BLM Approves the Virginia Mountains Vegetation Treatments Project
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Carson City, Nev. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Sierra Front Field Office has approved the Virginia Mountains Vegetation Treatments Project. The project area is located in the Virginia Mountains area north of Reno and west of Pyramid Lake in Washoe County, Nevada.
The Project would be implemented over a 10-year period to increase the resistance and resilience of plant communities to disturbance, and to reduce hazardous fuels to protect people, property, infrastructure, and resources from severe wildfire. The BLM has also approved a Programmatic Agreement to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act.
The Proposed Action is to implement vegetation treatments on approximately 22,388 acres in strategically located treatment units. Specific treatments are proposed for treatment units based on vegetation condition and management objectives. Proposed treatments include mechanical mastication of trees and brush, mechanical thinning/removal of trees, hand thinning of trees, herbicide application, prescribed fire (pile burning), and seeding. Most treatments would occur in late summer or fall, and it is anticipated that between 2,000-3,000 acres would be treated each year.
For a copy of the final documents and maps of the Project area go to: http://1.usa.gov/22fu4GL
For more information contact: Keith Barker, Fire Ecologist, at 775-885-6120, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, NV 89701, or email at: VirginiaMtns@blm.gov.
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.