WINNEMUCCA - The Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca District, has begun the planning process for emergency stabilization and rehabilitation work for six fires that burned more than 22,000 acres across the district in 2013 and will continue rehabilitation from the 2012 fire season that burned more than 250,000 acres.
The treatments focus on habitat rehabilitation for greater sage grouse and other critical wildlife species, such as Lahontan cutthroat trout, mule deer and pronghorn. Treatments will include the ground and aerial application of grass, forb, and shrub seeds as well as fence repair, seedling planting, and noxious weed treatments. Temporary fence construction and repair of livestock allotment fences is also planned to ensure recovery of native vegetation as well as protect the public land user's investment in the seeding projects. Aerial seeding is planned to begin this winter, weather permitting, while other treatments, such as ground and drill seeding, have already begun.
Aggressive noxious weed detection surveys and treatments will be conducted across the burned areas in an effort to prevent any potential weed infestations occurring as a result of the fires. BLM crews will treat weeds through an integrated approach using both chemical and mechanical methods which will be coordinated with habitat restoration projects.
"The importance of the emergency stabilization and rehabilitation efforts should not be underestimated," said Mike Fettic, Desert Basin Zone fire management officer. "All of this hard work helps speed the recovery of the affected ecosystems that otherwise would take decades to accomplish."
The Winnemucca District is working cooperatively with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as other public stakeholders, Fettic added.
For additional information regarding these and future ES&R efforts, contact Eric Baxter, BLM Natural Resource specialist, at (775) 623-1500.
Project Specifics
Planned Aerial Seeding:
• Approximately 6,000 acres of greater sage grouse Preliminary Priority Habitat (PPH) and Preliminary General Habitat (PGH) in the Holloway Fire near Kings River Valley using Mountain sagebrush and a small amount of Bluebunch wheatgrass. Seeding continues to treat identified high priority habitat as determined by Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and BLM wildlife biologists.
• 330 acres in the Raspberry Fire, near Winnemucca, using
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sagebrush and Sandberg's bluegrass. This is the entirety of the public lands burned in 2013.
• 95 acres in the Cosgrave Fire, near Winnemucca, using sagebrush and Sandberg's bluegrass. This is the entirety of the public lands burned in 2013.
Planned Drill Seeding/Ground Seeding:
• Approximately 160 acres of drill seeding in the Dun Glen Fire, near Winnemucca, using Wyoming sagebrush, Sandberg's bluegrass, Spiny hopsage, Indian ricegrass.
• Approximately 125 acres of drill seeding in the Porcupine Fire, south of Orovada, using Wyoming sagebrush, Fourwing saltbush, Bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg's bluegrass.
• Approximately 90 acres of broadcast seeding in PGH/PPH within the Coyote Fire, using Mountain sagebrush.
Planned Hand Planting:
• NDOW has committed approximately 1000 bitterbrush/Wyoming sagebrush seedlings to planting efforts in the Holloway and Porcupine Fires will be planted between December 2013 and March 2014.
• Approximately 40,000 Mountain sagebrush and 5,000 Bitterbrush plants have been produced at Boise Federal Nursery and will be planted in the Holloway Fire area in February/March 2014.
Fence Repair:
• Repair of burned fences has occurred for all 2013 fires with ESR plans. A short section of temporary fence (to be removed in 3 years) has been constructed around the Dun Glen Drill seeding area. Repair of livestock pasture fences continues in the Holloway Fire.[[In-content Ad]]
