BLM pauses drill seeding of fire-damaged public lands in eastern Nevada

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ELY  – The Bureau of Land Management has paused until autumn drill seeding on public lands burned in two eastern Nevada wildfires. 

McVicars’ program this winter drill seeded 500 acres burned in the Brown Fire (pictured). The program seeded 1,000 acres burned in the Twin Fire.

“We’re likely to be more successful if we seed in the fall. The desired plants naturally set seed in the fall, lay dormant through winter, and are ready to germinate in spring when moisture and temperatures rise,” said Chris McVicars, BLM Ely District emergency stabilization and rehabilitation program manager. 

McVicars’ program this winter drill seeded 1,000 of the acres burned in last summer’s 25,110-acre Twin Fire in Lincoln County. Another 1,500 acres remain to be seeded. Also completed, 500 of the 3,000 acres to be drill-seeded as a result of the 8,268-acre Brown Fire in White Pine County. Aerially seeded were 22,000 acres of the Twin Fire and 8,000 acres of the Brown Fire. 

The seedings are components of emergency stabilization and rehabilitation projects designed specifically for each fire. Other treatment elements common to the projects include fence repair and/or temporary fence construction, temporary grazing closures, and noxious and invasive weed treatments, followed by monitoring.