GIANT Restoration Project in Arizona

Arizona boasts some of the best hunting in all of the west. Through multiple factors, there's been an explosion of Pinion-Juniper and it's taking a toll on the native grass species that deer, elk, and antelope depend on. Arizona Game and Fish along with other NGO's are working collaboratively to restore 50,000 acres of grassland habitat. Here is how they are doing it.
#deer #elk #antelope
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[@alexsummersell3567]

Be great if swales and other permaculture principles could be added as well.

[@PhilipBurton-dn3ce]

With all due respect I've done a lot of environmental weed control.............most of which has been in state forests and national parks clearing escaped vegetative nasties from the permaculture place "up the road"........I hope the world of permaculture reassessed some of it's values.......as far as I can see the tax payer hands over millions and millions every year to counteract what permaculture has achieved

[@jonerlandson1956]

the reintroduction of beaver to many sparse landscapes is helping it... keyline plowing also seems to help... create swales and bury the wood you remove you will create microbial habitat while holding in water reserves....

[@Bearjew613]

I have a bunch of land in the same area and off grid part of the year living up there. I started doing something similar. Planting some indigenous trees in but spacing them out in select areas slow down run off using check dams and stone lines and already seeing the difference in the first year.

[@thebullhornjournal]

Man, permaculture that place! I bet it’s beautiful.

[@iwanabana]

Would you consider making a few documentation videos of your land?

[@Bearjew613]

@@iwanabana yeah I've started and I'm learning the editing aspects of it and how to manage video production. It is alot of fun and my dream would be to show and teach people how to do so.

[@GinaColeen]

Sounds worthwhile but not so much if you like critters too. We left Arizona to (Mexicans) not be around that damn many critters and insects!

[@liangxiao2909]

I used to see those bulldozers working on pinion junipers while I was hunting and have no clue why are they doing this. Now I know and hats off to those folks putting time and efforts into this project.

[@bobhubman6351]

Mm. Ok pop omelette mommy llama mompmpmpppm BC M. M mmm p pomp mpomvm n m nvm. N n m n

[@jorgecortes8448]

the main real reason was because of hunting actually. reduced animal population made it easy for the juniper tree to expand and grow when the used to usually be eaten as sprouts.

[@MRU112]

​@jorgecortes8448 Non sustainable hunting.

[@wyomingoutdoors2115]

​@@jorgecortes8448no the cause was non sustainable hunting and management not just hunting. And the BIGGEST cause of this is fire Surppersion not hunting

[@jeffpittman8725]

Beavers were more prevalent in the past and had many more riparian areas so when natural fires came through those areas would stay mostly green. It also kept the ground water charged.

[@CharlesWT-TX]

Summary: • The goal is to maintain water on the landscape by removing trees in a systematic way, allowing the herbaceous cover to grow which holds moisture and prevents erosion. • Leaving some trees in a mosaic pattern allows for wildlife corridors and escape/hiding cover along with forage areas. • Historical photos show the landscape used to be open grasslands before livestock overgrazing and fire suppression allowed juniper encroachment. • Removing 90% of cattle herds allows grasslands to recover after 100+ years of constant grazing. • Grass growth in treated areas is 300% better than in untreated areas around trees. • Cooperative effort between state wildlife agency, landowners, ranchers, and conservation groups to meet mutually beneficial goals. • Water sources being improved for wildlife with solar power replacing diesel generators at wells. • Using a drum grinder is selective and leaves some slash on the ground which creates microclimates beneficial for new growth. • Connectivity is being improved by replacing fences with wildlife-friendly fencing. • Large-scale 50,000-acre project has a greater impact on populations than small projects. • Collaborative model bringing different groups together to work on shared priorities is an effective approach. -Anthropic Claude-2-100k

[@bradjustad3527]

Get some Beaver couples. Great for water conservation. Love your efforts

[@johnhannonHanno]

In Australia too many trees were removed and the animals grazed, over grazed. Now the smarter farmers keep the cattle moving so manure is more concentrated and areas are not over grazed and trees give small critters some protection from the sun and predators.

[@cherylstraub5970]

I noticed a highly eroded stream bank running along the property. Will you be putting is stone step dams to slow the water down in that stream bed? It would help keep water longer so it could seep into the land around that stream.

