| Contacts: | Michael Blakeman, (719) 852-6212 |
Volunteers Sought to Transplant Chokecherries Along Kerber Creek (09-23-10)
SAGUACHE – The San Luis Valley Public Lands Center is seeking volunteers to transplant chokecherry bushes along the banks of Kerber Creek on October 2. The chokecherries will help stabilize the stream banks, thus reducing erosion and the transportation of heavy metals in the creek.
Heavy metals in mine wastes left over from mining operations in the late 1800s to mid 1900s prevent the growth of vegetation along many stretches of Kerber Creek. Lime and compost have been spread on top of the stream banks in order to bind the heavy metals and make them less water soluble. This process, known as phytostabilization, allows grasses, forbs and bushes to be planted along the stream banks to reduce erosion while limiting the chances that the plants will die from absorbing the heavy metals.
The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began restoration efforts in the Kerber Creek drainage in 1991. Since that time, the BLM, in collaboration with other federal and state agencies, non-government organizations, the Bonanza Stakeholder Group, and volunteers have worked to restore Kerber Creek on private, Forest Service and BLM-managed lands.
People wishing to volunteer should meet at the Villa Grove Trading Post at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 2. Volunteers should bring their own work clothing, sunscreen, hat, water, lunch, and friends and family. The transplanting work should take the majority of the day.
For more information or to register for the project please contact Rob Santoro at 719-852-6267 or rob@voc.org.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
1803 West Hwy 160 Monte Vista, CO 81144