Modoc National Forest

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: August 10, 2004 CA-N-04-85

 

  PUBLIC WORKSHOPS PLANNED ON RANGELAND RESTORATION

A series of public workshop meetings will be held in Northeast California communities in August and September to begin development of a coordinated plan to improve conditions on sagebrush-steppe ecosystems throughout the region.

The Bureau of Land Management, Modoc National Forest, Modoc County and the North Cal-Neva Resource Conservation and Development District are leading the effort to develop the plan. It will focus heavily on improving management of western juniper across a 6.5 million-acre area.

The workshops will be designed to encourage discussion about encroachment of juniper into sage-steppe ecosystems – landscapes comprised of brush and grass, interspersed with woodlands and occasional aspen stands. Participants will have the opportunity to provide ideas about how to improve the diversity of vegetation and health of these landscapes, according to Tim Burke, manager of the BLM's Alturas Field Office.

The workshops, all beginning at 7 p.m., will be held as follows:

•  Tulelake: Tuesday, Aug. 24, Tulelake Partnership Building, downtown Tulelake.

•  Macdoel: Wednesday, Aug. 25, Modoc National Forest Goosenest Ranger District Office

•  Fall River Mills : Thursday, Aug. 26, Lassen National Forest Hat Creek Ranger District Office

•  Bieber: Tuesday, Aug. 31, Veterans Memorial Building

•  Likely : Wednesday, Sept. 1, Likely Fire Hall

•  Alturas: Thursday, Sept. 2, Modoc National Forest Headquarters conference room

•  Cedarville: Tuesday, Sept. 14, Bureau of Land Management Surprise Field Office

•  Susanville: Wednesday, Sept. 15, Bureau of Land Management, Eagle Lake Field Office.

“These public workshops are the first steps in developing a management plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the sagebrush-steppe ecosystems that have been impacted by expansion of juniper woodlands,” Burke said. “Left unmanaged, these encroaching juniper stands crowd out brush and grass species that are important to wildlife such as deer, antelope, sage grouse and other animals. Heavy juniper stands also reduce rangeland productivity for livestock grazing, and cause livestock management problems.”

Burke said that when completed, the sagebrush-steppe management plan would become part of the BLM's land use plans, called Resource Management Plans, and would amend National Forest plans as well.

Management plan development is supported by a wide variety of regional groups, with funding provided by the Modoc County Resource Advisory Committee and by the BLM's Cooperative Conservation Initiative.

-BLM-FS-

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