[@kellysimonson7960]

The best thing you can do is mimic beavers with beaver dam analogues or beaver release. It's a cool field!!

[@edwardabrams4972]

Great video! One of the saddest things is that most people don’t care to take care of this beautiful home we have for us and our children and it’s wonderful to see someone love the land!

[@jollyjokress3852]

That you also took from the wild animals like bison

[@yolo_burrito]

I’d love to see an update after the late 22’-23’ monsoons.

[@davidflitcroft7101]

I as well. The climate is changing. Weather patterns are changing, which may mean more monsoonal activity, and more moisture laden hurricanes coming up the coast. . . . This idea of razing trees may work short term, but may not be so profitable long term. Keeping bands of trees [which will cool the terrain] might be the best option.

[@dr.dockter1482]

The ranch I worked at in Montana had a huge juniper reduction program to essentially cut down as many as possible. I didn’t realize that they took so much water from the ground.

[@azclaimjumper]

Replies like yours is the reason I read & enjoy 'em as much as watching the video. Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada

[@Bennie32831]

Trees taking water from the ground is interesting considering that a shade cover increases ground water retention and decreases evaporation and increases carbon in soil just grassland is not as productive as productive tree's and grasses working together it sounds like the verity of tree is the problem more than the amount of trees

[@niall3373]

YA, i was wondering about that too. So if the tree grows there I'm assuming it's native to there??? If it's native to there then there's a reason it's there. Seems like they are not looking at the big picture. They seem to think that pictures from the 1890's showing a time when there was no trees was an ideal time? Isn't that about the time that 99% of Bison were wiped out? What about reintroducing beavers? wouldn't they take care of the Tree 'problem'? or at least restore a balance and help to stop flash flooding and have catchment areas for water? @@Bennie32831

[@jorgecortes8448]

tbh honest junipers dont take much water compared to other trees and provide much more i mean if you want water in your ranch for cattle or just looks okay but the juniper provides home and food to animals and insects.

[@williamolliges2622]

Well the drum grinder seems preferable to the chainings the BLM is employing in Nevada. It seems counterintuitive to take out trees, because in Nevada, trees have such a tough time growing in the first place, but perhaps I need to suspend my criticism. The next challenge in Nevada is getting sagebrush to grow again versus the damn cheat grass. It’d be great if we could get a nutritious grass to grow that’d benefit wildlife that would out compete the cheat grass.

[@timkaldahl]

I love to see this kind of project, and people starting to think long term instead of short term profits.

[@ilenehailey1079]

I wish you had a love button... This video is fantastic. I am a proud Arizonan, a proud hunter, a proud member of most the organizations that are part of this project. Thank you AZGF for having the foresight to repair the habitat that we have ignored for so long.

[@ricardoruiz2781]

Well said, I wish California would do the same!

[@TheRealHonestInquiry]

@@ricardoruiz2781 Look up an excellent video by Matt Powers: The Permaculture Student called "Where did the water go in California?"

[@tomwagner7066]

Really significant things happen on the landscape when Ariz. G&F partners with multiple Arizona wildlife conservation groups in reclaiming watersheds and providing improved wildlife access. It's a TON of work, believe me, both in the office as well as boots on the ground. KUDOS to all involved!!! Thumbs up on the excellent production, Marcus ...

[@yt.damian]

Very interesting that in some places they need to reintroduce more trees and in other places they need to remove trees.

[@williamgray4550]

We need this in Eastern Oregon in a big way!!!!

[@anibalchavez3319]

Beavers headed that way

[@spotty67]

@@anibalchavez3319 Humans basically wiped the little Beaver from the earth. Called him a pest and slaughtered them so the wealthy could wear his furs. They need to be brought back to flourish and play their important role in nature. Beavers have a right to live like anything else. Respect and protect, stop the kill of all innocent creatures.

[@dirtclodaz.1161]

Great stuff guys, our future is in all our hand's let's keep the ball rolling!😎

[@ThomasEinck]

I am wondering if they have considered using cattle on a rotational grazing system. I’ve seen cattle do amazing things with barren and overused land when the cattle are managed properly.

