BLM Ely District thins pinion-juniper to reduce fire risk and improve land health
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ELY, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management Ely District’s fuels management team is thinning pinion-juniper on public lands in south Steptoe Valley to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk and improve wildlife habitat.
The 56-acre mastication treatment 30 miles south of Ely is part of the multi-year South Steptoe Valley Watershed Restoration Project that will ultimately treat up to 54,000 acres of the 200,000-plus acre watershed.
Treatments are comprised mostly of mastication, hand thinning and chaining and focus primarily on restoring sagebrush communities though aspen, mixed conifer, mountain mahogany, mountain brush, and pinyon-juniper woodland communities also benefit.
The district has to date treated 13,575 acres in cooperation with the Nevada Department of Wildlife and in coordination with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Ely Ranger District’s restoration efforts on neighboring Ward Mountain.
The fuels management program focuses on protecting local communities and our natural resources. Fuels management staff work closely with homeowners, communities, fire departments, government agencies and tribes to develop and implement hazardous fuels treatments designed to reduce the risks of catastrophic wildland fire to people, communities, and natural resources and restore rangeland and woodland ecosystems.
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.