BLM to analyze aerial cheatgrass treatments in Sinks Canyon
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LANDER, Wyo. — The Bureau of Land Management Lander Field Office is seeking input as it begins to analyze potential aerial cheatgrass treatments on public land in Sinks Canyon.
Cheatgrass has increased in Sinks Canyon following a series of wildfires in the last two decades. As the invasive species proliferates in the canyon, wildfire risk substantially increases and the value of the area as wildlife habitat diminishes. The proposed spray area is located on the south-facing slopes of Sinks Canyon’s north side, in the burn scar of the 2013 Fairfield Fire.
In cooperation with Fremont County Weed and Pest, Sinks Canyon State Park, and the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish, the BLM proposes to aerially spray the herbicide imazapic on approximately 211 acres of BLM-managed public land. The spray program would occur between August 15 and September 30, every other year for about 10 years, beginning in 2022.
Your input on any potential issues, impacts or alternatives to be analyzed is valuable, and will help ensure we produce a well-informed environmental analysis. Comments should be submitted by March 18, 2022, to the project’s ePlanning site at eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2017985/510. If you cannot access this system, comments may be submitted by mail to the BLM Lander Field Office, 1335 Main Street, Lander, WY 82520.
All comments, including personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask that your identifying information be withheld from public review, the BLM cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
For more information about the proposed project, please contact BLM Natural Resources Specialist Emma Freeland at 307-332-8400 or efreeland@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.