H.J.R. 11

1

REHABILITATION OF WILDFIRE DAMAGED
2 LANDS RESOLUTION
3 1998 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Bradley T. Johnson
6 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATURE SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS OF THE
7 BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND DIVISION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES TO
8 REHABILITATE LANDS DAMAGED BY WILDFIRE THROUGH THE USE OF
9 CHAINING AND RESEEDING.
10 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
11 WHEREAS extensive fires in southern Utah have left many areas void of vegetation;
12 WHEREAS many burned areas lack a sufficient seedbank for the regeneration of native
13 plants;
14 WHEREAS without treatment cheatgrass will invade the burned areas making the lands
15 susceptible to erosion and wildfire;
16 WHEREAS it is vital for the burned areas to be reseeded to improve the chances of
17 creating a stable perennial plant community with increased biodiversity;
18 WHEREAS a critical aspect of successful seeding is the incorporation of the seed into the
19 soil;
20 WHEREAS drill seeding is impractical on large areas and rough terrain;
21 WHEREAS flying on the seed and then chaining the area with an anchor chain has been
22 proven to be a very efficient and effective method of seeding large areas;
23 WHEREAS chaining can be used to prepare burned areas for the seeding by truck of
24 large-seeded browse species that are vital to wildlife;
25 WHEREAS an advantage of chaining is its ability to add litter to the soil surface;
26 WHEREAS surface litter increases soil surface diversity, increases water retention, and
27 decreases soil erosion; and

1 WHEREAS land management agencies and research groups have developed techniques
2 and native plant materials to improve reclamation:
3 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah supports
4 efforts by the Bureau of Land Management and the Division of Wildlife Resources to rehabilitate
5 lands damaged by wildfires through the use of chaining and reseeding.
6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the Secretary of the
7 Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Division of Wildlife Resources.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-15-98 7:46 AM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

- 2 -