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+--- Thread: Wetlands preserve starts to reopen (/showthread.php?tid=505631)
Wetlands preserve starts to reopen - FishNews - 05-31-2009
alf of the preserve went up in smoke in October
In late October, people caused a fire that burned 400 acres at the Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve in Moab.
Now, less than two months later, most of the area was rehabilitated. And part of it has reopened to the public.
In late November, 45 volunteers answered the call to help personnel from The Nature Conservancy and the Division of Wildlife Resources plant more than 1,000 small cottonwood trees at the preserve. They planted the trees in a single day.
The next step in restoring the preserve happened in early December. That's when an aerial seed applicator contracted by the DWR flew over the area and dropped a diverse mixture of grass and plant seeds.
Immediately following the seeding, the DWR hit the ground with revegetation equipment, including bulldozers. DWR employees used the equipment to level burnt tamarisk stumps and roughen the soil. Roughing the soil will help the seeds germinate.
Now that tree planting, aerial seeding and mechanical treatments are over, the DWR has reopened the north end of the preserve to public visitors. The south end of the preserve, including The Nature Conservancy trails, is still closed for more restoration work. The boardwalk and bird blind that were lost in the fire are also being rebuilt.