Rocky Prairie is designated a Natural Area Preserve to protect Castilleja levisecta, Golden Indian
Paintbrush, which has been proposed for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act as a
threatened species. Changes in land management practices and processes of natural succession have
altered rare plant habitat values at Rocky Prairie. A restoration project is underway to prevent further
losses of habitat, and to enhance the potential for a stable and successfully reproductive population of
the rare plant. This project is taking place in phases over a period of at least three years. In the first
phase, approximately 85 large trees were felled and removed by helicopter in February, 1996. This paper focuses on aspects of the project related to restoration of native herbaceous and grass species on exposed sites left following tree removal. On site seed collections in 1995 and 1996 were used to
produce nursery grown plugs for spring and fall planting in 1996 and 1997. Approximately 30,000 Festuca idahoensis, Idaho fescue, seedlings were planted to establish the primary grass species of Puget prairies. Smaller lots of Eriophyllum lanatum, Microseris laciniata, and Potentilla gracillus were also planted. Germination and growout trials were conducted on certain species to expand the
practical information available for propagating herbaceous prairie species. Monitoring plots were
established on planted sites to evaluate survival of Idaho fescue.
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