© 2008 Wendy Dager

First it was the fires. Southern California residents were worried that the intense flames engulfing the nearby hillsides would soon ravage their homes. Some hillsides would soon ravage their homes. Some houses were spared; some were taken by fire.

Next, it was the rains. Those who hadn’t suffered the effects of the fires were now concerned that mudslides would follow because of one solid week of torrential rainfall, weakening the already-loose dirt on the shrub-free hills.

And so the devastation and loss caused by fire occurs again and again, partly nature’s doing, partly because of the hand of man. A careless campfire, a lone cigarette, a malicious case of arson. It doesn’t matter. The fire damage is done. Mother Nature, however, is completely responsible for the rain. And what does man do to defend against her powerful forces?

Man chooses not to take the logical step of take the logical step of reseeding.

Why?

Because some government agencies do not believe that reseeding hillsides directly after a fire is in the best interest of residents. Nor do they consider the mitigation of stormwater pollution when making this ill-informed decision. Instead of planting native California items on barren hills that are in danger of swift erosion, the government maintains the policy of allowing exotic, nonnative Mediterranean annuals to reestablish on many sites. Mediterranean annuals become fast-burning fuel for the next fire and are allowed to proliferate, even though the USDA Forest Service’s December 2004 guide Genetically Appropriate Choices for Plant Materials to Maintain Biological Diversity (http:// www.fs.fed.us/r2/ publications/botany/ plantgenetics.pdf),” states that “… unnaturally intense or frequent fires may be catastrophic.”

Draggin' their feet: It's a big "mythtake" when the government decides against revegetation after a wildfire.

And, so, government agencies such as the Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, California Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management are contributors to this cycle of destruction. These agencies refuse to plant that which they consider nonnative—to the area—because it is their policy to allow vegetation to re-establish—no matter how detrimental that plant is during a burn—for fear of “genetic pollution.”

The Leaf-let cautioned against this governmental policy of inaction in 1997, in its article entitled “Bioregional Strategy for Resource Conversation: Does it Make Sense?” (http:// www.albrightseed.com/bioregional.htm)

We said, “This macro-management of ecological regions is a leap ahead of single species focus but it falls short of what is truly needed and could prove to endanger species by isolating them. Protection of regional biodiversity ignores the larger picture by continuing creation of discrete areas. These areas may then be protected from ‘genetic pollution,’ purported to threaten the unique characteristics of the local species. We disagree and hold that genetic pollution is a myth.”

In its September 2000 report “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Postfire Rehabilitation Treatments (http:// www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr63.pdf),” the USDA Forest Service contradicts itself on this subject. The guide discourages reseeding based on studies that test vegetative practices after a wildfire; however, the expert interviewees call aerial seeding either “excellent” or “good” 51.8 percent of the time; and rank ground seeding “good” 81.8 percent of the time, citing a 52 percent reduction in soil loss with seeded plots.

When it comes to reseeding hillsides after a fire, it’s safer and more economically feasible to move quickly, before the expected rainfall. The best seeds for use on these affected California hillsides are those that are native to California, but may no longer be found in the specific area to be reseeded. This should not be seen as species that could do harm. In “Bioregional Strategy,” we said, “(as) the very nature of genetics is to remove traits that are incompatible with the surrounding environment, the resultant melding of separately-evolved ecotypes into a new ecotype will have the effect of fine-tuning the ecotype to the environment. If the introduced ecotype has no properties that will enhance the native, then it will be eliminated through natural selection. The overriding result of cross-boundary genetic mixing is improvement of the region’s native ecotype.”

"Cross-boundary genetic mixing is improvement of the region's native ecotype."

In “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Postfire Rehabilitation Treatments,” it was reported that “current USDA Forest Service guidelines promote the use of native species for revegetation projects wherever practical.” Still, the report’s interviewees, consisting of silviculturists and other landscape professionals, commented that “native grasses are expensive and not widely available in the quantities necessary for postfire seeding projects, and developing seed sources that can provide a range of locally adapted genotypes is difficult.”

Our contention is that that theory is the real myth. At S&S Seeds, we’re able to provide the correct native seeds to allow for better erosion control in the second and third years following a fire, improved conditions for beneficial subterranean life forms, and increased water infiltration. By seeding with the appropriate species, exotics are not allowed to take over an area by default.

Stabilizing agents used with quick-germinating, short -lived native grasses such as our Basic Native Erosion Control Mix (see over-LEAF-2 for details) provide the most erosion control over the life of a revegetation process.

We support the customer’s need to preserve the genetics of our plant communities, therefore, we’re ready to offer custom collections and seed increases of site specific items. Call S&S Seeds today at (805) 684- 0436. We’re here to answer your questions and to provide you with the best solutions for all your landscaping needs. And that’s no myth.

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