BLM to conduct aerial herbicide applications in northeastern Utah starting Sept. 15 2024

Utah
Media Contact

VERNAL, UtahThe BLM Green River District Fire & Fuels Program will be conducting aerial herbicide treatments starting around Sept. 15 through Sept. 30, weather permitting. The treatment area includes approximately 4,521 acres in Uintah County in the Blue Mountain Area, north of Highway 40 and just west of the Utah-Colorado border. 

The treatment will be conducted in the following areas: 

Public lands in the Stuntz Ridge area on the higher elevations of Blue Mountain, 

Public lands in the Davis Springs area on the lower elevations of Blue Mountain, and  

Public lands in the Bourdette Draw area. 

Invasive grasses are a significant contributor to wildfires in the west. BLM’s goal of the aerial herbicide (Plateau) treatments is to prevent the establishment and spread of invasive annual grasses in order to restore native bunchgrass and shrub species within sagebrush restoration project areas and recently burned areas. 

Questions about fuels reductions projects should be directed to the Fuels Program Manager Hank Barela at 435-781-2741 or hbarela@blm.gov. 

-BLM- 

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Image 1: The scene near the Halfway Hollow area southwest of Vernal following a 2023 cheatgrass treatment. Photo by Cal DeBerard, Fuels Specialist with BLM Green River District.
Image 1: The scene near the Halfway Hollow area southwest of Vernal following a 2023 cheatgrass treatment. Photo by Cal DeBerard, Fuels Specialist with BLM Green River District.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.