[@muledeerfoundation]

Thank you Randy for highlighting the work being done on the ground in Arizona. There is a lot of misunderstanding about how PJ affects what was historically grassland, and this video does a great job of explaining the work AZGFD and NGO's are completing.

[@MilkedUp]

Thank you glad you are healing the land

[@inspetordopequidegoias8203]

A lot of those images "before and after" over greening deserts we see on internet are misleading because they use an image taken in the dry season for "before" and use one during the raining season as "after".

[@irisstasinski8893]

This is giving me hope . Restoring Nature everywhere maybe reversing the comming Extinction .

[@clayoreilly4553]

Beautiful! I am so glad that this is being done and that it is a cooperative effort. Very good to see this going on.

[@monkeytoes90]

5:10, a very pointed question on a loaded topic, which the answerer handles well, standing their ground, and brings it back to working together to restore and carefully change ecosystems for the better, with respect to past mistakes, as to not repeat them.

[@gonzalesrafael22]

This is really cool. I feel like I've been watching Randy for nearly a decade now. It's crazy how the content has grown, and helped me grow as a hunter. It's become an inspiration for my day to day passions. Thanks guys. Keep up the good work.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

I appreciate that!

[@steve-qe7tj]

The one guy that was talking about the bark and so forth on the ground is ab solutely right! Ground cover is absolutely essential to allow a variety of plants to grow, while retaining moisture. Great job guys😊

[@herobrinenoch3522]

And rotting down to improve the soil as well.

[@michaeltubbs2493]

Truly a great program really will work great thanks for sharing!

[@stanleyshelby7460]

Nice job Marcus...you be the man.

[@unbreakableldorado7723]

Absolutely amazing!

[@MikhaelEsterez]

Amazing work, keep up the good fight!

[@robertwagner2079]

Keep up the good work and thank you for the work you have done.

[@alpineflauge909]

world class content

[@angel21991]

Beautiful work ! Would love to see more on how cattle ranching shifts to a regenerative approach while keeping conservation and soil health at the heart of their approach. Its just a overwhelmingly hopeful feeling to see nature thrive when we step back and hold space ! Really curious to see how you guy handle water shed management of these open grassland / prairie ecosystems. I am assuming that as more grass species find their way onto the surface from the soil seed bank the more water will start being held on these lands. That would regenerate some long lost streams and other water bodies. Would this mean you guys are looking to do grassland riparian ecosystems too ? Keep up the amazing work ! :D Looking forward to more informative and insightful updates! :D

[@louisegogel7973]

Regenerative grazing would be very cool to see!

[@CZGHEIB954]

Planned grazing replicates the large buffalos and is an integral part of how to heal the landscape.

[@shnnnhickman]

Did I miss that part where the cattle herd are changed from open land grazing to Adaptive Paddock grazing (aka. Mob grazing) for shorter periods of time so the grass and forbs have more time to recover? For a prime example on large scale cattle ranching check out The Las Damas Ranch in the Chihuahuan desert, Mexico is owned and operated by Alejandro Carrillo.

[@aptorres01]

Great work guys thank you.

[@Fido-vm9zi]

This work is amazing. You all are great humans!

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks for the kind words! This stuff is important!

[@user-gm3xn9hv5w]

Wow you guys are so good you even put a new mountain in the background transparency is beautiful

[@dohiii]

Thanks for this. This is amazing. I've seen these around before but knew nothing about it.

[@ibnumohamad2621]

Wow, this is amazing... Would like to visit the area to see it before my own eyes. Congratulations from Malaysia to everyone involved in this restoration project.

[@replica1052]

cut swales and push berms - when every living cell holds an ocean within water wants to flow slow (tree roots spunge the soil to increase surfacewater absorbtion and raise the water table )

[@Coreyhkh2]

we need more of this!

[@TheSlappicus]

Great work. Let's keep our beautiful country pristine!

[@jackmcmichael3560]

Fantastic job folks 👍

[@roberto.gallegos]

They are just clearing junipers to clear the land for ranching and grazing

[@300_WM]

Saw something similar to this up in 5B North, lots of cut down and chewed up Juniper out in the flats as you head toward the meteor crater. Couldn't figure out why the ranchers would want to do that. Now it makes sense what might have happened.

