(soft breeze and birds singing)
(fire crackling)
>> WE HAVE HAD THE BIGGEST,
HOTTEST FIRE THAT I'VE
EVER SEEN ANYWHERE.
>> WE'VE HAD SOME LARGE FIRES
IN THE COUNTY BEFORE
BUT CERTAINLY NOTHING THIS
DEVASTATING THAT COVERED
SUCH A LARGE AREA.
>> IN MARCH 2006, TEXAS
EXPERIENCED THE MOST
DEVASTATING WILDFIRES IN
THE STATE'S HISTORY.
FUELED BY DROUGHT CONDITIONS
AND HIGH WINDS, MORE THAN A
DOZEN SEPARATE FIRES RACED
ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.
THE TWO LARGEST MOVED 45
MILES IN JUST NINE HOURS
AND SPREAD INTO 9 COUNTIES.
>> IT WENT FROM BEING A
BEAUTIFUL PRISTINE ROLLING
PRAIRIE TO WHAT LOOKS
LIKE A WASTELAND.
>> BEFORE IT WAS OVER,
12 PEOPLE HAD DIED.
HOMES AND RANCHES
BURNED TO THE GROUND.
THOUSANDS OF CATTLE
WERE KILLED.
MORE THAN A MILLION ACRES
WERE DESTROYED, INCLUDING
SOME OF THE STATE'S PRIME
WILDLIFE HABITAT.
>> THAT USED TO BE BEAUTIFUL
LITTLE BLUESTEM GRASS, SOME
YUCCA, SAGEBRUSH ABOUT KNEE
TO WAIST DEEP, PRIMO HABITAT
FOR QUAIL, WHITE TAIL DEER,
AND ALL SORTS OF PRAIRIE LAND
BIRDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
NOW IT'S JUST...
DIRT AND YUCCA STUMPS.
(fire crackling)
>> FIRE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A
NATURAL PART OF THE
PRAIRIE ENVIRONMENT.
AND, GIVEN TIME, THE LAND
HAS ALWAYS RECOVERED.
BUT THESE FIRES WERE UNUSUAL.
THEY BURNED SO HOT AND SO FAST
...ALMOST NOTHING WAS LEFT.
>> IT DIDN'T MISS A CANYON,
A CREEK, A DRAW, NOTHING.
IT GOT EVERYTHING.
THE FIRE RIPPED THROUGH
HERE REALLY HOT, TOOK OUT
A MULTITUDE OF THE MATURE
COTTONWOOD TREES WHICH ARE
THE TURKEY ROOSTS.
AND JUST STANDING RIGHT HERE
LOOKING AT COTTONWOODS I SEE
DEAD COTTONWOOD, DEAD
COTTONWOOD, DEAD COTTONWOOD,
DEAD COTTONWOOD...
>> JUST SOUTH OF I-40 IN
DONLEY COUNTY IS
THE MARTINEZ RANCH.
>> DUB, THIS IS GOOD LOOKING
STUFF HERE MAN.
>> JEFF BONNER IS A BIOLOGIST
WITH THE TEXAS PARKS
AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT.
THREE YEARS EARLIER JEFF HAD
HELPED INITIATE A MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM TO IMPROVE HABITAT FOR
THE LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN.
>> GOOD NESTING HABITAT,
AND LOTS OF WEEDS COMING UP.
STICK LEAF.
>> WHEN YOU COMPARE THE
LANDSCAPE BEFORE THE FIRE,
TO WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE
IMMEDIATELY AFTER, YOU HAVE
TO WONDER HOW IT COULD
POSSIBLY RECOVER.
>> LAST TIME WE WERE LOOKING AT
THIS GRASS WAS ABOUT THIS DEEP.
THIS HIGH.
IT WAS A SEA OF LITTLE
BLUESTEM AND SOME BIG
BLUESTEM AND SOME OTHER STUFF,
AND THAT IS ALL BURNED UP.
>> WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
LOCATE ANY OF OUR PRAIRIE
CHICKENS THAT WE KNOW WERE
THERE PRIOR TO THE FIRE.
WE CAN'T GO AND REALLY
FIX ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
WE JUST HAVE TO LET NATURE
TAKE ITS COURSE AND HOPE
THAT EVERYTHING WILL COME
BACK THE WAY IT WAS.
