On June 10, the WSCC Watershed Stewardship Committee enjoyed a tour of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) seed warehouse on the edge of the Escalante Wildlife Area west of Delta, led by Tanya Banulis, CPW Warehouse Manager and longtime federal biologist.
Committee members got behind-the-scenes looks at the facility where the BLM, U.S. Forest Service and CPW store and manage seed stocks for restoration projects such as fire rehabilitation, soil stabilization and habitat improvements. The 9,000 square foot facility is temperature controlled, helping to maintain sensitive seeds of species of grasses, forb, and shrubs which are crucial to sage grouse habitat and mule deer grazing.
In fact, the warehouse is currently conducting an investigation of vegetation nutrient density, due to concerning morbidity rates of mule deer and elk calves. They are testing to see whether recent changes in humidity and water availability may be contributing to lack of caloric value in the vegetation during spring and summer months.
The CPW Seed Warehouse is a nexus for Western Slope habitat restoration, capable of storing 300,000 pounds of seed for use in the event of fire, drought, or other restoration project needs, making it an invaluable resource to land managers and wildlife rehabilitators. We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to tour the facility and to have this amazing resource on the Western Slope.