[@azclaimjumper]

This is all NEWS to MEeee; I especially liked seeing the side-by-side comparison of the land in 2020 & now in 2022. I've probably watched this video 10 times since I first discovered it 3 days ago. Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada

[@rkayser89]

One of the best videos I've seen in a long time.

[@Just_Samson]

Well done 👏🏼

[@mrmaroof]

Excellent job

[@HillsideHomesteadOG]

They're clearing meadows around my area as well. I'm a couple hours east of you. At first it was a little sad to see, but the lots that have already been cleared of junipers are beautiful and so much more diverse. It's been nice to see more wildflowers this year :)

[@AmandaComeauCreates]

It's amazing how quickly seeds sprout from the historical seedbeds lying dormant :)

[@crystals36]

California needs this

[@wendyscott8425]

The movies _Oklahoma_ and _The Fantastics_ were filmed in Arizona, and they showed us how grassland was so prevalent in the area. I was surprised to know where they had been filmed. Who knew Arizona hadn't always been a desert? I'm pretty sure the residents there will be happy when the climate becomes less inhospitable to both them and the wildlife that helps to maintain the web of life.

[@iankeever15]

This is awesome.

[@thechaosgardener]

Love the terraforming

[@beaumontmuni4294]

amazing ... one of the best things happening in the US.

[@pawanjindal4286]

Great work I proud you

[@keithlambert6217]

What a great program. Working with landowners where everyone wins is always the best way.

[@uplandwild4136]

Wade is a stud. Great bird hunter.

[@pinkelephants1421]

The (meaningful) addition of swales right across the landscape would also greatly increase water penetration whilst creating a marked reduction in soil erosion. This is an extremely important consideration in the face of changing weather patterns caused by anthropogenic climate change.

[@KahluaBomb]

This construction vehicle driver has the absolute best job ever omg! You get to just run over tree's all day to PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT?! It's amazing. damn.

[@threeriversforge1997]

And he's right about leaving that shredded wood in place. That's nutrient-rich organic matter that will only make the soil better. More importantly, though, it's mulch that cools the soil temperature and allows the biome to flourish, which makes for a better place for plants to grow. Studies have been done in the area to show there can be a 20º difference in temperature with only 8" of wood mulch on the ground. That's life-n-death for the microbes and small invertebrates that do so much to generate a healthy ecosystem. The only thing they're missing, really, is the Beaver Dam Analogs. They've got valleys, and every one of those folds in the land is naught but a gutter for the rain when it comes. Installing Beaver Dam Analogs will not only slow the water and prevent erosion, but will allow the rain to percolate into the ground, raising the water table. This in turn creates a Riparian Zone that is rich in wildlife. Sure, you might not have year-round running streams, but you'd be surprised what can happen! Building Beaver Dam Analogs is very simple and cheap, especially since you have the giant shredder already working on site! A lot of people don't realize just how fast they're letting the water out of their land. Put a few piles of that mulch and downed timber across even the smallest creases in the landscape, and you'll quickly see how big a difference it makes!

[@lorettarussell3235]

It has been proven that the one rock dams work to help the water abrorption the same way the beaver dam analogs. If there are any washes in the area some of of the water from them should be diverted in some way to spread it out over the land to allow it to be absorbed or catch basins should be built to hold onto water to allow for absorption to recharge groundwater & aquifers & prevent or lessen downstream flooding.

[@threeriversforge1997]

@@lorettarussell3235 I like ORD's, too! I'm also a fan of planting native clumping grasses as a living barrier.

[@Uberkilltoecheese]

11:45 thats titration babyyyy i remember those science experiments haha

[@raincoast9010]

Water management is important too, i saw a gully wash. You need to get stone dams into that wash and slow that water down.

[@brandonmusser3119]

Great that you're taking them out but after you take them out you need to for contour lines in there somewhere for the water to go to help restart the grasslands

[@clavy5420]

Love this episode. Great to see where our funds are going to.

