National Park Service
Date of this Version
2008
Abstract
The Kolob Fire is the largest wildfire in Zion National Park’s recorded history (10,516 acres in Zion and 17,632 acres total; Figure 1). In June 2006, this human-caused fire altered the landscape in Zion on a scale that was unprecedented (Figure 2). A major concern of the fire’s impact was the loss of native vegetation and its replacement by non-native invasive species. After the burned area emergency rehabilitation (BAER) assessment was completed, a focused effort by park staff was initiated to implement recommended BAER actions. In late October and early November 2006, an aerial herbicide and seed treatment using PLATEAU herbicide and native grass and forb species seed was applied by helicopter to the Kolob Fire area in Zion. The goal of these treatments is to encourage native perennial plant re-establishment and diversity in areas that are being threatened by cheatgrass invasion.
Comments
Published in Weber, Samantha, and David Harmon, eds. 2008. Rethinking Protected Areas in a Changing World: Proceedings of the 2007 GWS Biennial Conference on Parks, Protected Areas, and Cultural Sites. Hancock, Michigan: The George Wright Society.