Cottonwood Re-Establishment :
A drastic reduction of natural occurring woody vegetation regeneration has been observed in western South Dakota. Aging stands have left many areas with only a few mature trees in poor health. This program is very popular among the landowners in northwest South Dakota as we are wrapping up our third phase.
This program involved planting native cottonwoods along with other native woody vegetation to enhance and re-establish fragile riparian areas. The trees are then protected with a tree tube. Fabric squares are utilized to keep vegetative competition to a minimum. The trees are then fenced out to protect them from livestock.
This project was accomplished through cooperation from numerous groups and entities including the Perkins, Harding, Corson, Dewey, Ziebach, and Tri-County Conservation Districts, the US Forest Service – Grand River National Grasslands District, SDSU, National Wild Turkey Federation, South Dakota Conservation Commission, National Forest Foundation, South Dakota Game, Fish, & Parks, and USDA-NRCS.
This project was implemented on private and US Forest Service property.