The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently initiated a project called Targeted Grazing of Annual Grasses in the Great Basin Ecoregions in Nevada and plans to complete the National Environmental Policy Act processing requirements.
A comment period ran from July 22 to Aug. 21 and a draft environmental assessment will become available in October.
The BLM stated the purpose of this project is to “analyze the environmental effects of targeted grazing treatments for reduction of annual invasive grasses on various BLM Nevada-managed lands throughout the Great Basin Ecoregion.”
Jon Raby, Nevada state director, additionally said, “We are taking this action because of the threat annual invasive grasses, specifically cheatgrass, play in altering fire regime conditions that intensify wildland fire frequency, duration and size.”
The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) has announced its support of the project by submitting comments in favor of its implementation.
“USCA looks forward to working with the Department of the Interior and the BLM to better utilize the ecosystem benefits of grazing animals to create fuel reductions and lessen the environmental impacts of wildland fire,” said Jack Alexander, USCA public lands committee cochair.
