Worland Field Office
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307-347-5207 |
BLM Worland Combats Cheatgrass Following Paint Rock Fire
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Worland Field Office will implement a fire rehabilitation project on recently burned public land north of Hyattville during the week of September 6.
The Paint Rock Fire burned approximately 400 acres of juniper, grass and sagebrush in the vicinity of the Cold Springs Road after it was ignited by lightning on August 25. Firefighters extinguished the fire within a few days but the burned area now provides an opportunity for invasive cheatgrass to take hold.
“Cheatgrass was already established in pockets in the area,” said BLM Natural Resource Specialist C.J. Grimes. “We knew, based on past wildfires, that there could be a major increase in cheatgrass cover in the aftermath of the Paint Rock Fire.”
To combat this cheatgrass expansion, a pre-emergent herbicide called Plateau will be sprayed over the burned area from a helicopter.
“Cheatgrass is an annual plant which only reproduces by seed,” said Grimes. “The goal of the treatment is to provide the slower growing native plants, many of which are tolerant of Plateau, with time to recover and compete.”
The road will remain open during the project, however the public is asked to use caution while driving through the area to avoid spraying operations and to not stop within the burned area. For more information please contact Grimes at 307-347-5100.
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.
Worland Field Office 101 South 23rd Worland, WY 82401