Elko District Office
| Contacts: | Lesli Ellis | , 775-753-0386 | , lellis@blm.gov |
Elko District BLM begins rehabilitation work for 2012 fires
ELKO, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management, Elko District has begun the planning process for Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) work for seven fires that burned more than 75,000 acres across the District.
These treatments focus on the rehabilitation of Greater sage-grouse and other critical wildlife habitat, 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, erosion control structures and noxious weed treatments. There will also be temporary protective fence construction to ensure recovery of native vegetation as well as protect the public land user’s investment of the seedings. Seedings will be completed by tractor drill seeding and aviation bucket drops.
Seeding and erosion control treatments are planned to begin this fall and continue into winter, weather permitting, while other treatments would take place over the next two to three years.
Elko District will work in cooperation with many agencies to complete these treatments and cooperatively with local and state agencies.
In addition, aggressive noxious weed detection surveys and treatments will be conducted across the burned areas to prevent any potential weed infestations occurring as a result of the fires. BLM weed crews will work treating weeds through an integrated approach using both chemical and mechanical methods.
The fires are: Kittridge, located five miles north of Elko; Chimney, located on the Southfork Indian Reservation; Willow, located approximately five miles west of Tuscarora; Lime, located approximately seven miles southeast of Wilson Reservoir; Morning Star, located approximately one mile south of Jackpot, Nev.; 20-Mile, located approximately 40 miles northeast of Wells, Nev.; and Stud, located approximately seven miles southeast of Charleston, Nev.
Photos of rehabilitation planning efforts are available on the BLM Flickr website here: http://bit.ly/ElkoRehab.
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.
Elko District Office 3900 E. Idaho St. Elko, NV 89801