BLM Lander and Fremont County begin Government Draw aerial weed treatments
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LANDER, Wyo. — With a shared commitment to managing for healthy rangelands, the Bureau of Land Management will partner with Fremont County Weed and Pest for a fifth season of aerial weed treatments in the Government Draw area east of Lander. Treatments may occur from August 20 through September 15.
To combat cheatgrass and leafy spurge expansion and improve habitat for wildlife and livestock grazing, the herbicide Panoramic and adjuvant Sun Wet will be sprayed from a helicopter. Panoramic will provide selective post-emergent control of leafy spurge and pre-emergent control of cheatgrass. The spray areas will target dry draws where leafy spurge and cheatgrass have invaded. The project has been successful in limiting the abundance and spread of noxious weeds, which each damage rangelands in different ways.
"Leafy spurge outcompetes native vegetation and is toxic to livestock and wildlife," said BLM Natural Resources Specialist Emma Freeland. "Cheatgrass also outcompetes native vegetation and tends to dry out early in the growing season, resulting in fine, continuous fuels that make wildfires more likely to spread quickly. Controlling these weeds results in positive outcomes for livestock producers, wildlife and recreationists."
Fremont County Weed and Pest and the BLM implement these treatments with support from a wide variety of cooperators, including local landowners, the Wind River/Sweetwater River Sage-grouse Local Working Group, Wyoming State Lands, Wyoming Weed and Pest Council State Allocations Committee, and Wyoming Department of Transportation.
Actual spraying days will depend on weather conditions. The area will remain open during the project dates but please use caution to avoid spraying operations. Spraying will not occur in an area whenever the pilot detects human presence.
For more information, please contact Fremont County Weed and Pest District Supervisor Aaron Foster at 307-332-1052 or Freeland at 307-332-8400.
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.