>> I THINK IT'S A NATURAL
HUMAN EMOTION TO WANT TO RUN
OUT THERE AND FIX IT AND MAKE
IT BETTER AND HURRY AND REPAIR
IT AND PUT A BAND AID ON IT
AND SEE HOW FAST WE CAN
GET IT BACK IN SHAPE.
BUT BOTTOM LINE IS WITH
SOMETHING LIKE THIS IT JUST
TAKES TIME AND RAINFALL
AND CAREFUL RANGE MANAGEMENT.
(cow mooing)
>> ON RANCHES WHERE CATTLE
ARE THE CROP, DECREASING THE
AMOUNT OF GRAZING WAS AS
IMPORTANT AS THE RAIN IN
ALLOWING THE LAND TO RECOVER.
A DEFERRED GRAZING PROGRAM
PAID CATTLE OWNERS TO KEEP
THEIR HERDS OFF THE LAND
DURING THE GROWING SEASON.
>> THAT GIVES THOSE PASTURES
AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOVER,
PUT DOWN ROOT GROWTH,
PUT DOWN TOP GROWTH, WHICH
IS GONNA MAKE FOR HEALTHIER
PLANTS AS OPPOSED TO BEING
CONSUMED ALL THE TIME.
(truck driving on gravel)
>> THERE'S SOME AREAS OUT
THERE WHERE IT'S JUST DEAD.
>> HERE ON THE FLOWERS RANCH,
LAND THAT WAS ONCE USED FOR
GRAZING CATTLE IS NOW PART OF A
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
THE SANDY HILLS,
ROCKY CANYONS, AND GRASSY
MESAS ARE HOME TO A
VARIETY OF WILDLIFE...
EVERYTHING FROM
MULE DEER TO QUAIL TO
PRONGHORN ANTELOPE.
>> TREES, SHRUBS,
ALL THE GRASS IS GONE.
ALL COVER, ALL HABITAT
FOR ALL THE WILDLIFE IS
AT THIS POINT GONE.
FOR THE MOST PART THE
WILDLIFE ARE ON THEIR OWN.
>> FIRE HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF
A LANDOWNERS BEST HABITAT
MANAGEMENT TOOLS.
BURNING REMOVES EXCESS DEBRIS
AND STIMULATES GROWTH.
>> 48% ON THE HUMIDITY
AND 71 DEGREES.
>> RIGHT NOW FIRE'S GOT A
REALLY BAD NAME.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP
IN MIND THAT THIS WAS NOT
A PRESCRIBED FIRE.
PRESCRIBED FIRES MEANS WE
HAVE CERTAIN GOALS
AND OBJECTIVES THAT WE WANT
TO ACHIEVE WITH THE FIRE.
WE WANT TO KNOCK THE BRUSH BACK.
WE WANT TO INCREASE
PERENNIAL GRASSES.
WE WANT TO INCREASE WEEDS
DEPENDING UPON HOW YOU DO IT
AND WHEN YOU DO IT.
NOBODY WHO KNOWS ANYTHING
ABOUT BURNING WOULD EVER GO
OUT ON A DAY WITH 75 DEGREES
AND 10% HUMIDITY AND A 45
MILES PER HOUR WIND
AND LIGHT A FIRE.
THAT IS NOT A PRESCRIBED FIRE.
>> RIGHT AFTER THE FIRES,
BIOLOGISTS BEGAN STUDYING
THE LONG TERM EFFECTS
ON THE HABITAT.
USING A GPS UNIT TO MARK HIS
LOCATION, JEFF SET UP EIGHT
'PHOTO POINTS.'
THIS ALLOWED HIM TO RECORD
CHANGES TO THE LANDSCAPE.
(camera clicks)
ONE WEEK AFTER THE FIRES,
RAIN FINALLY CAME TO
THE PANHANDLE.
AND JUST TWO WEEKS LATER,
THE LAND WAS SHOWING
SIGNS OF RECOVERY.
>> IT DOESN'T LOOK NEAR AS BAD
AS I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO.
THAT LITTLE TWO INCH RAIN WE
GOT IS GOING A LONG WAY.
IF THE SOIL WILL HOLD
TOGETHER IT'LL BE A REALLY
GOOD THING IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.