[@2000sborton]

This is a great effort at dealing with one of the multitude of problems that our environment is facing. At first glance this appears to be quite beneficial. I am concerned though about the numerous effects that climate change is having on the area, from extreme heat over prolonged periods of time to abnormal rainfall patterns. Considering the multitude of disasters that humans have made over the centuries while trying to "improve" areas I am always skeptical when I see a human led "reclamation" project. In the past we have always looked at how this would be an improvement for human purposes, farming hunting habitat etc. Hopefully we have learned how all life forms work together to create a succesful ecosystem. Bacteria, fungi, insects, fish, birds, mammals and so much more. The absence of just one of these can render the entire project unsustainable. Not to mention water, temperature, seasons, soil type etc. One organisms waste products is another organisms home.

[@MegaSnail1]

Thank you for all your efforts to bring back native animals and plants. Please remember that in order to accomplish this 90% of the cattle needed to be removed and while the Junipers have moved in due to fire suppression and over grazing they do have a roll to play in making the soil more permeable and pumping ground water back into the atmosphere making the area less arid. I do agree with your thinning the Junipers somewhat to promote wild life and native diversity I just hope ranchers are being fairly compensated for their efforts in healing the land.

[@dovh49]

I'm surprised they aren't doing swales and other earthworks to trap the water and slow it down too.

[@donTeo136]

I've been leaving all trees cut on the ground, no removal of slash.. in fact, I'm growing trees for slash. Just for the minerals slashed trees deposit .

[@MavHntr]

good stuff, making progress for AZ wildlife. I"ll bet the ranchers are very happy, better enrichment for their leases & cheap cattle grazing. Over grazing in the first place led to the current Pinion Juniper environment. In addition to replacing outdated fencing with better animal friendly fencing, maybe REDUCED fencing on public lands should be a goal.

[@Bennie32831]

The trees are there for a reason might be worth seeing what different types of productive trees fit/change your landscape to achieve the 30% tree cover/feed that helps grow the best cattle love it water slowing is the key ✌️👍🙂

[@clayoreilly4553]

The trees are like weeds. Had wildfires been allowed to come through these areas on a regular basis, those trees would not be there. It would be grassland. Overgrazing by cattle and sheep was also a big contributor to this problem.

[@Nemrai]

Nature is more than trees. Grasslands and similar are also incredibly important for nature and the diversity there. Yes, trees belong and are good some places, other places they don't belong.

[@mikkalbreeden956]

I'm a huge fan of trees, but Junipers break certain rules. They require little water and can grow in crap soil. They can literally poison or smother out other plant species. It's wise to have other tree species near water sources to protect it, but in dry areas, grasses do better protecting the soil. We have dry areas due to weather patterns and dry areas due to water retention. We need to look at the water retention areas first, before taking on the microclimate of the area. I suspect that exposed ground retain more heat causing a change in the local mirco climate, which creates heat walls.

[@lorettarussell3235]

They need a mix of some native trees into native grasses & other native plants.

[@KahluaBomb]

This is going to be a really interesting site in a few hundred thousand years. I wonder what people will think when they study the rocks that have formed in the shape of an old forest.

[@GIRTHYANDITCURVES]

As a New Mexican we definitely need this

[@threeriversforge1997]

If you get a chance, check out Brad Lancaster's videos here on KZbin to see what he's doing to capture rain and rejuvenate both urban and rural properties. It's absolutely fascinating, and I really liked that it's stuff anyone can do as long as they know how to operate a shovel!

[@alannajones330]

Utah has many places that need this.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Yup

[@RaniVeluNachar-kx4lu]

Again another project to restore the previous ecosystem. Ranchers realizing their limits of graze vs wildlife. Better cattle management, moving smaller groups off of lands for possibly six months to a year before returning. The big realization is to hold the water in the soil, to create that subsoil ecosystem that is microbial and essential to soil nutrient regeneration. Science is entering Ranching and also into mainstream society more and more each year. It's very inspiring and hopeful.

[@scottanderson1366]

awesome

[@masseyranch]

Kansas has the very same issue in its native grasslands. Invasive trees have become the biggest issue in managing grassland on the Great Plains. Glad to see you guys doing the work!

[@edcew8236]

Big Bend in Texas used to be a grassland, turn of the last century, but was overgrazed for beef production.

[@joankirby1944]

In all other places they plant trees to help bring water and shade.

