Mulching and Mowing Brush (128 acres) • Conduct brush mowing on approximately 128 acres at the Prairie Smoke Dunes SNA. • Mechanically mulch or mow all willow, young aspen, and other brush species up to 5” DBH within the areas outlined on the attached maps. All standing woody vegetation will be mulched or mowed to within 4 inches of ground level. • Brush mowing must be completed between September 1st – October 10th, 2025. • The basal diameter of aspen and brush is predominantly less than 5 inches. Stem densities of willow and young aspen vary greatly across the site. • Retain mature and young oak within the project area. • Due to the stem diameters of brush on this site, we recommend the contractor utilize a heavy-duty rotary brush mower (i.e. Davco/Diamond or equivalent). • Debris will be scattered, and debris piles will not be allowed; depth of debris will not exceed 3 inches. No scattering of debris within 30’ of a boundary, road, trail, or fence. • Timber harvest of aspen occurred in 2013 within the project area. Equipment operators may encounter downed woody debris and old stumps. • Cattle are actively being grazed within the SNA boundaries, west of the project area. However, no cattle are scheduled to be in the project area in the timeframe that brush mowing is being conducted. Caution should be taken to look for and avoid fencing and other grazing infrastructure. • Work will be conducted during the growing season. The contractor must operate equipment in a manner that minimizes rutting or significant ground disturbance as determined by the Project Supervisor. • Mulching and mowing operations can begin no earlier than September 1st, 2025, and work must be completed by October 10th, 2025. The Project Supervisor reserves the right to suspend operations due to unsuitable ground conditions resulting from significant precipitation events where significant ground disturbance may occur or in the event of elevated wildfire danger.