RAIN, TIME AND REST.
(wind)
>> FIVE MONTHS AFTER THE FIRES,
SOME AREAS OF THE PANHANDLE
RECEIVED SIX INCHES OF RAIN.
AND A YEAR LATER, THE
LANDSCAPE WAS SPRINGING
BACK TO LIFE.
>> HERE'S A WONDERFUL PLANT,
THIS IS A SPECIES OF CROTON.
GROWS LITTLE SEEDS, NICE
FAT JUICY, ROUND SEEDS
THAT THE BIRDS LIKE.
CONSIDERING WHAT IT WAS LAST
YEAR, IT'S ALL LOOKING
A LOT BETTER.
FOR WILDLIFE IT'S LOOKING
OUTSTANDING, FOR A GUY MAKING
A LIVING GRAZING CATTLE IT
COULD BE BETTER.
>> THE STORY WAS LARGELY THE
SAME TO THE NORTH IN
ROBERTS COUNTY.
>> THIS IS A TYPICAL SHORT
GRASS PRAIRIE SITE, TIGHTER
SOILS, AND GROWS A LOT
SHORTER GRASS, IF IT'S IN
REALLY GOOD SHAPE, KNEE HIGH.
>> AND A YEAR LATER...
>> WE FINALLY GOT SOME GOOD
RAIN, AND NEARLY ALL OF THIS
HAD TURNED TO BLUE GRAMMA
AND BUFFALO GRASS.
GOOD FOR CATTLE, VERY TYPICAL
OF SHORT GRASS PRAIRIE.
SOME STIFF STEMMED FLAX,
HIGHLY PREFERRED FOOD
FOR ANTELOPE.
VERY DIVERSE.
AND IT'S LOOKING A LOT BETTER.
LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
(prairie chicken calls)
CHICKENS ARE REALLY ODD.
THEY WANT LOTS OF DIFFERENT
KINDS OF STUFF AND DIFFERENT
AMOUNTS SCATTERED OVER
A LOT OF COUNTRY.
I WOULD SAY AS FAR AS CHICKEN
HABITAT IT'S PROBABLY BETTER
RIGHT NOW THAN IT WAS IN 2005.
THE BRUSH COVER'S BEEN
KNOCKED BACK SOME, WHICH IS
VERY IMPORTANT FOR CHICKENS,
KEEPING IT MORE OF A PRAIRIE.
BIRDS DIDN'T SHOW UP THIS
YEAR, THERE WEREN'T HERE
LAST YEAR AFTER THE FIRE,
THEY WERE THE YEAR BEFORE.
I CERTAINLY HAVEN'T GIVEN
UP HOPE ON EM, I THINK
THEY'LL BE BACK.
>> THE FLOWERS RANCH HAS BEEN
MAKING A COMEBACK AS WELL.
>> THIS TIME LAST YEAR IS WAS
BASICALLY BLACK AND DIRT.
THE HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE IS
DISAPPEARING AND WE THINK IF
WE TAKE CARE OF THIS,
IN THE LONG RUN IT'S JUST
AN INVESTMENT WE'RE MAKING
IN THE FUTURE OF THIS RANCH
AND THE FUTURE VALUE OF IT.
WE ENJOY DOING IT.
WE DON'T MAKE MUCH MONEY AT
IT BUT, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE
TO DEVELOP THIS RANCH
FOR WILDLIFE.
>> FROM NATURE'S POINT OF
VIEW, THE FIRES OF 2006 WILL,
OVER THE LONG TERM, BE GOOD.
THE INCREASE IN DIVERSITY
AND PLANT PRODUCTIVITY WILL
GIVE THE ANIMALS MORE FOOD,
MORE COVER, AND BETTER HABITAT.
>> REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT DID
FOR THE HABITAT, REGARDLESS
OF HOW GOOD IT'S GONNA BE FOR
WILDLIFE IN 5, 10, 15 YEARS,
DO NOT WANT THAT TO
HAPPEN AGAIN.
TOO DEVASTATING.
THESE ANIMALS HAVE BEEN
LIVING UP HERE ON THE
PRAIRIE FOR THOUSANDS
AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
AND THIS ISN'T THEIR FIRST FIRE.
THEY'LL COME BACK AND THEY
WILL ALL RECOVER.