National Public Lands Day at Soldier Meadows
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WINNEMUCCA, NV. – On September 30, 2017, the Bureau of Land Management, Black Rock Field Office will host a National Public Lands Day environmental event in the Soldier Meadows Area 60 miles north of Gerlach, Nevada. BLM staff are working in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada Division of Wildlife, Friends of Black Rock High Rock, Friends of Nevada Wilderness and Nevada Outdoor School. As stewards, the BLM manages public lands for the benefit of current and future generations, supporting conservation as we pursue our multiple-use mission.
The event meeting location is Soldier Meadow Cabin. The theme of this year’s event will be “2017 Soldier Meadows – Desert Dace Day” – with a habitat project aimed at protecting the Desert Dace fish, a threatened species found only in this part of the world. The project includes an effort to replicate a study done in 2004. We need volunteers to place 30 data loggers in the springs to record the temp of the water. This job includes spacing out and driving t-posts, wiring the data loggers to the posts and then placing them in the water every 400 meters. For those who would like to take it a bit easier, we also need volunteers to plant some yellow bee plant seeds to start a small pollinator plot. We also need help cleaning up the cabin and campground area by removing nails, cleaning out the fire pit, and other light work.
The event includes a campout, multiple service projects, a “kid’s camp” for children 5 and older, and a Dutch oven cook-off. The free event will also include breakfast provided by both Friends groups Saturday and Sunday mornings. The event begins September 29, 2017 and concludes the morning of October 1, 2017.
The BLM will provide gloves, trash grabbers, trash bags, and water. Each participant will receive a commemorative t-shirt. Please wear sturdy shoes and bring sunscreen. Long sleeved shirts and long pants are recommended.
National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands and brings together hundreds of thousands of individual and organizational volunteers to help restore America’s public lands.
For more information, or to sign up for the event, please visit the Friends of Black Rock-High Rock’s web page at http://blackrockdesert.org/national-public-lands-day-2017/. Please note that the Winnemucca District is currently in fire restrictions and it may affect the ability to have campfires at the event – please stay informed on the status of fire restrictions at the above-mentioned website. It is recommended that your vehicle is high clearance and four-wheel drive. As always, the event is subject to inclement weather conditions.
For more information about the event, please contact Chelsea McKinney, Outdoor Recreation Planner for the Black Rock Field Office at 775-623-1771 or cmmckinney@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.