The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) right-of-way (ROW) permit is soon to expire. In 1999, BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc. recruited a group of individuals to develop documents in preparation for the right-of-way renewal application. The objectivewas to assemble and synthesize existing information about the ROW. The revegetation topic was my assignment. Examining the revegetation information revealed a series of investigations over about a 10-year period. Route vegetation studies commenced beforepipeline construction began and largely ended about three years after oil started flowing through the pipeline. As I can best determine, the sequence of studies was: 1) Dr. William Mitchell conducted a plant ecological survey of the northern section ofthe proposed route for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company (Mitchell 1970). 2) Alyeska Pipeline Service Company took 15,000 surface soil samples along the proposed route and prepared a fertilizer guide for revegetation based on laboratory tests (Hubbard 1980). 3) Johnson, Quinn and Brown investigated revegetation and erosion control practices at selected locations as the pipeline was being constructed (Johnson and others 1977). 1975-1978: L. Johnson observed revegetation treatments at 60 sites along the pipeline during construction (Johnson 1981). Summaries and improvement suggestions for a future natural gas transportation pipeline were included in Walker and others (1987). 1977 & 1979: A.W. Johnson and Kubanis inventoried weeds along TAPS route from Yukon River north to Prudhoe Bay (Kubanis 1980, Johnson and Kubanis 1980). 1979&1980: Native Plants, Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah examined revegetation results within the pipeline corridor, plant succession patterns outside the corridor, and mycorrhizae onvarious plant species along TAPS route from Prudhoe Bay to Delta Junction (Native Plants, Inc. 1980a, 1980b and undated). These studies were sponsored by Northwest Pipeline Company for the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System (ANGTS). A revegetationrecommendation for Northwest Pipeline Company was produced. For the past 20 years there appears to have been no published comprehensive inventory of the vegetation growing throughout the right-of-way with respect to revegetation success or failure. Obvious questions for a permit renewal are: 1) What are the current vegetation conditions along the corridor? 2) Which of the seeded species used in the revegetation program has persisted? 3) If seeded species are persisting, where do they occur? During the summer of 1999, we undertook a survey of the vegetation along the TAPS corridor from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez to acquire answers to these and related questions. All vascular plant life forms were inventoried. There were no natural grasslands throughout the pipeline route. Yet grass species were seeded for revegetation because grass seeds were available and because grasses have desirable features to protect soils from accelerated erosion. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company also used willow cuttings and transplanted trees and shrubs at a few select locations.
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