Gilliam Soil & Water Conservation District: Seed

Gilliam County
Request: $74,993

While battling four fires in July, which burned 15% of the county (116,000 acres), rangeland and dryland wheat fields were bulldozed to create firelines to prevent further spread of the fires, leaving long stripes of bare ground across working ground. An estimated 11,000 acres of standing winter wheat burned, approximately one seventh of the county's annual crop. New seed will prevent that bare ground filling with weeds that become future fire tinder, and the seed must be planted in October. Landowners will plant with their own equipment and fuel, this request is for the seed to replant, and four broadcast spreaders that attach to a side-by-side to seed steep and rocky ground. The broadcaster spreaders will be owned by the county, to be deployed in future emergency recovery situations. Gilliam SWCD has already performed the satellite imagery needed to complete this project, and landowners will be donating in-kind for the seed application, fuel, and labor.