ELY–A reseeding project on nearly 6,000 acres in eastern Nevada wrapped up last month in what officials at the Bureau of Land Management say is an effort to restore watershed health and improve wildlife habitat. Officials said reducing fire risk is another benefit to the work.
“Establishing perennial and forb species helps to stabilize soils and buffer against erosion, especially on bare or exposed soil and slopes. Perennial species are also able to successfully compete with invasive annuals, for example cheatgrass,” said Cody Coombs, a BLM natural resources specialist in the Ely district office.
Cheatgrass is a highly flammable fine fuel that can increase fire intensity and frequency.
The areas of reseeding are the same as those where tree thinning and mastication took place in 2021.
“Woody biomass remaining from the mastication treatments was left onsite to degrade naturally and create a mulch layer for seed germination,” said the BLM’s Kelli Dobrescu.
Areas included in the reseeding project include:
- 433 acres in the Kern Mountain Range northeast of Ely.
- 489 acres in Duck Creek Basin northeast of Ely.
- 913 acres in Johnson Spring Basin northwest of Ely.
- 1,160 acres along Ward Mountain south of Ely.
Additional nearly 2,900 acres on public and private land in White Pine County was reseeded as either fire prevention or fire rehabilitation.
Source: BLM
