U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Southern Nevada District
Southern Nevada District
| Contacts: | Hillerie C. Patton | , 702-515-5046 | , hpatton@blm.gov |
BLM to Begin Hazardous Fuels Reduction at Red Rock this Fall
Las Vegas – The Bureau of Land Management, Southern Nevada District Office, Office of Fire Management has announced that it will use two herbicides to treat and reduce the amount of non-native invasive annual grasses and their seed bank to create fuel breaks in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in the final Red Rock Canyon Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Environmental Assessment that was released today. Treatments will begin in the fall of 2012.
The selected alternative in the environmental assessment will use commercially available pre-emergent and/or post-emergent herbicides to create 300-foot fuel breaks along roads, trails and natural features and would compose 2,114 acres of treatment along approximately 65 miles as well as additional 2,346 acres of treatment within existing burn scars.
The reduction of invasive annual grasses and their soil seed bank will better provide for visitor and firefighter safety by reducing the spread and intensity of wildland fires, protect both public and private infrastructure, protect and enhance native vegetation and habitat, and reduce annual grass expansion.
The public comment period on the draft environmental assessment was from January 25 to February 27, 2012. BLM received 45 comments from nine commenters; these comments were incorporated in the appendices and the cumulative impacts section was updated.
The public has until August 3 to appeal this decision to Interior Board of Land Appeals, Office of the Secretary, in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations 43 CFR, part 4.
To view the final environmental assessment, please visit www.nv.blm.gov/vegas and select National NEPA Register Page under Links of Interest.
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.
Southern Nevada District 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, NV 89130