Red Rock Canyon Seeking Comments on Fencing Around Schumacher Spring
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Las Vegas – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Red Rock/Sloan Field Office will host a public meeting on October 9 at 2 p.m. at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Visitor Center classroom. The meeting will focus on information about a proposed fence around Schumacher Spring to restore the area to a functioning riparian system.
An Environmental Assessment analyzing any impacts from a proposed fence around Schumacher Spring, located in the Lucky Strike Canyon Area will be available for public comment from October 10 through October 24.
The area around Schumacher Spring has been heavily degraded and there is little vegetation left in the immediate area. This has led to erosion problems with over one foot of soil being lost in some adjacent spots.
The preferred alternative in the Environmental Assessment is a steel three rail fence encompassing 3,900 square feet of the hillside, including the springhead. The fence will not encompass the entire length of the surface flow, so that wildlife and burros will still have continuous access to drinking water. Where the fence crosses the surface flow, there will be multiple posts along the flow so that the fenceline can be moved depending on the reach of the surface flow. This will ensure that surface water always flows outside the fence while maximizing the restoration area. The fence will likely be constructed this fall.
For more information about this project, please contact Ben Nicklay (Great Basin Institute/BLM) at bnicklay@blm.gov or 702-515-5028.
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.