[@leroybabcock6652]

I was passing thru Utah I spotted some juniper spp dieing, I looked it up and yeah it's a fungus ïf I recall, I immediately wondered if it could be useful in management, to scary maybe but? I l love Terra forming videos thanks Big fan of wild places.

[@DaGravityMan]

I read that ranchers have been dragging out sage brush , saying it was to encourage native grasses. Some people said it was only happening to open up land for more large scale grazing for cattle, and that it was hurting native quail and sage pheasant and other wildlife. Anyone know more about this subject?

[@harried.7122]

Incredible film. Make me proud to see my donations to RMEF at work. Thank you to all that are responsible. Hunters truly make a difference in our wildlife habitat management.

[@Gibson51423]

Great video

[@GregoryWJohnson]

I would like to have some of the junipers for bonsai

[@toddflickinger8292]

Do beavers factor into this? I've seen a lot of good done by beaver management in Nevada.

[@brearlymason4903]

Way to go Marcus Hockett!

[@tao.of.history8366]

Great start - have you thought about adding something to slow down water from hillsides (ponds that percolate water & rock lines or gabions.) I worry about the water erosion cut through your land now that the water is barreling down. Do you know about Cuenco Los Ojos project, adding something like that could really help? Forests covered most of the hillsides in the southwest where you are, but most were cut down by 1890, so pictures from then will be misleading.

[@Mad_Marx]

Wood chips and dead wood are one of the best things for an ecosystem. Mycorrhizal fungi colonize dead wood, retain water, and create nutrient chains in the soil as they consume the wood.

[@josephbrowning4220]

3:28 seems to be a place where some type of leaky dam made of stacked rocks or fallen tree timber would do some good.

[@itsrachelfish]

beaverpilled comment

[@drakedorosh9332]

I heard about tree chaining and I thought it sounded really bad. Also some ranchers restored their family ranch and just burned the excess trees. I think you Arizonans did it right by chipping the trees and leaving mulch piles. What do you think about introducing grass species like kangaroo grass or african grass species? Also, Are those trees all juniper/cedar or are their some locust/mesquite trees in the mix? Are there fodder trees that grow in Arizona and would you consider those for your canopies? Another question I have is about the fences; do you have to replace them all or just have regular segments of antelope friendly fence?

[@lorettarussell3235]

It would be better to use native grasses. Non native grasses oftentimes become invasive. They are not a good food sourced for native animals. Native grasses evolved to live in the environment, are nutritious food for native animals & can be for domestic animals. They have deeper roots to improve the soil & hold moisture in the ground.

[@credit2020]

If you are going to do a before and after, at lease do it at the same spot so we can really tell.

[@robertgutierrez1702]

Super cool great vid

[@rogerbouchard7135]

This why they need to have the clean water act and the ability for the government to help these organizations work collectively for the good of the state. The more water that stays on the land means that more of it will also seep into the underlying soil to refill a lot the aquafers that are being depleted by the city's use of the water. Will help that the contracts for the large Saudi farms are not being renewed in Arizona.

[@JoeelPALZ]

Wow you can see in the thumbnail the build a mountain too

[@UKOnation]

What about some beavers in that area? I saw some brown to green transformed locations in a movie about greening landscape.

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Beaver is hardly an option in a place with less than 10” of rainfall, no surface water, and no deciduous trees that beaver eat. This is not native beaver habitat.

[@0ctatr0n]

Why aren't they grading swales on contour to recharge their water tables and bring about natural springs. Then you'd have cleaner water for longer periods and you wouldn't need a $10,000 solar system and a little tank of blue-green algae. Perhaps some leaky rock check dams in those eroded gullies to slow the flow as well and try and arrest any further erosion.

[@ava-he9li]

Pues es oficial, Arizona es más verde que Almería 🎉

[@teresaoconnell4790]

Most people have no idea how many invasive species there are in the US. Most ornamental plants in your yard do not benefit any birds or bees. From now on Please choose plants that benefit hummingbirds and monarch butterflies and honeybees. Make it a family thing and you can be the Hero for our kids and grandchildren. They will learn and remember you.

[@msx701]

this seems to be far more responsible than many others I have seen water the desert