CEDARVILLE, Calif. - Topics affecting natural resources on public lands in northeast California and far northwest Nevada will be discussed, when the Modoc-Washoe Experimental Stewardship Steering Committee meets Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Bureau of Land Management Surprise Field Station, 602 Cressler St., in Cedarville.
The meeting, open to the public, gets underway at 9 a.m.
Agenda topics include updates from member agencies, a report on wild horse management, a status report on rangeland monitoring on national forest lands in the Warner Mountains and an update on the Modoc National Forest's Lassen 15 project.
Committee members will also discuss targeted grazing on cheat grass in areas burned by the Coleman Fire, hear the BLM's response to a technical review team report on degraded sagebrush areas and discuss a research report from Modoc County Cooperative Extension.
Public comments will be accepted at 11:30 a.m. Those unable to attend the meeting can participate by teleconference. The toll-free phone number is 800-857-5137, and the passcode is 66360.
The Modoc-Washoe group is part of the national Experimental Stewardship Program, created by Congress in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978. The program encourages rangeland management innovation and incentives for improving conditions on public rangelands. The Modoc-Washoe group advises the BLM’s Applegate (formerly Surprise) Field Office and the Modoc National Forest’s Warner Mountain Ranger District.
The committee has diverse membership including livestock grazing permit holders, representatives from the BLM and Forest Service, and the California and Nevada Departments of Fish and Wildlife. Other interests represented include the timber industry, invasive weed control interests, resource conservation districts, NRCS, environmental and sporting interests from California and Nevada and local government.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management