Sage Grouse, Sagebrush and Science

 blog.nature.org/science/2013/04/19/sage-grouse-sagebrush-and-science/   Sage Grouse, Sagebrush and Science April 19, 2013  |  by: Matt Miller  |  1 Male sage grouse display each spring to attract females. Photo: Robert Griffith by Matt Miller, senior science writer They appear like ghosts before light: small groups of plump birds standing amongst the sagebrush. They puff up, tail feathers erect, chest extended. Large air sacs are inflated on their breasts, making a distinct plop. I’m on the spring display grounds of the greater sage grouse, one of the arid West’s most iconic birds. Each spring males gather on these grounds, known as leks, to impress females with their display. You have to get up early in the morning and sit motionless in the high desert. But you’ll be rewarded in the soft light of dawn, as sage grouse begin their show. It’s not unusual 15 males vying for the attention of female grouse on a lek, a site that grouse ... Read the rest of entry »

Sage Grouse, Sagebrush and Science

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Sage Grouse, Sagebrush and Science

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Sage Grouse, Sagebrush and Science

 

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ECO Series Mulchers, AFE is Proud to Announce our New Product Line

 AFE is Proud to Announce our New Product Line:  ECO Series Mulchers

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Land Clearning the "Green" Way

Forestry Excavating and the term "Green" are becoming synonymous.  In real estate we always want to put the land to it's highest and best use, but just because large tracks of land or parcels of land are having their topography altered does not mean we do not think about our enviornment and place the needs of the enviornment first. There are many reasons for changing the topography of land: building, pre-commerical thinning, plantation thinning, rite of way clearing, tree or brush clearing, utility lines, pipelines, fire breaks, restoration of the land for wildlife use and forest fuels reduction. With laying of pipelines for the gas and oil companies, utility lines for the electric companies; you have to have a rite away cleared. For pipelines you have to clear an average of 100 feet in width and that runs the entire length of the pipeline project.  How do we accomplish this need to grow for our utilities without destroying our wildlife and natural resources? The answer is using a fo ... Read the rest of entry »

Sharing Trade Secrets Mechanical Mulching Technology

Sharing Trade Secrets Mechanical Mulching Technology By Patricia Davis As published in Forest Products Equipment Magazine   "If you build a better mousetrap, people have a way of finding you." When Jon Moffet developed prototypes of the Rotary Disc Mulcher (RDM) for his company's exclusive use in mechanical fuels reduction, he wasn't sure he wanted to share trade secrets. As Hayden, Idaho-based Environmental Forestry, Inc. (EFI) continued to grow and prosper, serving the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Defense, private companies and individuals, EFI was repeatedly approached by other contractors who wanted to purchase one of its heads. Moffet had a change of heart. "Initially, we resisted, thinking we did not want to share our technology with a potential competitor. After doing some market research into the size, scope and projected growth of the mechanical mulching industry, we reassessed our position and decided to sell the RDM to the public," he ... Read the rest of entry »

Houston Uses RDM Technology to Clean Up

Houston's 4th Precinct contains approximately 50 miles of what is commonly referred to as “out-fall” ditches in many of the subdivisions.  The purpose of these ditches is to take water from the road ditches and transfer it to the major drain-ways provided to take water to the bayous and rivers and eventually on into the Gulf. Many of these out-fall ditches have grown up with tallow and other assorted trees, making them impossible to clean out. The only logical method is to grind the trees with special equipment designed for that purpose. Hiring contractors to do this work is very expensive. Such an expense is way beyond the precinct's budgetary means. They investigated different pieces of equipment they could purchase to do the job themselves.  Not surprisingly they chose the RDM.  Here's what Precinct Commissioner Norman D. Brown had to say: "Recently, Precinct 4 was able to purchase a special mulching (grinding) head for our new track hoe. This head is designed and manufactu ... Read the rest of entry »

RDM Mulchers in Action for Sage Grouse Habitat

This past fall RDM mulchers were contracted to do cedar tree mastication in an effort to restore and expand sage grouse habitat on Juniper Mountain and Josephine Creek in Southern Idaho.  RDM Mulchers were selected because of their superior efficiency and their ability to get the job done with limited disturbance to the soil. You can download and read the entire article here.

The Westerner Features AFE

The Westerner, a publication of Western States CAT has a special feature on AFE in their recent issue. Click to download the multi-page PDF and learn why Western States is so enthusiastic about RDM technology.