| Contacts: | Carlos Madril | , 575.838.1281 |
BLM Socorro Proposes Plan to Restore Landscapes
SOCORRO, New Mexico – The Bureau of Land Management, Socorro Field Office is proposing a vegetative treatment within identified areas of the East Magdalena Mountains, Polvadera Mountain, and Sierra Ladrones. The intended treatment is needed in order to reduce creosote shrubs, thereby reducing the competition for moisture and nutrients and to allow these vegetative communities to move toward a historic and desirable vegetation community.
It has been shown that the root systems of mature creosote (Larrea tridentate) plants are simply so efficient at absorbing water that fallen seeds nearby cannot accumulate enough water to germinate. This effectively creates dead zones around every plant. Current conditions do not represent the historic and/or desired plant community therefore we proposed to apply the EPA-approved herbicide tebuthiron, in a pelleted form, aerially at a rate ½ pound per acre in order to control the creosote and bring back other native grasses to the area. We will avoid major arroyos and washes so that species like sumac, saltbush, Apache plume, desert willow, and others non-target shrubs will not be destroyed.
The treatment area includes about 42,000 acres within selected areas of the East Magdalena Mountains, Polvadera Mountain, and Sierra Ladrones. The treatments will be completed in smaller blocks over a 10-year time period.
We have scheduled a public meeting at the Socorro Field Office on July 22, 2009 at 6:00pm to answer questions or address concerns about this proposal. Anyone interested in this habitat restoration project is invited to attend.
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.