated to infest more than 41 million hectares (101 mil- lion acres) in western states. While it9s pesky for our pets, it9s also known to increase the frequency of wildfire and disrupt habitat for a variety of native animals of inter- est to naturalists and hunters alike. Learn more here: https://plants.usda. gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_brte.pdf. Toby was clear that there9s no way to completely get rid of cheat- grass. It will always find a way to survive somehow, somewhere. His work is in its early stages. What he knows so far is that one way to gain some control of cheat- grass in our Central Oregon pastures is by making sure beneficial grasses are healthy and receive proper nour- ishment. Cheatgrass is an oppor- tunist. It lives and flourishes when other grasses are weakened by poor soil quality, lack of water and detri- mental uses like overgrazing. I9m still going to pull up the cheatgrass. But I9m not putting down poison in its place. That will only kill living things needed for a healthy, diverse, multicultural ecology. I look at fields, mottled with snow and wet soil, and know there are foxtail seeds that I missed. They live under the snow all win- ter, giving their destructive agenda a competitive edge after winter9s siege. They will be the first to push through the cold ground and rise towards the sunlight. Finding and eradicating them when they9re young and harmless will allow native plants a chance to thrive. SISTERS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Sisters Habitat for Humanity Restore should be at the top of your list of stops when you’re plan- ning your home projects this spring. Indoor and outdoor furniture of excellent quality can be had here for outstanding prices — with what you spend paying forward into Habitat’s housing programs. Need tools and supplies for your project? Restore has an array of hand tools and some power tools available. Doors, trim, tile, paint — you can find it all at Restore. Their garden-supply room is outstanding. The Restore yard reopened to the public on April 1, and they are again taking donations. No appointment is necessary during designated hours — but you will need to unload yourself. Pickups are available for some donations, call 541-549-1621 to inquire. Volunteers are needed to staff the facility — cashiers, greeters, intake, pricing/sorting, and prod- uct testing are all slots that need filling — and a camera specialist would be most appreciated. ALL YOU NEED MAINTENANCE & REPAIR You are looking at a whole lot of chores this spring. Not to mention all of those projects you’ve been meaning to tackle for months or even years. But you’d really like to enjoy the sunny days of spring instead of working on the house and yard. What to do? Call All You Need Maintenance & Repair (AYN). AYN is a full-service, locally owned family company in Sisters. They proudly serve the whole Sisters area at a very high standard. Principal Austin Selle says that his motto is that perfection is the only option, no matter the size and scope of the job. AYN hires locally and buys its materials locally, fully committed to the Sisters community because they “very much believe in this little town.” They are licensed, bonded, and insured, and offer fair competitive pricing, and free estimates. They stand behind every job with pride in a higher standard of excellence.
