Wildfires in the Western United States have increased in size and frequency in recent years. Land managers have sought tools to reduce fuels and thus reduce wildfire risk. Fuel reductions increase the ability of wildland fire fighters to suppress wildfires and protect wildland-urban interfaces. Grazing has been identified as a tool to reduce fine fuel and thus decrease flame lengths and rate of spread. Often fine fuel treatments rely on high levels of grazing utilization  (> 80%). However high levels of utilization can lead to ecological degradation by reducing or eliminating native bunchgrasses. The objectives of our study are to determine how different levels of grazing utilization (30%, 50% and 80%) relate to fuel characteristics and subsequent fire behavior. This was conducted by clipping 0.5 m frames at 30%, 50% or 80% utilization by weight. Immediately afterward, fuel measurements were collected (fuel bed depth and fuel loading). This data was then used to model flame lengths and rate of fire spread for each utilization level. We suggest that moderating grazing utilization levels may allow for more sustainable fuel reduction treatments while still reducing wildfire risks. These results will ensure that fuels objectives are met while maintaining ecological integrity.Â
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Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.