Lander Field Office
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307/347-5207 |
BLM Lander Seeks Public Comments on Rangeland Management Treatments
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lander Field Office plans to conduct a sagebrush thinning and young juniper removal project within the Red Canyon area adjacent to Wyoming Highway 28 and east of Red Canyon and is asking for public comments on the proposal.
The project is a cooperative effort between the BLM and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD). Sagebrush thinning would be implemented by aerially applying clay pellets of the herbicide tebuthiuron at an application rate that would thin existing sagebrush by approximately 50 percent. Other important shrubs such as bitterbrush would be unaffected by the treatment. Juniper removal will be implemented using chainsaws within sagebrush habitat where young junipers are growing in the long term absence of fire. Older juniper on the ridge tops will not be cut as they are unique to the area and provide cover for wintering big game.
The proposed treatment area is approximately 970 acres. If implemented, work would be conducted during fall or winter 2011-2012 and juniper removal will continue as needed over the next couple of years by BLM fire crews.
"These treatments will improve the condition of mule deer winter range, reduce hazardous natural fuels loading and improve overall ecological health within the Red Canyon area," BLM Natural Resource Specialist Tim Kramer said. "We welcome any questions or comments the public may have as we continue to plan for this project."
The proposed treatment areas are in sagebrush habitat and are part of the Lander Slope Mule Deer Habitat Improvement Project. Within the past four years, work on this larger project has involved cutting juniper, mowing sagebrush and using tebuthiuron to thin over-mature sagebrush stands.
Though comments or questions related to this proposed project are welcome at any time, they will be most effective if received by Sept. 30, 2011. Comments may be emailed to: lander_wymail@BLM.gov (please include "Red Canyon Treatments" in the subject line) or mailed to: Bureau of Land Management, Lander Field Office, Attn: Tim Kramer, 1335 Main Street, Lander, WY 82520.
For more information about the proposed vegetation treatments within the Red Canyon area, please contact Kramer at 307-332-8431, BLM Fuels Specialist Cal Anacker at 307-332-4408 or WGFD Terrestrial Biologist Ron Lockwood at 307-332-2688.
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.
Lander Field Office 1335 Main Street Lander, WY 82520