Volunteers turn out for National Public Lands Day 2021 near Ely
Organization
BLM Office:
Media Contact:
ELY, Nev. – National Public Lands Day volunteers participated in two separate projects Saturday, September 25, pulling weeds at the Baker Archaeological Site to improve the visitor experience and cutting tree limbs at the Ward Mountain Recreation Area's Birkebeiner Trail to enhance public safety.
Wielding rakes and small gardening tools, more than 20 Baker area residents removed Halogeton and Russian Thistle, two invasive and noxious weed species, from the archaeological site just outside Great Basin National Park. The frequently-visited site contains the remnants of a pre-Columbian Fremont people’s village. The project was sponsored by the Baker Area Citizens Advisory Board in collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management Ely District. The Board hopes to make the clean-up a regular event.
“It takes a village to care for a village,” Elizabeth Woolsey, Baker Area Citizens Advisory Board chairperson, said.
Volunteers toting hand saws and loppers trimmed protruding branches from nearly three miles of the Birkebeiner Trail on Ward Mountain near Ely. Hikers, mountain bikers, and winter sports enthusiasts use the trail year-round. It is home to the annual Bristlecone Birkebeiner Winterfest. Participants in the BLM Ely District-hosted event included the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition and National Park Service.
“This was the first year since COVID that BLM was able to host a NPLD event. The Ward Mountain Recreation area is beloved by the community and the event helps to enhance the visitor experience to the area,” said Jared Bybee, BLM Bristlecone Field Manager.
The nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands, NPLD has brought together hundreds of thousands of volunteers to help restore America’s public lands since 1979. The event, coordinated each year by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation, is a success nationwide because of the collaboration between federal, state and local agencies, private organizations and individual volunteers.
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.