BLM closes Yarmony Mountain area for aerial herbicide spraying
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KREMMLING, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management is closing about 4,500 acres of BLM-managed public land to treat invasive cheatgrass on the Yarmony Mountain area on Aug. 9-11. Signs will be posted in the project area to alert visitors to the area closure and herbicide application.
Contractors will aerially apply the Imazapic herbicide on about 1,000-acres of BLM-managed land. If 1,000 acres have not been treated by Aug. 11, treatments will resume on Aug. 16 and continue through completion.
Cheatgrass is an aggressive noxious weed that displaces native plants, reduces the quality of forage for wildlife, and alters soil chemistry. Cheatgrass is highly flammable – its presence increases fire intensity and frequency. When a fire strikes a cheatgrass infested area, it can forever alter the native plant community.
The BLM is preparing the Yarmony Mountain area for future fuels treatments that will remove invading pinyon and juniper trees from open sagebrush areas. Fuels treatments are expected to include mechanical removal followed by prescribed burning. It is very important to treat the cheatgrass in advance of these activities to reduce its presence on the landscape, thus reducing its opportunity to spread.
“Using aircraft to apply the herbicide is an effective and efficient method for treating large acreages of invasive plants,” said Acting Kremmling Field Manager Chris Ziegler. “We are closing the area during aerial application to protect public health and safety.”
For more information about this project, contact the Kremmling Field Office at 970-724-3000 or BLM_CO_KR_Webmail@blm.gov.
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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.